History A how to guide for getting parts.

So far...

Frequent the swap meets
Be willing to trade
Don't be an ***hole
Bring booze and doobies
Don't pretend you're deaf

Ok. What else?

 

If you have a skill like hitting cars with hammers, you can barter that for parts or services.
I have a friend with a rollback, I’ll fix a dent for towing services.
I’ve traded sheet metal work for parts.
I’ve been talking with a guy on trading an engine swap for a 64 SWB big window c10.
I did an engine swap for a friend and he loaded my truck up with several rear axles, including a 33/4 Ford front and rear with juice brakes, springs and wishbones.

 

Oh. You should know the local s**** yard folks by name. Every employee there and the owners.
The one in town will save stuff for me.
I’ve had employees call me when stuff comes in

 

Attend some local shows, ask the people with the same year/make of vehicle, if they have any "extra" parts left over from their build.
As in sales, don't bring up politics, or religion and be respectful.
I don't agree with bringing alcohol..not every car guy drinks (pretty sure a recovering alcoholic may not appreciate coming home to some alcohol temptation on his steps).
When I buy yet another project car, I always ask the seller what else he has to sell me.
I've spied ads on Craigs list, and spotted things in the background of the picture that might work for something I'm doing..give a call and ask about it.

 

I know this is probably the least "traditional" route, but I've been having some good luck finding parts on facebook marketplace. A lot of people retiring from their car business, or just getting to old and want to sell everything off before their kids s**** it key-words like barn sale, or estate sale usually get me the best results.
One not to far from my house had such a sale he had three barns full of car parts also a good way to meet other car guys who are in the business and might have some leads for parts.

 

As I have found that finding wing windows for my 51 bel air is close to finding a real live unicorn, I have sharpened my networking skills on line and at shows. I have learned to be really humble and stupid at the same time so people feel at ease and want to help me out. say, anyone on here have a set of wing windows?

 

I totally agree with talking nice to people and when being a vendor I always greet the guys coming to my tables with happy greeting to make feel comfortable. The problem comes when you get that one guy who's like gum on your shoe who stands there for an hour telling you his life story all because you greeted him. And it doesn't hurt to have shiny chrome parts on the table cause guys tend to be like a moth to a flame when they see that.

 

Be humble.
Be stupid.
I'm gonna be so good at this.

 

For too many years I had a Cutl*** convert '64 parked by my front door. One day a guy that lives about a 1/2 mile away pulls in my drive looking to spend. He climbs down from big a rollered Wagoneer and opens with "What is this?" I told him what, then used my 'make my day price' and waited for him to leave. It is now in a happy loving home 60 miles from here.

A good tactic, I feel, would be to give an owner knowledge of your experience of the particular car/parts. Like friends or relatives owning one. Make it personal.

 

My brother was a roofer. You can see into a lot of backyards when up on a roof.

 

Havent put this one in action yet.
Get to know some local small plane pilots. Could get you to that over the hill/out of site pile o' stuff.
Most of these guys are on the older side and could atleast give you an idea of what it is they are looking at.
Get them to give you GPS coordinates and go lookin.
Works best in the winter when you can see 'through' the trees.

 

Piggy-backing on @hotrodjack33 & @anthony myrick posts;
Tell everyone that you're interested in all kinds of old cars. Work colleagues, kid's Sunday School teachers, soccer coaches, Girl Scout leaders, etc. Don't constrain yourself to just old Fords either. Suddenly, your network will expand exponentially. You'll have to filter through a few dead-ends, but will strike gold every once in a while.

 

I found years ago if you would go to garage sales in your ride it would tend to lead you into conversations that would often end in good results. Once scored a fully dressed flattie with a 3/4 racing cam for a hundred bucks, a 312 tri power intake and carbs for fifty and a Model A gas tank cowl for $25.

