Hot Rods Harder and harder to find replacement parts

Takes more time to find Ford Y-block parts. The last two "Full Gaskets Sets" were not full ether ,both missing rear crank seal,an missing gasket { big ring}for spin on oil filter,an small ring for draft tube to valley cover.

 

On a lot of levels thats just wrong !
On a positive note there are a multitude of reliable local independent shops willing & able to service older vehicles ......so far ..

 

I think I'm beginning to see a trend...........

Is using ones computer to order parts for non-computer cars an oxymoron?

 

Definitely not traditional or period correct...!

 

vehicles that are still being made shouldnt need parts

 

Basic shipping for a set of disk brake brake pads was anywhere from 15-40+$$$$$$

I screwed up, I noticed the shipping went nuts a couple years back. I had hit a deer with my daily and didn't order parts right away. Had a few bucks in my pocket so I decided to order em up, hood, grille, etc. What HAD BEEN free shipping was now up to the cost of the parts!!!! Several hundred bucks for each

 

I worked for Federated (Fisher) in Virginia and Parks in Charleston. If you couldn't run the counter with paper catalogs, you didn't last long there. The store's reputation was that if we didn't have it in one of the ten Central Virginia stores, or the Lynchburg PDC, and Staunton didn't have it, you didn't need it. By and large, anything was available right up through the early 2000's, when some of the really old stuff started drying up. I last worked for Parks in 2020, and, while we still had paper catalogs, they were no longer on the counter at every store in the number they used to be. But they were THERE and we used them a LOT.

 

Thats why I keep my own catalogs in the shop!

 

Here you go Walt. You may have to change the housing, too. Summitt is my go to for this kind of stufff.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tci-880011

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tci-880042

 

I'm just about to go off to see my local "parts shop", he has so much stuff you can't move in there. I am armed with a flashlight and cash. No computer in the place, you just ask the fella "where are your wheel cylinders?", he points to a shelf (usually about 8 feet up), shows you where the ladder is, and have at it. If you get the wrong thing you have only got yourself to blame. Stop for a while and have a yarn with the owner, pick up some new info, and usually find a few things I didn't know I needed. Nothing in there after about 1970.
That's always my first port of call for parts, next the internet, after that I can go to the stores that sell flowery seat covers and smelly things that hang on vents, and be dissapointed.

 

I'm not as big as a cow, and don't call me stupid

 

Which, as you know, is cost of diesel fuel.
While awareness was there it hit me today, that the amatuer's favorite PeP Boys are all locked up. Only tire servive left

 

I run a trucking company. Fuel costs are the least of our concerns. Diesel is now less that gas here and down by 2 to 3 bucks from earlier this year. The FSC (fuel surcharge) is3.927 or 28.8%

 

My wife’s DD uses some kind of special power steering fluid, they claim you can’t mix anything else with it. She went to a MoPar dealer yesterday, they didn’t have any, they looked on their computer and found 4 bottles at another dealer in another town. Headed there in a bit to pick up some. Sounds like BS to me, seems like someone would make a compatible fluid since they have been using this stuff since 2010 at least.

 

Getting back to my original post. First, I did find the parts via Amazon and ordered them. Second, thanks to Rock for keeping the post on track with options for the parts I needed and I haven't ordered a new housing yet. Third, my main point was that in planning my drive line set up in future builds I now need to consider if I can still get parts that used to be easy to come by. Luckily, I have plenty of time to source parts since I am only 81.

 

I have found that the fees associated with shipping costs and the factors and formulas for calculating them do not exist anywhere within the laws of physics..........

Its just sheer luck if you stumble upon a reasonable shipping cost. Thats why Amazon Prime is so popular.........and so many companies are going out of business.

 

I just take part numbers to my local places.
No hassle, simplifies the process, works great.
They know me, I know them.
I don’t expect them to have 30-70 year old parts on hand. I usually get em within a couple days. Sometimes sooner.
My commercial discount is usually cheaper than rock auto shipped.
Plus It helps keep my local folks employed

it’s a win win

 

I was going to comment similar. With my account discount, I can typically get similar pricing to online and support the local store. Seems we are heading toward no local stores if we don’t at least try to support them first.

Plus, I kinda like walking into the parts store where everyone knows my name. Kinda like Cheers...

 

Same here. Could have gotten some 2-1/8 od 18 gauge exhaust pipe thru the internet. Local NAPA got it for me, no shipping and overnight. And it helps keep the locals in business... win-win

 

Nobody called you a cow!

 

You know what they say: cows may come and cows may go, but the bull around here goes on forever...

