January 2024 Updates
Due to a variety of challenges with manufacturers, suppliers, and logistics, during 2023 I’m drastically trimming down what I'm doing with Redpants. Here's a summary to keep things as short as possible:
I won't be working with certain suppliers anymore and removing listings for their products, or moving production for those products to new manufacturers.
I'm removing listings for products that are often delayed, unavailable, or problematic.
I won't be accepting special orders, or orders for custom parts (other than ones like wheels).
I’ll be stocking more dropship products to ensure they’re shipped in a timely manner.
I’m working with manufacturers local to me in Japan to make sure my private label parts are exactly as they should be before hitting the Redpants shelves. We’re bringing back some of the most popular products first, then moving forward with new products that I’ve been prototyping for a while.
I won’t be accepting orders for any of these until they’re actually ready, so please stay tuned for updates if you’re interested in ordering.
One of the suppliers I’m no longer working with is GMR. If you’re interested in buying the supercharger kit that I’ve been using on my car, here’s the listing for it. I removed the kit as part of importing my car into Japan. It eliminates the EGR, which is required for my car to pass emissions here, so I’ve gone back to the naturally aspirated setup. Since I’m no longer working with GMR, I’m selling the kit rather than reinstalling it.
If you’re interested in supercharging your 4.3L V8 Vantage, this is the kit to do it. GMR have been taking 13+ months to fulfill fully-paid orders so it may be a long, long wait to get another one once this one is sold.
Along with the supercharger removal, I had to do a variety of other things with my car to get it legal for Japanese street registration. I’ve covered much of that in a video already, and I’m working on a follow-up video to go over what I’ve done with the car since it landed in Japan. Supposedly I’ll have my car registration completed as soon as… yesterday (?)… so maybe it’ll be today or tomorrow when it actually does happen.
I already have a few things on the way to showcase some new parts, and I’ll cover those when the time comes. I also have several partially-finished videos that I swear I’ll complete and upload “soon”-ish.
Stock Levels and Price Increases
As of this writing, a large number of products I usually keep in stock are currently sold out. But, worry not, a couple large inventory shipments are already on their way, the first of which is expected to arrive in the next couple days and the second one next week.
Along with all the above, you’ll also notice that prices are going up for quite a few OEM items. Aston Martin have raised the prices for most parts, some rather drastically - so much so that I’ve been selling a few things below cost, which means I’ve actually been losing money on those things. I’ve already updated some of the pricing but still have more to do, so you may see some prices actively changing while browsing my Online Store if you’re checking it within a day or two of this Blog Post being published.
New Product Listings
VelocityAP / Girodisc 380mm 2-piece brake rotors
VelocityAP / Girodisc 355mm 2-piece brake rotors
VelocityAP / Girodisc 330mm 2-piece brake rotors
VelocityAP secondary cats X-pipe for V12 engines
VelocityAP Valvetronic exhaust for V8/V12 Vantage
Redpants Japan
If you’re outside of the US, especially in Asia or Oceania, check out Redpants Japan to see if what you need is in stock. Redpants Japan is a completely separate company, but the two supply each other for some products. Many things I keep in stock at Redpants in the US are also kept in stock at Redpants Japan. However, keep in mind that there are often regional restrictions for what can and cannot be shipped, so please check each listing to see what the policy is for that product and/or manufacturer.
The website is currently only set up for domestic shipping within Japan, but I’m happy to get a shipping quote and send an invoice for international orders.
Keep Current
Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and turn on notifications so you know when I put out a new video about Aston Martins, parts, products, and DIY information.
My second YouTube channel is for Redpants Unzipped. It focuses on events and travel in Japan and elsewhere.
I hate social media so I’m rarely on it. If you want to get in touch, email me or use my Contact page (they both go to the same email address). If you message me on a Redpants social media page, it should say to email me. If you try to message me on a personal page, it won’t be seen.
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Okay, that’s it this time. I’ll push out Blog Posts as needed in addition to my monthly ones, so make sure you check back if you want to see those.