Matt, they are billet and exact copies of what was used in the day. They are much better quality than what most of the others(don’t want to say all) make, and don’t have the other problems like most of the epoxy and other poorly constructed units have. I have put these on all my cars that they fit. Worth every penny. Yes he is a close friend, and if you held one in your hand you would see that it’s not really a money maker. The entire thing is machined inside and out. And unlike 99 percent of the reproduction stuff you buy today, it fits correctly, and works correctly.