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Before I try to add anything to this discussion, I have to ask what is "old"?
The parts for my old 1920s car are no longer available anywhere except for the very few that are being reproduced or those that are used, if you're lucky enough to be able to find them.
However without a definition of old, I would have to say the most significant general thing to maintaining any older vehicle is space. Among other reasons, I bought a farm with a large barn to store my car and its extra parts.
For reference, I am speaking of a 29 year old rare car (only 5000 imported). A few parts are available at the dealership, none in the boneyards (where I live), and very few at local parts stores.
Amazon has pretty good selection of parts and if the part has Prime shipping, comes in 2 days. I pretty much get all my car parts from there.
Yeah, that's what I do. I'll go on other sites to look up the part numbers, then search around and find the best deal. Often that's Amazon, but can be other sites. MUCH better than relying on the idiot behind the counter to order the right thing.
Anymore I rarely go into the local auto parts store unless I need some part NOW.
Second worst is being able to buy the old parts, but they've been rebuilt so many times they're a mess. Just went though that with a 30 year old PS system. The pump is whining like crazy. Removing the PS is looking attractive.
My biggest gripe is poor quality Chinese made points/condensers and electronic ignition modules. Also trying to get the correct size tires. As far as mechanical and body/interior parts, i have bought several parts cars over the years and have a building full of parts.
I have been told that the dies for parts are sold to aftermarket manufacturers, who run a supply and shut down. Parts are available until the inventory is exhausted, and then you are out of luck. Generally, parts are available for 20 years, and after that it's a crap shoot.
In the 1980s I worked in Chile and saw a nearly new 1940 Ford coupe on the street in Santiago. I also saw a newer 1962 Ford Falcon parked in front of my hotel at Vina Del Mar.
I had always heard that some of these American dies were sold to foreign countries. The Falcon did not seem to have any Ford brands on it. I believe it had a European emblem on it like BMW or something like that. I can't remember exactly.
I would have liked to have had the coupe in Santiago. It was like looking back in time what with its new paint, new chrome and shiny chevron tallights and all.
For reference, I am speaking of a 29 year old rare car (only 5000 imported). A few parts are available at the dealership, none in the boneyards (where I live), and very few at local parts stores.
Okay. So we're talking about a 1988 car? I knew I should probably ask as my car is a 1924 Dodge Brothers business coupe and your answer reminds me of a time when I first saw my Dodge with FIL, who owned the car then. As we stood there, he kept telling me the car was not old to him. My eyes were about to fall out of my head as my mouth salivated over what I was seeing. Yes. I remember 1988 so well that nothing built then is old to me. I guess that happens to all of us.
I actually did buy a small farm and one of the primary reasons was to have a place to store, and work on, the Dodge.
Good luck with those parts. It can be a difficult, and expensive, search sometimes. I once drove from Albuquerque to northern Colorado to pick up a couple of 24" wooden wheels for my Dodge.
I have a 75 F-350, an 82 Scirocco, 87 Camry, and 92 Subie Legacy that are all driven regularly. I don't have any problem getting wear parts for any of them. There are a lot of older cars still on the road here, in non-rusting desert country, even the 70's Ford trucks are pretty common. In my small town NAPA I can generally get say brake pads, of course plugs, plug wire sets, etc. in stock, and stuff like a brake booster, master cylinder, maybe in stock or order it and get it in a day or two.
Even body parts or suspension parts that are not commonly replaced (steering knuckle, for example) are easily available used from several yards around here.
Then you have all the online and mail order outfits that cater to older cars. I can get a very good price on German car parts from Autohaus AZ for example, plus a nearby bigger town has an excellent import parts store where again they almost always have what I need in stock, or again order it in a couple days. These guys will ship the parts to me if I don't have time to go get the parts in person.
Of course, like High Plains Retired, I saw all these cars when they were new so I don't particularly think of them as really "old" like a 40 Ford or a other pre-war stuff.
For reference, I am speaking of a 29 year old rare car (only 5000 imported). A few parts are available at the dealership, none in the boneyards (where I live), and very few at local parts stores.
Trying to think what this might be... maybe a BMW M- car?
Not French or Italian or Scorpio or Sterling... the last two sold a lot more than that and none of them have dealers.
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