osSo what does everyone think about the "Merger". Honestly I do not see good things on the horizon. Already they have fumbled with transferring the website over and a few people have already started to report massive increases in shipping costs. My bet is that we will see a big increase in parts prices very soon as the open clause in their catalogs states that they can raise the prices at any time.

I don't see this as a good thing as they were the only two companies that hadn't gone full retard on stabbing the consumer. I blame PY for their lack of listening to the customer to improve their catalog and ordering websites FOR YEARS !!!. Good lord. The amount of time they wasted on that they could have had the best sites in the nation.

I have never been a fan of Classic and have only ordered a few pieces from Firebird Central but now my radar is on full alert and I will take a look at ALL of the competition again and again. For years I have been a BIG fan of PY and Ames and have promoted them where I could but those days are over.

I may be wrong, but I 'heard' Ames Ownership changed 4 or 5 years back. Around 2007-2008 when I was restoring my '67, Ames was my #1 place to shop for parts. NPD was a very close 2nd.
Then when I was restoring my coupe in 2011-2012, I had a LOT of issues with Ames. From shipping, parts availability, stuff not in stock, etc. Went more towards PY, NPD (limited products) and Classic (insane shipping charges) Bought almost nothing from Ames.
I had pretty good luck with the PY catalog in my hand, and then transferring part numbers to their website to order online. I did not like the fact that they would always need to send an email with the shipping cost at a later date, but at least they attempted to figure out what could go inside of what to save shipping costs. Classic just racks up the 'per item' shipping and nails you for the total even though they combine stuff in the end. I think 60% of their profit is due to shipping charges alone. I had one or two 'heated' phone conversations with managers at Classic about that. they always refunded part of my shipping, but makes you wonder about the million other shmucks that just bend over. The best way to make Classic worth it is to catch one of their 15% off + free shipping sales. But they only have a few of those per year. And you ALWAYS need to watch and be wary of the 'Maro parts they sell while insisting they are 'bird parts.
So between Ames (prior) new Ownership and the merger, I have a hunch prices will be trending upward in the near future.
Good thing I am down to only two 'partial' retos in the near future, and have already collected most of the parts.

I have never played the Classic game with prices so I do not shop there. I had become so comfortable with PY and Ames and I truly going to miss them if they start jacking prices and shipping. THe constant screw the customer game is just getting worse and worse BUT there are new companies entering the game so hopefully that will keep them in check. Many moons ago I used to make a big list of things I needed and then pit the vendors against each other to get the best deal. I might start doing that again to see what shakes out.

I've bough a ton of parts the last three years as I'm finally working on my '68 so here's my two cents. I'd rather pay a little more for higher quality parts but like everyone else don't want to be taken. Anymore I will shop several places for parts before buying.
I've had good luck with Ames, Trim Parts and NPD - but watch NPD's quality. They sometimes trade low price for quality. I've had outstanding customer service from NPD, Trim Parts and Summit Racing. I try to buy in large enough chunks to avoid the shipping charges. Trim Parts quality is high but selection limited.
Rick's Camaro was great for parts that crossed over to 'Birds before being purchased by Eckler's. Now their shipping charges are high.
Inline tube has great quality parts but limited selection. For hardware, clips, etc. I check Inline first. Great quality, fair prices and fair shipping charges. They specialize in a lot of hard to find GTO parts. Like everything built by GM, there is a lot of part interchange. They have an outstanding Pontiac specific catalog.
I've gotten a lot of bad quality OER repops and tend to avoid the brand.
Summit and Jegs now carry more restoration parts and the shipping can be cheap by one has to watch.
There is a local Chicago house, D&R Camaro, which I will check. He's a good guy. One can save money on freight costs for bigger items by buying local if possible. And you can see what you're buying before the purchase. And, don't let the name fool you, D&R carries Firebird parts too.
I never bought much from Classic. Didn't want to pay the freight from California.

Buyer beware is what I've learned. FGF site is a great resource. Additionally, research the internet for part, distributor and/or manufacturer reviews. I've found some gems by doing so I would have never found otherwise. And avoided some trouble too.

No use wringing our hands over this. There's nothing we can do about it. When Steve Ames sold out the poncho parts ordering house a few years back, things went down immediately. Prices went up and so did shipping costs. And the phones are answered by women who have no idea what a Pontiac is and read the catalog notes to you. I used to love Ames because they were a little more reasonable and had good customer service (and I get parts the next day where I live). Now they don't seem any better than the others. Avoid Classic at all costs unless you have a Camaro.

Do I see a business opportunity here!