Buying Rare Parts

[Guest dstaton]

Hello Folks,

I inquired at the salvage lot in Phoenix for a quarter panel and a floor pan for my 62 Starfire. I was quoted 850 for the quarter, 900 for the floor, and 12 for each hood letter.

Can anyone give me some context for maneuvering within this purchasing scenario. The quarter is rare, but requests have to be rare as well. The floor pan is shared by many more common models, like the 88, right? Just thinking through the supply and demand circumstance to make a strategy to barter.

I would love to hear comments on your experiences wandering through these marshlands!

Doug

[D Yaros]

Yes, the floor pan should be the same as on the 88. I do not know that that helps you any, because there are probably fewer 88 owners looking for a floor pan than there are those with S-F's?

[rocketraider]

One key is to ask for parts for a lesser series car. These specialty salvage yards know what the "hot" cars are and Starfires fit in that category. You may get the same quote for an 88, but you may get a better price if the counter help doesn't assume you're a deep-pockets because of the car you're restoring.

That said, $850 for a used quarter sounds a little steep but if it is a Starfire quarter with all the correct trim punchings, that saves all that work and trim alignment. Is your current piece damaged past repair? or would you spend as much repairing it as the cost of the replacement piece and installation? That's how I look at these things. Is any of the trim included?

Floor? There is no reproduction available. Again, will it cost as much to repair what you have vs buying the desert piece and installing it. If the floor has only usual Starfire rust at the gas pedal and rear floors, you may come out cheaper repairing what you have.

On those hood letters, I doubt you'd do any better than $12 each on an NOS piece. Offer $100 for the ten, contingent on all the mounting studs are good.

[Guest dstaton]

Thanks folks,

I'm definitely not deep pockets, just a stubborn English teacher from Tucson who loves old cars. I like the idea that some of the trim may be/could be included with the quarter. I have to work a crease out of the aluminum stripe over the wheel, and the bright bead is also missing there.

All this theoretical work is exciting. And easy!

Doug

[Starfire61]

Whenever you reach the point of replacing the floors, be very careful about what gets cut and thrown away. The convertibles have several additional stamped braces underneath the floor that will not be found on a closed car. These braces will either need to be re-used or fabricated.

Similarly, there are shallow pockets stamped into the floor pans on convertibles, along with accompanying threaded mounts. These are found underneath each rear armrest and hold the lower bracket for the hydraulic top cylinders. You'll need to be careful to incorporate these mounts into a new floor.

You'll also need to note the postition of the bucket seat mounts (if your car still has them,) as well as the bolt holes for the shifter & the floor cutout that accommodates the shifter linkage.

Chuck