Parts for restorations

[Woodie1]

Am I right in saying it looks like we are losing our parts for restorations? In looking at one venders site for 1939 Deluxe parts, I see a lot of "out of stock" in the lastings. I don't need some of the parts that are out of stock, It just looks like I may never get my project done.

[alchemy]

Buy what you need now.

[19Fordy]

It does seem that the good old days of plentiful parts are fading away.
However, let's hope that the "hoarders" will decide to "let go" of parts they really don't need and will never use.

[47topless]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

It does seem that the good old days of plentiful parts are fading away.
However, let's hope that the "hoarders" will decide to "let go" of parts they really don't need and will never use.

As the old guard dies off, there will be more and more "original" parts coming available. There will be an oversupply of good, original parts and old (well made) reproduction parts. Just stay active and try not to die before the "rhapsody". There is a GREAT DAY A COMIN'!!!!

[34fordy]

Originally Posted by 47topless

As the old guard dies off, there will be more and more "original" parts coming available. There will be an oversupply of good, original parts and old (well made) reproduction parts. Just stay active and try not to die before the "rhapsody". There is a GREAT DAY A COMIN'!!!!

I dunno about that. When an "old guard" passes away most of his offspring is late middle aged and have no idea what all that "junk" is. I suspect either the landfill or the scrap man deals with it. I believe restorations of early V8 vehicles is tapering off fast as parts and decent project cars get almost impossible to find. Even folks that have a desire for these vehicles get smaller in number daily. I know this is a very pessimistic attitude but sometimes we must be realistic.

[Texasroadkill]

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I gave up looking for a good nos or lightly used front leaf pack for my folks 38 sedan and ordered a new one from Eaton Detroit spring. We play with model It's as well and that hobby has lost quite a few good people that would rebuild parts in the last few years.

[Seth Swoboda]

The worst is the loss of an affordable interior upholstry supplier. That pretty much killed my '40 Ford restoration project. Now I have a beautifully restored chassis that I have nothing to do with.

[WarbirdPhotog]

Originally Posted by Seth Swoboda

The worst is the loss of an affordable interior upholstry supplier. That pretty much killed my '40 Ford restoration project. Now I have a beautifully restored chassis that I have nothing to do with.

I'm in the same boat. I found a door/pillar fabric at the Los Angeles Fabric District that will work (it's 'close enough' to pass even though it's not mohair), but I'm struggling with the seat upholstery fabric for my '40 Deluxe Fordor. There is a company in Ohio that sells the only 'striped mohair' I've seen that matches the original fabric on my seats, but they want $140 a yard. To do both seats, armrests, robe rope, and the rear handle loops... it'll be close to 9-10 yards needed to make sure I have enough just in case there are mistakes. That's $1,400 just for fabric. Yikes.

A lot of people recommend SMS fabrics, and I ended up getting a headliner from them because they had the closest to the original (not perfect, and they messed up completely on the first attempt), but the fabric they said was an 'exact match' for the seats was so incredibly wrong that I didn't even entertain the idea. So I'm actively trying to find a modern equivalent that is also 'close enough'.

And that's just what it's going to have to be for us who got into this restoration game just a few years too late. I think we're all going to have to just settle with 'close enough' instead of exact.

[Kurt in NJ]

I recently found a nos front spring in a neighbors trash that would fit 36-40
I have made the tin cover for the windshield header bow on 35-36 cab and conv sedan I could make more money installing brake pads but have been told the part I make is too expensive.
I have the metal prepped to make a few more but after that I would have to buy a new sheet of metal at twice the price the original sheet cost—- I have a good one for my car

[Texasroadkill]

Originally Posted by Kurt in NJ

I recently found a nos front spring in a neighbors trash that would fit 36-40
I have made the tin cover for the windshield header bow on 35-36 cab and conv sedan I could make more money installing brake pads but have been told the part I make is too expensive.
I have the metal prepped to make a few more but after that I would have to buy a new sheet of metal at twice the price the original sheet cost—- I have a good one for my car

Lucky you. Shipping is probably the biggest cost. I'm in South Texas.

[tubman]

If I was younger, I would consider starting a business that liquidated the estates of deceased "car people". It would be a tough start-up, but if you could establish the proper connections (probate lawyers, old car organizations, etc.) and reputation (so that owners of large amounts of cars and parts would add it to the directives in their will), I believe that people would jump at the chance to utilize the service.

Anyone wants to do it, all I want is 10% for coming up with the idea.

Alas, I am of the age where I would be an excellent client.

[Charlie Stephens]

If you haven't done so already be sure there are instructions to the executer of your estate telling them what to do with your old Ford parts. Left to my wife she would probably give them to the scrap metal guy that drives around on trash day looking for scrap metal. If you can't find a friend or club at least give them to a business that specializes in Ford parts.

Charlie Stephens

[Seth Swoboda]

The focus will shift to preserve and maintain over restore. There are a lot of good cars that are older restorations around. These are the cars guys like me will look for. 34fordy is correct in a lot of what he says. I'll keep on going as long as there are decent cars out there to purchase and enjoy. The folks who will be left with "dad's" old Ford, will mostly have no interest in the car. Just last week my 10 year old daughter came home from school with this story. In class a discussion came up about the 3 Stooges. No student in the class, except for my daughter, knew who the 3 Stooges were. Wrap your mind around that.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by Seth Swoboda

The focus will shift to preserve and maintain over restore. There are a lot of good cars that are older restorations around. These are the cars guys like me will look for. 34fordy is correct in a lot of what he says. I'll keep on going as long as there are decent cars out there to purchase and enjoy. The folks who will be left with "dad's" old Ford, will mostly have no interest in the car. Just last week my 10 year old daughter came home from school with this story. In class a discussion came up about the 3 Stooges. No student in the class, except for my daughter, knew who the 3 Stooges were. Wrap your mind around that.

Seth, those kids probably did not now Groucho Marx either.

[Seth Swoboda]

Originally Posted by TJ

Seth, those kids probably did not now Groucho Marx either.

No chance. The teacher probably wouldn't either.

[GB SISSON]

Never mind Curly, Moe and Larry. The teachers today wouldn't even know George Jetson from Fred Flinstone. Yea, I was born in the 50s.

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by TJ

Seth, those kids probably did not now Groucho Marx either.

And I bet you don't know who Benson Boone is either.

That's kind of how people grow up, they know what they grow up with. I've never seen a Groucho Marx film and don't care to, he died right after I was born. But I do know who he is/was.....

[Seth Swoboda]

Originally Posted by Hitman

And I bet you don't know who Benson Boone is either.

That's kind of how people grow up, they know what they grow up with. I've never seen a Groucho Marx film and don't care to, he died right after I was born. But I do know who he is/was.....

That is true. That's why folks younger than me in their 20's and 30's don't know anything about early Fords. However, I think most folks should know the Three Stooges??

[34fordy]

When my older brother and I were kids we always waited for the newspaper to get to our house. Our favorite was the Katzenjammer Kids. Twin brothers and always up to mischief. My most vivid memory of them was Les and I laughing when the Katzenjammer Kids were going to have "door knobs" for dessert! We thought it was so funny and probably why it has stuck with me from the late 40's or early 50's. Boy, have we ever stolen this thread! haha

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by Seth Swoboda

I think most folks should know the Three Stooges??

I do, because they were constantly on rerun as a kid, back when we only had five channels of tv. They were in black and white.

I don't see anything relating to the three stooges anymore, can't recall the last time I saw anything relating to them. I'm not at all surprised kids don't know about them these days.