Snyder's New Catalog Came...and a Warning!

[jg61hawk]

I just got the new Snyder's Catalog. It sure is nice of them to print that and send it...

On the inside, a few pages in, they kinda send a warning saying some small parts guys have either passed on or retired....and suggest buying now if your anticipated part is an oddball. To that end I noticed both Snyder and Bratton don't list new Zenith carbs anymore.

I got into the Model A hobby in 2014, and I told everyone I knew, this group has unlimited parts and suppliers. Now I have personally experienced some of the smaller suppliers pass away. I used J.R. Bullock just before he unexpectedly passed. I was telling some other guys what a great job he did, and then suddenly he's gone. The Studebaker Club has some similar issues.

So what's my point? I'm not being a gloomy day guy, I am saying spend, buy, enjoy and move the project forward ASAP. It's not only good for you, it's good for the hobby.

[Synchro909]

IMO, the REALLY GLOOMY part of that is, the younger people have either no desire or ability to make these things. Is it any wonder China is so dominant? You'd be amazed if you knew how much of your new Ford or Chev is made in China. They have us by the "short and curlies" and it's our fault.

[Banditorama]

The problem with getting into the manufacturing game is the high cost of entry (tools, materials, space, etc..)

How does an enterprising young man afford the startup costs and compete with Chinese manufacturers who can turn out anything for pennies on the dollar?

[Ron Blissit]

I don't want cheap parts. I want Good. parts. we have become a Wallmart society. purchase everything as cheap as we can. all of our parts are cheaply made but well displayed

[oldspert]

Take heed, I suggest buying everything you need or might need from swap meet vendors. That is how many of the older guys that sold NOS or good used started out. Stacy Brown from Arlington Texas would go through swap meets and buy everything he knew would be hard to find. He had four warehouses full of good parts for all makes of cars. When he passed, he was basically the only one that knew where everything was located.

[rfitzpatrick]

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[QUOTE= all of our parts are cheaply made but well displayed.


EXACTLY!

[spdway1]

Also notice the Model T section is about 2/3 smaller!

[Oldbluoval]

“buying now if your anticipated part is an oddball.”

It’s not a marketing ploy…it great advice.
Yes..some parts are going the way of the passenger pigeon! Look at what has vanished; I know things about to vanish! And, many custom items (upholstery, etc) have lead times that make one shutter!
I make some very body-specific parts. I turn 77 soon so those won’t be forever!
…

[Bob Bidonde]

The availability of new parts is drifting back to what the market had to offer in 1960s through the 1980s. This puts pressure on us to restore more used parts like we did many years ago. The bottom line is we need to get more clever with our restorations and maintenance.

[ModelA29]

In truth the hobby is dying. The young want little FWD econo cars with computer dashboards. The number of people under 50 looking for a Model A are generally looking to cut it up for a hot rod - the world no longer travels at 40mph. Mechanics now are parts swappers and only then what the diagnostic computer tells them.

[AzBob]

Originally Posted by ModelA29

In truth the hobby is dying. The young want little FWD econo cars with computer dashboards. The number of people under 50 looking for a Model A are generally looking to cut it up for a hot rod - the world no longer travels at 40mph. Mechanics now are parts swappers and only then what the diagnostic computer tells them.

When I acquired my '29 tudor in 1970, Model A's were a dying hobby then. The young wanted new muscle cars. Only two Model A's in our HS parking lot, mine and another kid's 1930 Coupe. The world didn't travel at 40 mph in 1970 either. We did run our Model A's at 50 to 55 mph all the time.

[Benson]

Originally Posted by AzBob

When I acquired my '29 tudor in 1970, Model A's were a dying hobby then. The young wanted new muscle cars. Only two Model A's in our HS parking lot, mine and another kid's 1930 Coupe. The world didn't travel at 40 mph in 1970 either. We did run our Model A's at 50 to 55 mph all the time.

Same here 1964 and 65. My 29 Sport Coupe and one blue 31 Standard Coupe. We also drove As at 55 to 60 mph.

Also in lot:

a 51 Studebaker Champion
a 31 Buick 6
a number of 40s and 50s Chevys
a black 51 V8 Ford (Shoebox?)
Several 40s - 50s VW Bugs

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by ModelA29

In truth the hobby is dying. The young want little FWD econo cars with computer dashboards. The number of people under 50 looking for a Model A are generally looking to cut it up for a hot rod - the world no longer travels at 40mph. Mechanics now are parts swappers and only then what the diagnostic computer tells them.

From my perspective as a professional in the hobby, I can tell you that nothing is further from the truth as far as this hobby dying.

I have been involved in the hobby for about 64 years as a hobbyist, and then as a professional restorer since about 1997. The biggest thing that I have seen change over the last 3-4 decades is the ability of the average hobbyist to do the work on their vehicle. While this may seems troubling, ...look at how many hobbyist throughout the entire automotive world (-owners of tuner cars, muscle cars, diesel pickups, UTV side-by-sides, motorcycles, RVs, boats, watercraft, collector cars, etc.) 'hire' their work done. Seemingly, no one today has the resources, the skill sets, nor the problem-solving abilities to work on Model-As, ...or any of those other types of vehicles mentioned above. I think it will all work out in the end.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

The biggest thing that I have seen change over the last 3-4 decades is the ability of the average hobbyist to do the work on their vehicle.

