Where Is Zel?

Who da' guyz? Taiwan? Where? Are there industry warehouses full of parts somewhere over there? Do the people that make the fenders, horseshoe oil tanks, gas tanks and whatever else even know what they are making? It would make a good program for Discovery or Speed Channel.

I could be wrong, but I think I heard they were from Korea. South, of course. They make lots of stuff.

We'd like to see a web-cast tour of the factory.

Plumber,
Who is we?

I have an old aluminum Zel intake for a zenith/bendix carb that I ran for several years...was told "they" were from Calif....Skip

Skip- That sounds like it might be Lifeline in Anaheim. I get flyer catalogs from them. They have everything made for Shovel & Evo, but there's never anything for Knuckle or Pan, not even a '39-only gas cap.
You wonder how many fenders and oil tanks they have in stock? Would make an interesting pic though. They would have some heavy stamping molds. The riveting operation would make some noise.

the intake I have has ZEL embossed on it...other than that I do not know...it is an O ring type...Skip

I have never heard of a '39 only gas cap. Would you please describe it?

I thought you lost a (still in the box) n.o.s. one to Mark....who was going to have it re-popped and you never got it back from him as promised That right
Post a pix of that manifold Skip. Let's check it out.

I thought you lost a (still in the box) n.o.s. one to Mark....

Actually that was a 1936-Early 1941 gas Cap. I loaned it to Steve Massacotti of Custom Chrome and he never returned it. Who is Mark?

Who's Zel?

I will attempt to post a picture this evening......Skip

I remember buying some ZEL Knucklehead cylinders from Custom Chrome back in the '80's. Soon after I received them I got a recall notice. The notice explained that the offshore ZEL manufacturer had sent them a batch with bad metallurgy. I later asked my Custom Chrome sales rep what had happened to all of the recalled ZEL cylinders and he told me that ZEL had sold them to Chrome Specialties without a warning of the bad metallurgy.

Times have changed since those days, and thanks for the report. Today any b.s. like that gets exposed world-wide on the internet within minutes. You gotta love that
Where is Zel???? I think Taiwan. I don't see many '36-64 parts with Korea stamped on them is why.
Skip, if you find the topic in Talk To Us about posting pics on FHP, you'll be able to do it. Just keep trying on ImageShack, until you get it. They can't fine you a million dollars or throw you in jail for failing, and if you have a problem send me the pic on a pm or regular email and I'll post it for ye.
WE ARE THE INDUSTRY. It's righ he-ya on FHP.

Oh yeah....that's money. Zel is a big time operation. It must be club, probably why, it's members only, we'll never know who Zel is - other than their name.

we'll never know who Zel is - other than their name.

That is like saying you will never know who RBE, EMGO, ort even Custom Chrome is. You had better stop smokin' that stuff.

No smoke, no drink.. I spend all my money on parts.
Let me repeat: You will never find out who Zel is or where they're at.

I've been sort of digging around on the net and the name of a racer from the west coast named Zel Umali has come up. a couple bikes he rode that I found photos of were British marquis. The bikes had what seemed to be a lot of home manufactured parts. I haven't found any company, in Korea or otherwise, with the name Zel.

Thanks Curt!....(now there's the positive attitude that keeps the wheels turning!)....I appreciate your looking, by all means continue....but you will never trace Zel down. It's a closed shop to all inquiries, unless you have access to all U.S. customs manifests into Long Beach, L.A. or Battery Place, NY.