RE: (ET) Bill Gunn going out of ET business

["Elie, Larry \(L.D.\)" <lelie ford com>]

I too talked to Bill today; I didn't even bother giving him my name.  I've 
been there a couple of times, 
but I'm not that good of a customer; I don't order much... I rebuild.

He claims to have tried a web page... then his brother died and he gave up 
on it.
He claims to have tried a CD parts Manuel, and gave up when it got very 
long on the first E12S.
He claims (now) that 'The business part is the easy part' (not what I 
heard before) and he is happy with snail 
mail and checks.
He claims the cost of having new parts made is high (probably true).
He claims the cost of having to return to stock the wrong parts is high 
(true) but he can't do business any 
other way.
He claims he can't just sell his stock as people won't know what goes on 
their tractor (40% true?).
He claims people who have talked to him about buying the business 5 years 
ago gave up when they realized 
how much time it would eat up.
He doesn't know what he will do now.  This one IS true.  

I think he would sell to a technical person with enough time.  I mentioned 
someone from GE (in his 70's) and 
he agreed that some people have enough knowledge, but probably wouldn't 
invest the time.

One problem is his is willing to help with ANYTHING while I think he 
should think in terms of replacing the 
rare parts out there.  He was talking European voltages and so on.

Something like the Electric OX could buy him out, but it isn't in their 
best interest either.  There WILL be 
new Electric Tractors in a few years, but they will use Ultra-Caps, 
conductive bearing motors, no 
transmissions, and the controls will be very different.  But that's 
another story.  For now, we are out 
of luck.

Larry Elie