The most straightforward explanation for this is declining employment in trades where someone would learn how to do that work. The peak of US manufacturing employment was 1979. Between 1979 and 2010, the number of people employed in manufacturing in the US dropped by 50%. During that time, a lot of tasks became automated, so there would have been an even greater drop in the number of jobs requiring any sort of hands-on metal fabrication, paint, or upholstery skills. Furthermore, the computer-controlled machine tools that the current generation does know how to use are expensive to acquire for hobbyist use, which further restricts the transferability of those skills.

I think the transition we're seeing can be described as a shift from people who are in the hobby because it's something they can do (as in, the cars are cheap and they already have the skill set) to people who are in it because it's something they want to do (as in, an aesthetic appreciation for the cars and/or a desire to get away from their "desk job" skill set and work with their hands). That second group is going to expect to outsource high-skill tasks. They'll still be cheapskates about it, of course.

I'm personally on the fence about the future of parts availability, because on the one hand we clearly are seeing a generation passing away. But on the other hand, as I mentioned and as Brent notes, a much greater proportion of hobbyists are unable to do restoration work themselves. That means there will be a market for professional restorers and builders of parts like horns, carbs, distributors, speedos, etc. It's certainly conceivable that a new generation of specialists could step into the breach within a few years.

[rackops]

Originally Posted by alexiskai

I think the transition we're seeing can be described as a shift from people who are in the hobby because it's something they can do (as in, the cars are cheap and they already have the skill set) to people who are in it because it's something they want to do (as in, an aesthetic appreciation for the cars and/or a desire to get away from their "desk job" skill set and work with their hands). That second group is going to expect to outsource high-skill tasks. They'll still be cheapskates about it, of course.

That's well stated. Personally, I'm in the second category, though perhaps not too cheap. However, there are some things I'm not comfortable doing because I don't have the skillset, like rebuilding an engine. It's not impossible for someone to do, but I'd rather pay a pro and have it done right than do it myself and hope for the best.

Back on topic though (which is funny because this thread has already been accused of getting off-topic) in my direct experience, I've found it's not impossible to have parts made...but the cost is excessive for the numbers desired. I was working with a US-based supplier to create 3D-printed floormats for my Phaeton. They could do it...but at $300 apiece. Pretty tough to move that concept forward when most people would never consider paying that for floormats.

I'm not doom and gloom, but am realistic in thinking that these cars are going to be more expensive to maintain and restore in the future.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by rackops

I'm not doom and gloom, but am realistic in thinking that these cars are going to be more expensive to maintain and restore in the future.

An interesting sidenote is that the cars themselves have not appreciated in value once you account for inflation. I was just looking through an obscure hobbyist magazine from 1984 (A Model News, published out of Hendersonville NC) and the prices in the classifieds, adjusted for 40 years of inflation, are basically in line with the prices people want now.

[alexiskai]

A good way to speed up the decline of the hobby is to "buy everything you need or might need" and wind up with a warehouse full of good parts when you die. Where are all the hoped-for young people supposed to get parts to restore cars if the guys with money are stuffing their garages with six spare carburetors?

"There's no shortage of [part], why I have a huge pile of them in my barn!" (Yes, that's exactly why there's a shortage.)

[rackops]

Originally Posted by alexiskai

A good way to speed up the decline of the hobby is to "buy everything you need or might need" and wind up with a warehouse full of good parts when you die. Where are all the hoped-for young people supposed to get parts to restore cars if the guys with money are stuffing their garages with six spare carburetors?

"There's no shortage of [part], why I have a huge pile of them in my barn!" (Yes, that's exactly why there's a shortage.)

I was about to say the same thing. I'll admit I'm guilty of small-scale hoarding ("I'll get around to restoring that at some point...") but I'm also willing to sell/trade parts when other people need things.

Recently, there was a person selling a rather rare part on another forum. One person noted "that's rare! How can you sell it?!" As if being rare meant that it should be kept...just because it was rare. In this case, the guy didn't need it, so off it went...and hopefully into the hands of someone who needed it for their car.

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by rackops

I was about to say the same thing. I'll admit I'm guilty of small-scale hoarding ("I'll get around to restoring that at some point...") but I'm also willing to sell/trade parts when other people need things.

Recently, there was a person selling a rather rare part on another forum. One person noted "that's rare! How can you sell it?!" As if being rare meant that it should be kept...just because it was rare. In this case, the guy didn't need it, so off it went...and hopefully into the hands of someone who needed it for their car.

We're liquidating Doug Black's collection, and a fellow club member came to buy spare transmission gears (a high-value item!), and I said if he was going to buy more than one of something he had to promise to resell it if another club member was in need.

[ronn]

everyone has a varying opinion.............

and Walmart stock is still going zoom zoom zoom!