 

Like mentioned, in several post, most hoards belong to guys getting long in the tooth! Some might be getting ready to sell, realizing they will never “get to it” and it will just be crushed at some time. This is me.
Just be honest with people. Just tell me/them I am interested in old cars and have cash in my pocket. But be ready to offer a decent price. Old cars are heavy and will bring $4/5 hundred a piece at the s****e yard. So don’t offer $300 for an old car. That’s when I tell folks to hit the road. If you come to a mans land and try to steal something, you will be treated accordingly. I had a guy offer me $250 for one of my 1950 model two door Mercury’s!
Just be a stand up guy! That is your best bet! In my part of the world, at least!






Bones

 

That's one of the reasons I suggested recycling bin recon.

 

If you meet someone with connections and make a deal, throw in a little extra. We call that 'lagniappe' down here in Loosey Anna. Kick in a little extra $$ or offer to help out a little for free. Don't expect anything in return, this isn't a political tactic. You'll find out a lot about people this way. Kindness goes a long way.

Joe

 

I enjoy the story's a lot,most do also,even more so if there's joke or 2 in them.
Be nice is a big key,but also size up,if the guys bizzy or not,if not ,some story time is great way too to have fun with your hunt and often make a friend at the same time!

Time for a "WAY BACK STORY"
So roomers an hear say p***ed around in the 50s,told of some junked 1920,30 n 40s cars; In the 1950s a little bit west of Miami an a little north of Swee****er,was a small town, that the roomers pointed too. Turn out to be fact !!
Here's things we found out !!
100% colored folks built an lived there with no phones or power we found out,had one church. The Preacher owned the old junk yard an drove a homemade towtruck,on the deadend of dirt road running south,same road ran north through the little town{ It's only road} n met with outer west end of NW 12 street about 112 ave or so,if there had been street signs out that far,in too what was pretty much just Everglades then.
So Steve needed to find some hyd, brakes for his Model A { was still a 4banger at the time,but we had a V8 on hold to go into it!} Our hunt took us on the adventure ,out to this seeming mythical place! In Steve's 30A sedan. After finding the place,an asking someone,that pointed down the road to were the junkyard was,and told us what to do!!.
Sure enough,lots of old car roofs can be seen, between the palmettos n sawgr***.
Parked an blow the hoogahorn 3 toots!
After a short time,a big old colored guy shows up,nether of us saw him come,he was just there! Behind us!
First thing he said was: God Bless you boys!, with a bit of a Bahamas Accent!
Then said,Nice Model A,point'en to Steves car.
Adding "What you'll b looking for??
Steve tell'm hydraulic brakes fore my "A"!
At that point we are told;
" I don't sell any of this old stuff! ,I'm the Preacher and you can make a good donation to the Church when you pick out what you need."
So; the way that went,was if our donation was the right amount,we got blessed an if not enough,nothing happened.
After we were blessed two more times,we could then unbolt the parts we needed an add them too our little bumper trailer< was a dollywheel bumper clamp type,we also used for camping ,beside draging home parts,like 47front axle n a rear with hydrautic brakes..
WE felt like blessed hoodlums, LOL. all the way home
I'll ad a photo of Steve's "A" when we were on a camping trip,with the one dollywheel bumper clamp trailer,. This pic is us fixing a broken rear axle,another story too.but a few years after I helped Steve add a OHV V8 to it.

 

That's how I scored a trans for my '46 Jimmy in college. Heard about a thirsty old lady and her dead husbands hoard out in the farm country near my school. Borrowed a car, bought a 5th of something sweet, and knocked on her door.

Had to listen to stories and complaints and general chatter until the bottle got partway empty... but she let me in and only charged me $50 for a 4speed out of a '41 Chevy. Good memories.

 

Well, I just learned that I need a basketball cannon. Not sure that was supposed to be the takeaway....but...

 

Drive your old ride.
Folks will tell you about a car/truck “just like that” or “my relative has a …..”

that never happens with em hid in the garage.

 

Chuckle...
Jay Storer wrote some 1st cl*** articles. Been missing a lot of those guys from the past lately...
Marcus...

