Technical Problem with hoarding NOS parts….

As I write this I still have a daunting task of going through all of these parts that my dad and I have ac***ulated together over the last 50 years of swap meets, car shows, parts cars and so forth. I can’t even fathom how many NOS parts I have in these two garages. That brings me to this question ……….how long does rubber and leather items last?!?

I have a ton of NOS, NORS brake lines, fuel lines, bushing kits, bump stops and seals in the mix and a lot of parts that contain said materials. I am fixing to start working on the brakes and suspension on my 51 Tudor and even though I’m converting it to disc and putting all new springs, shocks and master cylinder on the car I am probably going to be replacing the wheel cylinders or rebuilding them using all this surplus of parts I have here, along with replacing the rear brake hose just because it been on the car for years. What’s the chance of me getting down a brake hose and as soon as I take it out of the box and unfold the rascal the thing snaps in half? I know hard parts live dang near forever as long as they are in a nice dry place but what about the stuff that gets crispy like wiper blades and hoses and so forth? I really hate the idea of having to toss a truck load or three (seriously I have that much stuff) of hoses, lines, seals etc in the dump. Is there a way that these things can be used or revived if that is an issue? And do you guys have the same issue with parts that you have hung onto for eons?

 

Most of the old rubber items I buy are still good.

 

Its a good question. NOS stuff is normally good even after all those years, but I always suspect rubber and leather stuff. I wonder how was it stored if I buy it-in a warehouse, bldg., or outdoor shed which is subject to the humidity and temp changes. Some of the old plastics are really brittle also so care is involved with those. I try not to keep this type stuff and search it out. Nowadays OEM parts and some of the old car suppliers stock repo's or new stuff that's pretty good-at least for me. But then, I'm not a restorer, just an old hot rodder.

 

If boxed and stored right I'll go out on a limb and say older wheel cyl kits are better. New ones are synthetic and if the car sits the soft parts don't stay "swollen" by the brake fluid and the next move is leaks. Lines? Tough call. Torture them a little and see what happens. Maybe nothing at all. Wiper blades, clean with some denatured alky, or even some Rain-X. If they continue to leave the cloth looking like you're wiping off paint after the 1st few wipes they might be junk. bushings and the like, again try to tear it. If you can't then I'd say run em. Counter to that you may find some really old rubber stuff is the old, what I call it, gum rubber. Once introduced to a new life that tenure might be short, and point of fact it would have to be prewar stuff new from back then. Yes, I've taken a ride or 3 down this road in my chosen profession doing restoration. In most cases I'll take this kinda stuff over Asian import any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. Good luck...

Quick edit; glycerin revives old rubber. Neetsfoot oil revives leather. Sometimes it's more than a quick wipe needed, I've soaked rubber in glycerin and often it ends up like brand new.

 

A lot has to do with environment.
No sunshine, No extreme heat cycle, No running nearby, 'lectric motors. ( ozone gas I've heard )
These factor into a longer life.
Myself I would try it. Carry spares, got any? but not brake hoses, Too much ag, to deal with.
Somthing to consider,,, It's all USA mfg.

 

For the most part they have been in the garage that has been climate controlled for all these years but I have no idea what they were subjected to before purchasing them. I know that dad bought everything that he could buy for the shoebox Fords before they were reproducing them. I know that if I am going to restore another one then I definitely need them for the authenticity since that is all dad had was original cars that were all Dearborn and AACA Grand National winners. But me I’m a hot rodder and I don’t have to have the correct part number for the year car kinda thing.

 

I thought NOS parts were to be bought and sold, never used.....

 

“Is there a way that these things can be used or revived if that is an issue? And do you guys have the same issue with parts that you have hung onto for eons?” @lostn51


Hello,

It is a difficult decision due to the availability of the needed original part and the aging of said part. Metal items that stay in good condition are ok. But, rubber parts have a life of their own. Sealed in plastic or standard clear sealed material should be like preserving rubber, but they are not totally sealed when for sale at the time of sight in a antique auto parts store. So, those are questionable.

We have all seen old rubber parts at swap meets and even in some garages. So, the rubber ages. Has anyone ever tried to rehabilitate old leather to look like new? Even in our cars with leather seats, used for good on road driving, has plenty of good memories. But, maintaining that leather surface and material is one of the check list items on every detailing. Our old leather furniture aged and it was a bear to keep looking nice and soft. So, if one were to get an old leather piece to begin with, it will take many tries to get it right. If, ever...