Which reminds me of... something? They also say you loose 3 things as you get older. The first is your memory. I can't remember the other two!

 

Was looking at my new Summit catalog which arrived yesterday. I noticed that there seemed to be more items in the cam and lifter and spring section that declared "Made in the USA". I still had an old catalog from 2019, so I compared them. Yep there seemed to be a trend toward USA made parts. Not sure if that means the raw materials came from here. Anyway, with the constant issue of failed lifters, did they actually change things?




I'd make it a point to tell them one of the reasons you picked their product was because of this............

 

Let's hope that this becomes a continuing trend. I try not to buy off shore products, but in many items that is impossible today. And yes we all have to recognize that buying USA made will cost more, however if the quality is better and the product lasts longer, is stronger, etc, and we are helping to get manufacturing back in the USA, putting our fellow citizens into good jobs, then I personally am willing to pay the higher prices.

Okay I'll get off the soapbox now...

 

I bought from Rock Auto when they first started out but I avoid buying them now after two bad experiences with them sending me incorrect parts and them wanting me to pay to ship them back even though they screwed up. The first time was way back when you could still call and talk to a live person, I was able, after a lengthy conversation convince them to pay for return shipping. The last time was about a year ago. I bought a carb kit and float for my truck. The picture of the float they had posted didn't look like the float I needed but it was listed as being for my truck. I got it and it was totally wrong. I couldn't find a way to call them and had to send the part back on my dime. They also tend to kill you on shipping completely wiping out any savings. I have a lot better luck with O'riellys for parts for my old cars.

I also had another experience the other day trying to find a place to reline the brake shoes on my '49 Ford F-2 3/4 ton pickup. The last time I had to have the shoe replaced I couldn't find any place that sold new shoes so I had to have them relined. At one time there were at least have a dozen local places that did that type of work in the are but over the they dwindled down to 2-3, now I was only able to one. They gave me an estimate of $1000 to reline all eight shoes. That's nuts. Went home and started surfing the net and found O'rielly's sells them for $40 an axle.

 

^^^^^
Was using Rock auto early 2000s
Before they where well known
Compleat B B C 454 , $ 75 to ship No core , I believe it was around $700 .
I use there web pages for part #s & references,,
I Believe R -A is not a warehouse with items stocked , they are contacted by seller letting them know what they have for sale, really Do Not know how it works , I have received Items with it seems to have personal shipping addresses ! ?

 

That only happens if you order parts sourced from multiple warehouses. Otherwise, there’s absolutely no was a local parts store can match, or even come close to Rock.

I just bought a few air filters for the fleet. One, in particular (name brand) filter was less the $3.00 at Rock, and over $15 at Advance, ORiley, and Autozone. Plus they all had to order it anyway.

Even with shipping of the three different part numbers, I saved well over $20, plus I had them by Wednesday, so maybe a one or two day delay, and saved a twenty mile round trip to town, which is another $8:00 in gas.

 

It varies. All I am saying is I was not going to pay 40 bucks to have some brake pads shipped.

 

In the heavy equipment and farm tractor industries, the manufacturers have made deals with the federal government to deliberately obsolete everything built before the emission control "Tier" system first seen in California. Caterpillar equipment was the gold standard because you could go to a Cat dealer and get any part, which just wasn't possible with other brands of equipment. Now all they have left is the dealer stock scattered around the country, and Cat dealers will order you a part that they can find in that dealer stockpile, otherwise you are out of luck. The government now doesn't want any of that old "polluting" machinery to be used and since they can't actually legislate it out of existence they are accomplishing their objective through the back door by making it impossible to keep it running. The same thing is happening with cars, they want gasoline engines gone within the next decade.

 

A little research online and I can find most everything. I am surprised sometimes ti find common small block Chevy parts not in stock, like spark plugs and starters, at my local O'Reilly, however, AutoZone up the road a ways has them. Summit Racing sells more than Hot Rod parts, and I have used them for years. Also, knowing what interchanges can get parts. I pre order online. I just bought valve stem seals for my 390 in Lakeport California, which is a relatively remote town. Not in stock, we have to order, which was a surprise in the land of the Ford truck. Ordered at 3 in the afternoon, they were in by 9 am. Amazon is good too, but you get what you pay for. I have had to slap myself for cheaping outat times, though I blame my choice. E bay is good for nos parts. I buy my 50 year old lifters, points, and other obsolete parts there often too.

 

Walked in with a part number today.
Walked out with a part.
I’ll order local for most parts. Easier to return.
I use the places like Summit for the specialty stuff.