Technical Mild rant: anyone else finding it hard?

I am with you! Only I am doing this before I retire. I pissed off a lot of guys by saying no, but the truth is this. If I never build my shop at home, then never build my dream cars, who is to say when a shoulder may give out, or a knee, a slipped disk, and etc. I gave 30 years of my life building cars and trucks for others, now it's my turn dammit!

After my projects are built, perhaps I can afford some "spare time" for someone else....

As far as the initial topic, I have trouble finding parts, but with patience, they come along eventually. Being a Mopar guy is tough in this regard. But I can only imagine how much harder it would be for a Packard guy, or a Studebaker guy, and etc...

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

It's not even 50 year old cars. My 2002 beater van needed oil lines a while back and while I was able to get some - Advance with a coupon deal if I bought online and picked up local was cheaper than Rock Auto - I had to go to the junkyard (a you pick) for a couple parts. While there I got a radiator because I noticed the one I was picking parts off had a fairly fresh replacement, a Delphi which is a good brand. Sticker still on it.

I tried to look up to see what I saved over buying one even on Amazon and the part's obsolete already. There are other brands out there but no more Delphi. Part fits all Express vans 97-2002, which is still a lot of vehicles on the road.

Now the steering's getting stiff and I need to figure out if it's the pump, or a ball joint or tie rod end or something else I really don't want to have to deal with.