Ideas For Locating Rare Or Hard To Find Parts For Your Car Or Truck
When shopping for auto parts for your vehicle, there are sometimes items that are difficult to find. If the car or truck is an antique or a rare model, that can compound the problem and make it tough to get what you need. There are some places you can look beyond traditional parts stores, and you may need to consider used parts that you can restore or use as they are.
New Parts
Auto parts stores sell new parts for cars and trucks going back quite a few years, but when you are working on something rare or an antique, they may not have the items you are after. Some stores have access to parts through third-party vendors and can order new parts for older vehicles, but the reproduction parts may not be the same as the ones you are taking off the car.
The auto parts store in your area may still have some older parts in stock that they never sold. However, the condition of old parts is never guaranteed if they have been sitting on a shelf for a long time. Seals can dry out, grease can harden, and bushing freezes up over time, making the parts no better than what you have, so check them over carefully if you find them in your local parts store.
These parts, referred to as new-old stock, are often sought after by car collectors, but depending on the age of the car parts, they may only be usable for a collection or display. If you are looking specifically for new-old stock, they are often found in small parts stores that have been in business for generations, and the parts may have gone unnoticed on a shelf in a store that used manual inventory.
Used Parts
Used auto parts are often the best way to find the pieces you need for an older car that you are rebuilding. Many times the local salvage yard will have some older parts around that you can get for a reasonable price, but the condition of the parts can vary greatly.
Other good options for used parts are flea markets and swap meets. An automotive swap meet will often have people selling and trading parts from older cars they have been holding onto and are ready to sell or swap. Often some of the best contacts for auto parts of this nature can be the people you see selling regularly or a local car club hosting the event.
You can visit a local flea market that runs every weekend in your area and look for the sellers that always seem to have some car parts and accessories. Strike up a conversation and then ask them about the auto parts you are looking for. They may not have them but may know someone that can help you locate the auto parts you need for your project.
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