Look at it this way, would you use an old rubber wiper blade on your windshield? Clear vision is mandatory on all cars, not just hot rods. So, if it does not do the job, who cares if it is NOS. I am sure no one wants to be the problem for another driver if/when a rubber part like a brake line cracks and leaks. As pristine as some engines are shown here on the HAMB, no one wants to put a cracked, old hose on a $50k hot rod build. You might have to chuck some items for your own responsibilities and thoughts.

Jnaki

I have had this item my brother picked up new, back in our model car days. We used it a lot for our work. It even helped in the wire cover shrinking once our soldering was complete during our real life size hot rod builds.
But, on first sight, I chuckled when he showed me that odd looking part. A cap to cover the material wick, a swivel “T” shaped device with a chain attached to the cap. On that “T” was an adjustable nut and it was on this unusual hand grip/holding black plastic device. also, a Trigger of sorts when one gripped the tool.

This old guy has survived being brand new and a zillion garage “clean out” purges since 1966 and used since 1950.

Hanau Alcohol Torch. Patent #1755216. Buffalo, NY, USA

It has moving parts, but none that would crack due to old age. The only thing replaceable is/was the wick. We changed the wick several times over the span of usage in model cars and hot rod builds.

So, if this tool were in its original box, yes, I would sell it due to the fact that nothing would be wrong with it. The only destructible item would be the wick as we did originally use up several wicks over time of usage. But how can one destroy such an item that was a part of our model car building days and hot rod “extra” tool that prevented us from burning our fingers when a torch type flame was necessary? And, we did not want to hold a match or small candle, either.

If it still was just a stored NOS item, the answer is yes, it would be for sale without any doubts. Even used, in the condition it is, would sell at any garage sale or swap meet in a flash. It even polishes up nicely to look NOS, but it only holds a ton of memories… It is no longer used for anything, but cannot part with it for now. Our son or granddaughter will look at it and probably toss it in the dumpster. Unless they read our journals and see the value it brought to their known “old guy” adventures… YRMV

 

I’m thinking about thinning some of this stuff out to be honest with you. I’ve got so much stuff it’s not even funny. I boxed up over 2500 spark plugs for 8BA flatheads, I counted over 40 rebuilt carbs, and I stop counting rebuild kits for them and the fuel pumps. Points and ignition parts, coils, caps, wires, distributors you name it. And most of these parts were bought for a dollar or two each and dad would buy everything the guy would have to get a better deal. I have 2 sets of wood for a 51 Woody most of it NOS and God only knows how much more woody specific parts in there that I haven’t even uncovered. It’s really overwhelming in a way but I understand why my dad and I did it because he wanted to be sure that there were enough parts to keep the cars running after he was gone.

 

I understand and sympathize with why it was/is done, but have to wonder how many cars are not back on the road because folks hoarded more stuff than they'd ever need? Not criticizing, just wondering.

 

@lostn51


Hey L,

For a nice touch from your family to all others that follow, how about gathering all of those old parts and giving them away to local car museums for display only? The So Cal museums have sections of old time garages and shelves full of original parts as a showcase for "an antique garage" look as part of their displays. There must be several old car display museums in your neck of the "woods..." They would love to have them. If you write any information on descriptive parts, they might display that, too.

For notoriety of your thoughtful gifts, a small display board could have your name or family name for others to see your generosity and for the history of old parts... YRMV

Jnaki

I gave an original compilation of early drag racing films to the So Cal Lion's Dragstrip Museum. They ran it on a giant screen for the original grand opening in 2017. Those that knew I took those films let me know how cool that was to preserve those old films and show others that remember, but the films solidified their memories...

Then recently, the Lion's Dragstrip museum remodeled, expanded and made public a vast change in the displays. To advertise the new version in 2019, a short film was clipped from my original films. They used it in a showing for Cars TV as an adverti*****t for the museum. But, the cool thing was, my brother and my names were listed as the original film makers of the film showing, as the narrator spoke. That was a cool way to say thanks...

Note: For the next version of the Lion's Dragstrip Museum expansion, I was told that a rumor of a drag boat section was in the works. The developers still have my versions of a long all day, old championship drag boat event held in 1967 in Long Beach that I filmed. So, we shall see if the films are used as a display... time will tell.