 

I have various parts ****tered around my shop. Not one person has asked if anything was for sale. They just mention they are looking for so and so. I say I have one and off it goes. They are so surprised I actually have it. Then they come back often looking for this and I dig it out. Usually, a generic part. I had one driveshaft a guy gave me. My buddy came by looking for one. I sent him to my storage bay. He took it and it fit perfectly in his 40 Ford pickup. He was amazed. I told him; it was meant for him. I never sell to people looking for a resale item. Or a part for a project that will get sold soon after being built. These guys want it cheap. You can tell when they are smooth talking you! Like the people`s comments above.

 

The problem is you are trying to Bull **** a master Bull ****ter! You guys try to come up with a scheme , to try to beat the old man out of his treasure!
I am really disappointed at the ways you folks are trying to get the cars from folks under a ruse! Do you think a man that has lived 60/70 years is not going to see through that ********? ! Really! Forget about trying to get on his/her good side! Just be honest and not a ****!
Simple!
You guys are over thinking this!





Bones

 

Tip #1 "Choose your words wisely."
I made a phone call to a guy, who, I had been told was selling some things. The conversation went like this...
" Hello"
"Hello, is this ________?"
"Yes it is."
"________ gave me your phone number, they said you had some parts that you wanted to get rid of."
"Let's make this clear, I don't want to get "RID OF" anything!! But, I will turn loose of some parts."

I quickly learned how to talk to him. It has turned out to be a "honey hole" of parts and information.

 

I figure, regardless of whether a deal is struck or not, if both parties are forthright and respectful, I'll consider it to be a good experience and a pleasant memory. And a car with parts from so many good people just makes the whole thing better.
On the other hand, no matter how much of a screaming deal I manage to finagle, if our business dealings are contentious, a small part of that distasteful memory will always come along with whatever components I'm riding around with. And for me, it wouldn't be quite as dreamy as I like it all to be.
If both parties walk away happy, then it's a good deal.

It struck me and made me smile the way Arnie Cunningham and George Lebay did business in the movie Christine. There was real honesty on both their parts. A connection. Because they appreciated each other's absence of BS. I took it as a small lesson.

Arnie: "How much do you want for her? Whatever it is, it's not enough."
Mr. Lebay: "I've been asking $300. For you, $250."

 

I live in a City full of Teslas. Needed a part for a current build. Texted a guy I had bought something from before and asked if he had what I needed. He did and told me I had to buy everything at a price a bit more than I expected - thought for a moment and said - sure. Got there and he opened up and took me on a tour through the various outbuildings even though I was in a rush to get back home (120km/80mi) round trip. Popped around the corner and he pointed out a 1934 chopped coupe fibergl*** body with the floor. Not a fibergl*** guy but, if I ever need one I know where to find it.

 

Dude, you wanna get rid of that pile of junk........never works..........unless that's all you are looking for.

 

There was a thread recently, a few of you older guys were thinking out loud that it might be time to get rid of some of your parts. I'm sorry... let loose of some of your parts.
So I made a list. And I got me a really big truck.

 

Lets put this into perspective.
Lets just say you were the guy that has chased down, found, and saved, a cherished pile of parts you had someday dreamed of build into a fine ride, for over 30 years. How would you want to be treated when some guy you have never seen before shows up at your door and wants your stuff?

Treat others as you would want to be treated if you were in their place. That might not work all the time, but it sure is going in the right direction.

The next thing is, don't go looking if you don't have the resources to buy it that day. Tomorrows price will probably be higher, the stuff may be gone, or no longer available. You should have an idea of what you are looking at is worth, so don't ***ume the person that has the stuff doesn't know what its worth. Trying to steal his stuff is the fastest way to get chased off there is.

I've gone to places I've never been before looking for specific things. I'll start with this is what I'm looking for and why, and this is what I have to spend. Do you have something that is close to that I can make work? You better believe I have that amount of cash in my pocket, plus a bit more that day. Up front and honest is always the best plan. I'm either bringing it home then, or we are making arrangements to get it asap. If we are making arrangements to get it a different day, the payment amount may be split between some now, and some on the pickup day, depending on how the vibe feels. Gene