We filed suit against ZIP PRODUCTS for violating our rights under Federal Law, brought them to U.S. Federal Court and after a Jury Trial we Won. Zip brazenly took our Packaging, Labels and Instruction sheets and deleted our Dr. Rebuild logo. They then made photo copies and passed them off as their own. Zip claimed they did this with my approval for their customers benefit. A big bold face lie. They could never offer a shred a proof that they had received any type of approval for their misrepresentation. This was not the first time they got caught using someone elses work. If you have been around the Corvette industry for as long as I have, you may recall that Zip used the United States Postal Service's "Mr. Zip" Postman Logo artwork in their advertisements. As you may guess, the United States Postal Service put a stop to them pilfering their property also.
We brought suit against Zip in U.S. Federal Court for violating our right under Federal Law. A U.S. Federal District Court Judge, the Honorable Peter C. Dorsey saw through their ruse and stated that Zip violated the Federal Law - the Lanham Act which prohibits FALSELY labeling a PARTS ORIGIN. Judge Dorsey stated that their re-packaging and replacing our logo with theirs was compelling circumstantial evidence of their bad faith in falsely designating the origin of part, if not all of these kits. Why do you think Zip removed our name?
During January 1998, Zip Products and it's president David Walker were found GUILTY in a Federal District Court jury trial and fined. In June and July of 1998 Dr REBUILD RECEIVED TWO CHECKS FROM ZIP PRODUCTS THAT TOTALED $ 70,000. These two check are available for your viewing: FIFTY-SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS and FOURTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. To tell you the truth it did not cover my expenses. I would still do it again in a heartbeat.
Before, during and after the trial, Zip Corvettes lawyers tried to settle. They tried to buy my silence and even vacate their guilty decision - for an extra $10,000. But $10,000 won't even but a decent new car, let alone a new Vette. I refused their extra $10,000 to buy my silence. They could never buy me off, and they could never understand my persistence. You cannot put a price tag on my integrity.
To tell you the truth, they could never ever buy my silence. I would rather be free to inform everyone of ZIP PRODUCTS activities, and let you decide who really does the research and develops the repro's and who is really good at copying others work - especially when they copy errors. No matter how good the copier or photocopier, it will not help you hide blatant errors or even copied parts that GM never ever, ever put on a Corvette. Phony baloney is still phony baloney. And what do they do when the part simply doesn't fit? Their saleman offered a refund as expected and then claimed they must have put the wrong size in his order.
After we CUT ZIP OFF AND REFUSED THEM ANY SALES - apparently they decided to "develop" virtually every one of the 390 plus different parts that we formerly wholesaled to them. According to statements printed in their catalog, they developed these parts after "Years of Research and Many Original Samples." What a load of dung David Walker shovels.
Original samples? Three of the Radiator to Hood Air Dams they developed we in fact never used on any Corvette on the face of this earth. They were invented by me for those who like to copy parts. I wonder what that research source was: and where did they get those original samples. Take a guess. They also copied our 68-79 Heater Box Seal Kit, and even have the same EXACT inner firewall seal as we have. GM never installed a seal at this position. I developed it. I surreptiously purchased their kit and placed this seal on top of the one I invented. It is identical in size, shape and material. I wonder where they got that original sample. I wonder what research was involved.
Years ago, I had several errors in every one of the seven different 68-82 Head Lamp and Wiper Door Vacuum Hose schematic diagrams. These routing errors were crucial. Neither the head lamps, nor the wiper door will open when the switches are pulled. If the hoses were connected according any of these schematics- nothing happed. Guess who copied every single error, in every one of these diagrams? Zip claimed they did not copy my drawings. In fact, in a legal deposition under oath, their "artist" stated that he did not copy my drawings. He stated that he developed their drawings independently. If fact, he even swore under oath, that he had never even looked under the hood of a Corvette. Pretty convincing, eh? To this day, July 20, 1999, Zip still uses that same drawing in his catalogs and they have every single one of these same errors. Warning: do not follow that schematic or your head lamps and wiper doors will not open. Want more examples, I have plenty.
Remember: You never make a repro from a repro - because you do not know if the repro being copied is a BLEM or COMPLETELY BOGUS. See the REWARD SECTION - I am offering a $1,000 reward for any other adulterated Dr. Rebuild labels with genuine proof of purchase from any other source.
PS I took some of the money from Zip and bought a new 1999 C5. I wanted to get vanity plates that state "ZIP PAID 4" but my wife doesn't want me to. What do you think? Any other suggestions? Feb 2005 I got an email suggesting ZIP SUX