Vintage tin parts still available at the dealership???

As stated above, especially for older model parts, half the trick can be having a part number before you head to the dealer. As they upgrade to computerized catalogs, they may not even be able to look up older parts for you unless they've kept a set of their old paper catalogs. As the demand for these older parts decreases, I suspect that many dealers will be "recycling" their old paper books. And any larger, well run parts department is probably trying not to stock anything they can't turn in 90 or 180 days.

No doubt, the manufacturers may still have some older parts available to their dealers, as long as they can still make a profit on them. But when a part is discontinued there's another place it might turn up. There is a company called Vintage Parts, Inc. that handles at least some discontinued stock from GM, Ford, Harley-Davidson and other automotive, truck and ag equipment maunfacturers. But there are a couple catches to this deal.

1. Vintage Parts cannot look up parts numbers for you.

2. To the best of my knowledge, they won't sell parts directly to you. You'll probably have to buy thru an O.E.M.'s dealership. If the dealer has an account with Vintage Parts it should be no problem for them to check the availability of a given part and order it for you.

Just keep in mind that if the dealer doesn't or can't look up the part number, you may be on your own as far as the suitability of the parts you get. But if you have a good part# you may be able to at least check the availability of it at the link below.

Vintage Parts, Inc.

You're probably not going to find '53 Buick fenders or '34 Ford grilles this way, but it might be worth keeping in mind, especially for more recently discontinued O.E. parts.

 

i work at a large dealership i work in the toyota store but im over at the pontiac store alot they do have some old parts the mgr keeps telling me hes gonna give me a price on them .ive gotten some vintage parts threw toyota for landcrusiers trucks and celicas i like looking for the stuff and it depends on the parts man if there willing to do the extra work the parts are usaly in the napac warehouse in ca but we can get them if avlible just gotta do a serch i like doing it the mgr gets mad cause he thinks im wasting time on alot of it but ive got alot of things he said wouldnt be there its worth a shot if ya looking you just need a hot rodder on the inside

 

just a quick P.S. to earlier note. I stopped by the local Parts Plus parts store yesterday for a battery cable for the Tbird. & for kicks & grins, I asked the guy about balljoints for my '56 Vicky. He looked 'em up - and HAD them in stock! And at half the cost of an online joint I was fixin' to order 'em from. That guy will be one I check 1st from now on, especially for driveline/suspension pieces.

 

Hell back in the late 70's or early 80's I had the local Ford dealer in Tampa "fix" my power steering on a '67 Ford F-250 and he got it all tore apart and then called me and told me he couldn't get parts for it. Charged me $90 bucks anyway. I found the parts, fixed it and sued his *** .. That little ordeal cost him about $500 bucks by the time it was done .. !!

 

This was a few years ago when I was still Living in Chicago, but there was a Chevy dealership that had a GM restoration parts center at it. They had or could get everything. At the time I had a 57 buick special. They were able to get every single part I needed. You name it they had it. The car had a 364 in it. They got me pullys waterpump fuel pump, rebuild kit, a rebuilt kit for the dynoflow. If they couldnt order they would call around to salvage yards, find the piece and have it reconditioned. They werent all that expensive either. I cant remember the name off the top of my head but if any of you Illinois guys are interested PM me and I will dig through my stack of business cards.