Jump to content

Where do most of you find your parts?


keiser31

Recommended Posts

I was just wondering where most of you out there in the antique auto hobby find most of your parts. I know where the "A" and "T" guys go, but for the Marmons and Cadillacs and Chryslers and Nashes. Cars like those and others that reproduction parts are not yet made for. Do you get most through word of mouth, friends, internet, classified adds???? In the 40 plus years I have owned my '31 Dodge, it wasn't until recently with the internet that I could find ANYTHING for it. I knew what parts to look for. They just were not there at the swap meets. This forum is the best place so far that I have found in that it is the most helpful and productive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest leadsled1953

a lot of my parts for my 50 desoto i got from catalogs i orderd from Andy Bernbaum.i got other stuff on ebay.i got nothing from swap meets.now i plan on going to meets again just because i miss looking at parts for real.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keiser 31; I have found that "parts are where you find them". Forty five or so years ago, I found parts in neighbors barns, garages, older auto parts stores, car dealers that were cleaning out the 'old stuff', and of coarse through Hemmings when it was the size of the old Readers Digest, and of coarse Hershey. As the years went on, forget the older dealers, and the neighbors places, and as time progressed even further, forget Hemmings, and even to a large degree forget Hershey. I will say, you always have to try all of these though when you are looking. Try ebay, try Hemmings, Hershey, single marque clubs, and of coarse even these posts on this site. You must become a sleuth if the parts are really hard to find, or you must make what you need. In any case, the chase is a big part of the game; i.e. not only for the car, but also for the parts. Regards; jerry janson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Plymouthy

check with the guy who originally had the Tucker convertible..maybe he has more parts laying about...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Plymouthy

I have had some find me by word of mouth that I have a certain model of something...rest is swap meets, classifieds, tooling through a junkyard (I don't call it junkyarding by the way) and then the chance part at a decent price on e-bay...and don't forget this and other forums...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem is we are not finding parts. And we have three cars to look for parts for. Last year at Hershey we found NOTHING for any of them. And I don't mean we wouldn't pay the price, there wasn't anything to buy. Same at the Charlotte Auto Fair this year.

Luckily we can get some things new from the local Mercedes dealer for the 450SL we got a year ago. But even they don't have everything that is needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest abh3usn

I usually find parts through the MG club. It's the best place for reasonably priced parts of even free for the taking. I also buy parts from British parts suppliers, flea markets and have gotten parts from ebay in the past. However, when ebay went to that Pay Pal only crap I wrote them off. By the time you pay all their stupid fees and shipping you could of gotten it much cheaper elsewhere. Some parts are also available through NAPA or other auto parts stores which is nice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I find nothing at swap meets. There just aren't any Lincoln parts there. A few have been found in junkyards, a few on Ebay, and a few through the overpriced few places that specialize in Lincoln parts. Otherwise there aren't any and I have to do without. Fortunately most mechanical parts can be found at auto parts stores.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest js65cv

look in cars&parts magazine. every month, they feature a salvage yard somewhere in the country that keeps the old stuff. over the years , i have seen several 20s and 30s cars including willys knights, gm, studebakers,chryslers,essex,hupmobiles,lasalles etc.... most of these cars are still there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest windjamer

Though overpriced,I can buy most anything I need after market for the Chevelle,my 65 skylark is a nouther story. there just isnt much aftermarket outher than engine parts. I find a lot of stuf for myself and outhers on www.car-part.com This is a web site to connect with thousands of salvage (junk) yards in the U.S. Try it,its free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

- For the Buick, a variety of places: The Buick Farm (before they moved to GA), Hydro-E-Lectric (convertible parts), NAPA, CARS, Classic Buick Parts, etc.

- For the Cadillac I use: Cooper's Vintage, Caddy Daddy, McVey's, D+M Restorations, Collectors Auto Supply, Cadillac King Junk Yard, and USA Parts to name a few.

- For the Ford SW and Mercury I use: Big Ford Parts Store, Genuine Ford Parts, Get Crash Parts, and NAPA mostly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For my 1915 Buick I have found a few pieces at Hershey, Some stuff on Ebay. But, for most mechanical failures, I had to machine my own parts. whistle.gif

For a post war Mercedies, I would think that there would be a lot of stuff in Hemmings and parts dealers also. cool.gif Dandy Dave!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of my parts I get from Durant club members. Except for the tail light housing I bought from you Keiser31. That's why I tell everyone if your going to have an orphan car, you need to join the specific marque club. It's a wealth of information on how to do tune ups etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today we use the internet, but one way to find parts for your car is to bring it out to a show the way that it is.