 

So I just had a thought. I can't remember how shoebox wipers exactly were as it's been a long time since I've looked close at the wipers of one. But do they have a stainless piece on the replacements? I know on cars like my 53 Bel Air new parts store replacements are available but the stainless parts are hokey and hideous

 

id trust bump stops, not so much brake hoses and stuff thats important to my survival. seals, depends on Condition, bushings are a pita to install so i wouldn't use those if i didn't want to do something twice.

id keep them up on the wall in their original packaging or something similar so they look cool.

i know of leather thats over a hundred years old and still in good condition, lot of it is how its made.

 

I toss all gasket sets and brake hoses.
Gaskets are almost always dried up and shrunk.
Brake hoses go for liability reasons. Brakes give out due to a old hose failing and it could come back to me.
Only 2 items I don't save. Wheel cylinder kits and metal stuff is ok.
I thought about tossing carb rebuild kits as the gaskets will harden and shrink as well as no good with todays fuel but the metal bits are still good so I sell them with the proviso that the gaskets may be bad.

 

My wife and I were talking about this and she suggested that I build a few cars with what I have and sell them. I really want another Vicky and a Crestliner so it’s not like it will not get used someday but dang I don’t want to toss out the rubber stuff if I don’t have to. But like stated earlier and I’m from the same line of thinking why risk my *** and hard work over a part that they make new every day.

 

Had a number of new gaskets for small twostroke engines bee too small even new. They swell to the correct size after getting wet, so just give them a bath and install before dry again. Might work for the old ones too.
I'm ***uming my new ones have been cut while damp/wet, and someone didn't bother to check if that material expanded when wet.

 

IDK; but aren't the sparkplug sizes for the ford v8 flattie, the same as small-engine(flathead) types? & probably a host of other flattie-mills?
Guess I'd look to see what the interchange #s are, & offer that up w/the parts - larger audience?
On wiperblades, brakehoses, & the like, esp if hard(ened), *if* they have oem part#s inked on them, I'd offer them up for "perfectionists" restoration, the kind that never get driven. & I'd require them to sign an affidavit that they understand & agree the parts are only for "show-purposes, never to get driven".
Might be too much work/bother, idk.
I have discovered that too much, is, too much. But nothing I own is useful like your dads' hoard. ;( .
Marcus...

 

As has been said before, depends on how they were handled and stored before you got them, as for the rubber and leather parts. Packaging makes a huge difference too. Since you’ve had them they’ve been in a climate controlled environment. Pick a sacrificial brake line and give it the torture test and check the result. The quality of stuff made 50 years ago, or even 25 years ago, IMHO is far superior to what can be obtained today in most cases. But that also depends on the manufacturer too. Good luck, I hope it all is in useable condition.

 

I have a bunch of NORS (Bendix, Western Auto, etc) that I can give it a try. I don’t know exactly where they got buried when I cleaned up the main garage but they are in there. The seals and other brake things I feel like they are in good condition so I will be using them. Especially since I can soak them before using them if I feel like it is necessary

 

Have (read HAD) a "New" bag of 4 bar bushings from P&J - the O.G. orange ones from the 70's - opened the bag and they crumbled like chalk when I tried to squeeze one.

 

Awww man that’s what scares me

 

Try selling the lot. I've probably got less than one-hundredth of that and I've been wasting time on piddly things I'll never use.

 

If you’re 80 and hoarding anything but money….. you’re nuts. It’s time to dump the s**t…..Your not going to build another one.

 

Keep in mind parts in original boxes and packaging bring stupid money for garage art. So if they are sketchy for road use they have a spot for many shop/garage/man cave walls.

 

Oh I’m in my 50’s so I have a few more builds in me

 

heres to more than just a few!

 

Make a few piles and start to separate what you will use, not, or maybe keep. Then go from there. I'm sure I could use some parts! Then list them. I have three 1950 Ford coupes! Only one that is road worthy. I wished I had this problem!.

 

Sounds like you have some valuable stuff. I'd be converting parts into cash.

 

That's only good if you're dealing with an honorable person. Otherwise you're only making two lawyers rich.

 

@lostn51 I too have a similar problem and I’ve been looking for the same answers you have

I met a guy here in NC a while back that was showing me how his ultrasonic cleaner tank can revitalize dry, brittle rubber. He also showed me how you can have something like a headlight switch that has corrosion and after a couple of hours in the ultrasonic tank the insides of that switch are clean as a whistle and ready for decades more of use.

you may want to give it a shot as you can pick up one of those tanks pretty cheap