Shortages everywhere

[pcpat]

I am in the process of restoring my RPU. During my restoration project I am finding a lot of places are out of stock on a many of their parts. I know with Covid and shipping issues its difficult for businesses to keep things in stock. I was looking for a fuel gauge since mine is currently eroded away. I have been to all the main stream vendors such as Snyders, Mikes, Berts, Brattons and quite a few others. All the vendors are currently out of sotck on the gas gauges. I even resorted to looking for one on ebay and found soneone selling one for $1000.

With some of the other parts I thought I needed I have managed to salvage the original part that I thought was non salavagable, isn't it great how well they made things back then. I was wondering if anyone else is having problems finding any paticular part? If so what parts are you looking for? I'm just curious.

[Henry_steel_32]

I have been waiting on quarter panels for an off topic project for over 6 months. It’s bad!

[Stingray70]

I have been waiting for fabric from cartouche/macs since August. This hobby is teaching me patience (a good thing). ��

[gdmn852]

On list for 31 roadster door , tires also seem to be not in stock, every one looking for workers in town. I guess everyone used to staying at home after COVID.

[Dodge]

Yep. The place were I was getting valves from has had the whole crew come down with
COVID, three died and they say the backlog on the valves I need are 6mos. to a year
away.
I couldn't get small block chevy bearings or oil pumps for awhile.
ARP was running low on some studs we use so we bought a few extra sets to get us thru.

Its a mess and getting worse.

[Bill G]

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Some of that stuff is probably sitting in containers on some ship waiting its turn to dock at LA and other harbors. I heard that the backlog at LA has gone from 103 ships in January to only 48 ships today. Good thing these aren't perishable!

[Synchro909]

It's not just parts and materials that are hard to get. Services are way behind or cancelled too. If I were to order a part from any of the US suppliers, USPS can't get it here so I guess I would be waiting a long time for stuff that is not available. What a mess!

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Bill G

Some of that stuff is probably sitting in containers on some ship waiting its turn to dock at LA and other harbors. I heard that the backlog at LA has gone from 103 ships in January to only 48 ships today. Good thing these aren't perishable!

Actually, the majority of items spoke of earlier in this post will likely never be reproduced again. If you look at companies who have produced repro parts who have closed in the last 2-3 years, it is eye-opening. Many of these needed items are not on those ships.

[Oldbluoval]

As Brent states!

And getting worse daily due to demand, plain old dollars and cents, aging of the producers and on and on.
It’s is problematic and won’t get better.

Like they say….
A pessimist is an optimist after 20 years

[J Franklin]

My buying actions for my old cars was to buy when I saw things I wanted while they were available because many items were manufactured in a short run or sporadically made. I just used a part I bought maybe 15 years ago and not made any longer.

[Keith True]

Many years ago I went to buy a tailgate for my A.The guy said the price was going up,and he knew I would always have a project in the works,and suggested I buy two.I did,and a couple of months later he gave me a good price on two new beds so I bought them too.I never used the gates but I kept them.A few weeks ago somebody spotted them hanging in the shed and told me he would double my money on them.Price is still on them,$125.each.

[Oldbluoval]

Double isn’t good enough. Even at 3% it would have double in 12 years or so.
Hoarding is not a good thing but I’m very skeptical of turning loose of certain things these days. I was in a minimalist mode not long ago but …….

If you had the money in the stock market 6x….but you also could have lost it!

[RHD]

I have an original gas gauge here in New Zealand. In good order. A long way from you, sorry. No external ring A-9330. Cork needs replacing. It is the early gauge with the magnifying glass. If you wish to discuss, please contact me.
RHD.

[Dale G.]

I have quite a few gas gauges that are restored and in working order. I will be at the Moultrie, Georgia Flea Market April 1-2. I will have some at the MARC Meet in Morgantown, will have some at Hershey. These are Original!

[Kevin in NJ]

You need a fuel gauge.

Why would you want a repro in the first place?
Every A got a gauge and they are always around. Depending on your area I would go out on a limb and say there are at least 20 sitting on shelves within a 20 mile radius of your house. I am pretty sure I could find that many in my area if not in my basement.

Common parts are usually not hard to find. You just need to ask around some in the clubs.

[Oldbluoval]

I’m with Kevin…..why a repop?
I’m absolutely shocked that Berts doesn’t have a 5 gallon bucket of originals.

[Ed in Maine]

If you are restoring a car and know you need it, you should go buy it. I have been working on a Cabriolet for many years and I failed to buy the interior and the top when Lebaron Bonney was in business. Really dumb! I did buy one of the last Gene Bunce chrome plated windshields when I saw it and it is still in the box waiting to be installed. Really smart! For some reason, it is hard to part with your money for something that you don't need immediately. Ed

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Kevin in NJ

You need a fuel gauge.

Why would you want a repro in the first place?
Every A got a gauge and they are always around. Depending on your area I would go out on a limb and say there are at least 20 sitting on shelves within a 20 mile radius of your house. I am pretty sure I could find that many in my area if not in my basement.

Common parts are usually not hard to find. You just need to ask around some in the clubs.

Originally Posted by Oldbluoval

I’m with Kevin…..why a repop?
I’m absolutely shocked that Berts doesn’t have a 5 gallon bucket of originals.

The key thing both of you are missing is a reproduction gas gauge comes with fresh chrome plating. The issue with this is most plating shops are 6+ months back-logged. Even with the quantity of work we do with them, we are 4-5 months wait period too. Most plating shops are not quoting a price for work they are taking in because materials are fluctuating so much the costs can exceed what the job was bid at. It would not surprise me that plating costs for all three pieces of the gauge would be $100.00 which is twice the cost of the repro gauge. That is why people take the easier, faster, and cheaper way of using repro.

[AzBob]

There was a guy at the recent Chickasha Pre War Swap Meet that had a plastic tub full of new Model A reproduction gas gauge parts.

[jack backer]

100 buck to chrome a gauge bezel?…we are talking model a here…