We've found and bought a lot of parts simply by bringing the car out. You'd be surprised at how many times we've had a car out and someone tells you that either they had a car just like it (and find out they have extra parts) or they see something missing on your car and tell you that they have the part that you're missing.

A lot of times if someone sees your car out there and it's missing a part that they have, they'll sell it to you for a reasonable price because they know that they're helping someone save their car versus resell the part to make money.

From 2003 to 2006 we walked all through Hershey Meet looking for parts on our fire truck. We put the truck in the show at Hershey, and the first time it was out there, we got the parts that we needed, and got them for $60. Since then we still haven't found that part anywhere else.

Sometimes the money you paid for the entry fee into the show was made worthwhile by finding the parts that you're looking for.

.....It still works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The last time I took my car to a show, a man and his wife came up and said "We have a lamp at home made up of radiator caps, just like THAT one" as they pointed to my super rare 1931 Dodge "shooting star" cap. I was floored and my excitement was obvious to them. They said I could have it so I dogged them for months until we were finally able to get together. The caps, as it turned out, were Packard caps...NOT Dodge. Oh well...it works and we use it in our living room every night.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was spoiled most of my life working on postwar cars where parts were plentiful and easy to obtain. My recent move into prewar cars has opened my eyes! I have found that parts for my Pierce Arrow Model 81 pretty much do not exist as just spares lying around. Most are in the possession of other Pierce owners as spares saved for their own cars. Luckily what I need is mostly cosmetic and does not affect the use of the car. I have some luck at the Chickasha swap meet and in these forums but not much. Ebay has been the best source. Unfortunately a lot of parts for the rarer prewar cars have been coralled by "specialists" and their prices are in the stratosphere.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Xprefix28truck

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Plymouthy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">check with the guy who originally had the Tucker convertible..maybe he has more parts laying about... </div></div> Maybe he still has the top he cut off!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Model T Nick

I've discovered at Hershey you have to ask the vendors, you can't just find the hard to find parts just by looking. I was there one year with some really nice "Brass T" parts and I sold most of them before I put them on my table and I've found parts by tracing leads all over the flea market

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of the best ways I have found to locate parts at a swap meet is to wear a sign for parts wanted. I wear a two sided sign at swap meets that say "WANTED 1931 Dodge parts". I always get the question..."What parts are you looking for?". I always say I will take any 1931 Dodge parts. Sometimes they tell me they have stuff for my car (usually wrong, but sometimes right). How else is someone going to be able to tell what you are looking for? Looks stupid and get lots of laughs, but a lot of folks say "We're going to wear a sign at the next swap meet.". I hardly ever see people wearing signs stating their needs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest whotmewory

Kaiser:

I bring lots of hard liquor to the big shows like Carlisle and get the guys with the same cars as mine really messed up, and when they're all crashed out in the grass I pull out my tool box and acquire what I need form their vehicles.

Tee Hee!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Orphanauto

I recommend to every that I talk to who thinks they want to buy a cool "old car" that they join the club, such as I belong to the Studebaker club, and besides learning much of the neat history tid bits, They are lots of guys who bought out dealers, or had stuff reproduced. This works for almost all makes, the Packard club ( either one ) or any type club. my second place I go, is on Ebay. Really neat stuff comes up that some guy got at an estate auction to resale, or some antquie business has it for sale, either way, some stuff on ebay isn't being sold in the club, and some stuff that is, is often cheaper, (not always ) than the guy in the club selling it. Either way, they are both good ways of finding stuff. Stuff meaning, parts, NOS or remanufactered, manuals, and ect.. Also being in the LOCAL chapter of the club, is also very great, besides being around other car nuts, guys in the local club have either some "spare parts, that may sell it if you really need it, or may know where you can get it, they sometimes know someone who has it, ect.. Then, there is always the "well, if I need it, maybe others do to, "how hard would it be to have this made" . I ahven't got there yet, but I am considering having something made.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...