Quality truck parts

[rustynut4247]

What ever happened to Northern Classic Trucks?

[Cecil/WV]

Sold out and retired!

[GB SISSON]

Seems all the good ol' vendors are our age and retiring (or worse). Our kids and grandkids would rather stick pins in their eyes than spend their lives selling old car parts to a bunch of geezers. They just don't know what they're missing.....

[willowbilly3]

Yup, they are thinning out. We had a good 20 year run having the aftermarket explode onto the scene. Restoring an old truck in the 80s-90s was a real chore to find parts. I hope we don't go back but already things are disappearing, like 57-60 cab corners. And as those dies break or wear out, probably lots of other low volume patch panels won't be far behind.

[supereal]

I agree with the others, having lost a friend last year to advanced age. He had accumulated lots of NOS parts over the years when dealers closed, and was a wonderful source of excellent parts and knowledge. He, too, was discouraged by the poor quality of the foreign made replacement parts. Most of us with more than eighty candles on the cake understand how passing time affected our cherished cars, and the hobby in general.

[40fordpu]

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A lot of their stuff was sold to Midwest early fords. Bought a full bed and sheet metal for my cab for my 40 pickup - all northern stamped. I will be honest with you guys. I am in my mid 30's with no mechanical background. I think the problem with the youth is twofold. One being that the older generation, most but not all, is tight lipped about their knowledge. Everyone thinks they need to make a buck off what they know. Second, the hobby is really EXPENSIVE. I haven't touched my truck in a couple years. I have had my 40 pickup for 8 years, still have bodywork and assembly and won't have the funds to complete for years. I just hope I have it done by time my son is 16 (he is 5 now).

[Seth Swoboda]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

Seems all the good ol' vendors are our age and retiring (or worse). Our kids and grandkids would rather stick pins in their eyes than spend their lives selling old car parts to a bunch of geezers. They just don't know what they're missing.....

Hey! I'm 37 and not sticking any pins in my eyes!

[TJ]

Originally Posted by 40fordpu

A lot of their stuff was sold to Midwest early fords. Bought a full bed and sheet metal for my cab for my 40 pickup - all northern stamped. I will be honest with you guys. I am in my mid 30's with no mechanical background. I think the problem with the youth is twofold. One being that the older generation, most but not all, is tight lipped about their knowledge. Everyone thinks they need to make a buck off what they know. Second, the hobby is really EXPENSIVE. I haven't touched my truck in a couple years. I have had my 40 pickup for 8 years, still have bodywork and assembly and won't have the funds to complete for years. I just hope I have it done by time my son is 16 (he is 5 now).

I don't want to burst your theory about old guys being tight lipped with their knowledge, but if that was the case this site would not exist. Lots of "old guys" on here and we do in fact share our knowledge. In fact I go out of my way to help a young person with parts and my knowledge (I would never think of asking for a fee for what's in my head)to make sure they can carry on the hobby.
I do agree that the hobby can be expensive for a young person with a growing family with rent or a house payment, but most of us were in your shoes many years ago. Be patient and get your little guy involved as soon as possible with your project. He probably would have a lot of fun helping dad with a paint brush putting a good coat of black Rustoleum on the chassis.