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5 Levels of Parts Finding for Vintage Cars
The automobile world exists at an interesting crossroads of utility and luxury. Our vintage vehicles are often for pleasure use but can also serve the real function of transportation. Well, wheny they run like they are supposed to, anyhow. To maintain that function requires parts, mechanical knowledge, and time. Of the three, vintage car lovers are often left hanging on the parts front.
Even the simplest car is a combination of thousands of parts, carefully assembled and tuned to function in a safe and competent way. Sometimes you can get by without a part here or there, but there are also the critical pieces that a car simply cannot function without. Which pieces are critical can change depending on the era and design, but finding a special part can be necessary for safely keeping your favorite car on the road. Here are the five levels of parts sourcing that old-car people get to experience:
Searching Online and Calling Around to Find Something
There is no shortage of parts stores in both the physical and digital realms that really want to sell you parts for your project. Start here, every time. My favorite local parts house has a surprising back inventory, but that is a luxury of a long-standing local place with its own warehouse.
Even if you don’t have a local parts supply, start with the big names in online parts and restoration supplies. You might be surprised to find remanufactured parts, or even new old stock, if your project isn’t legally sipping alcohol yet. Striking out here is likely, I’ll admit that, but it never hurts to try, and asking is free.
Having the Part Number
One of the benefits of striking out with your search on step one is that you will gain the part number and can begin searching in more interesting ways. Once you can use the part number, you gain access to searching far and wide since part numbers are a universal language. This enables a confirmation on good used parts in a way that merely looking at them can’t fill for most parts buyers. Sure, some of us can eyeball the year and fitment of a specific intake manifold just on the location of a few bolt holes, but that is often the exception, not the rule, when it comes to shopping.
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Knowing the Cross Reference
If having a part number doesn’t get you what you’re looking for, it’s time to start exploring different names for the same thing. Parts and assemblies are occasionally—especially in modern vehicles—used across different platforms and makes, meaning that sometimes the same part might have two or even three part numbers.
Sometimes a cross reference enables finding an improved part, or the same part but with fixes or changes that were implemented during production. If you aren’t going for an absolutely flawless restoration, this can open doors to keeping or getting a car back on the road.
Bringing the Dimensions to Find Something Else That Fits
When a cross reference doesn’t yield results and just looking at the parts is no longer enough, it’s time to get out the measuring tools. While this is unlikely to solve the problem of a cast-iron water pump that bolts to an engine block, it can solve a lot of problems when it comes to the parts to rebuild such pieces. Bearings and seals are available in lots of sizes “stock,” and custom-fit pieces are often pricey but can be found. I’ve purchased replacement wheel bearings for project motorcycles from bearing suppliers by breaking down the dimensions, and doing so not only saved me money but occasionally allowed me to make for really nice OEM-plus fitment.
Knowing Which Parts Don’t Fit—and How to Modify Them to Make Them Fit
In the same way that knowing the size and fit of a part can maybe enable a generic-fit piece to work, striking out on finding that generic part can also shine a light on what might need to be done to your problem part in order to make a readily available facsimile fit. Doing this yourself or having a professional make modifications makes no difference if the end result is functional. Necessity is the mother of invention, after all.
The trick for finding old GM parts is to get to know a parts guy at the dealer that is willing to do nation wide searches for parts that are NA.
I have been lucky to find a number of hard to find parts this way.
I recently found a power seat base for a C5 Vette that have been long gone for years. A dealer in Utah had it.
Even a decal for the widow of a C5 was found at a Dealer in LA. The last two left.
The same works for Ford.
This is a very helpful comment; thank you! I have been searching for years for some trim parts for my ’74 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale. Do you know what the online version of, or successor to, the GM Parts (800) 328-8766 hot line is? I had great success with that source in the pre-internet era, finding NOS parts from dealers across the country.
Someone at Redline had too much time on their hands and placed that sticker strategically.
😮😮😮
you’re correct figgy308. Never underestimate what happens with too much free time! But hey, it got Kyle to buy it and show it in his story.
Glad I’m not the only one who saw that!!
I always start with Rock Auto. They have had parts for my 1937 Terraplane, 1950 Hudson, 1960 Chrysler and 2007 Bentley. From there I go to Ebay or Amazon.
RA supplier who direct ships to my area is not very good. I typically go to the local store and pay a little more. They were once good, but RA quality control and customer service is not at all what it used to be.
Similar experience with RA. The Sparta fuel pump assembly caused me to pull the fuel tank 3 times on my 96 Roadmaster Wagon. No one to talk to but I was finally able to get a refund and by an OEM Delphi. Of course that had its own problem which required two more tank drops due to a split fuel supply hose. I was getting pretty good at it by number 5.
Me too. I used to really like Rock Auto but the last couple of times I bought parts from them it was a miserable experience with zero customer service, so I’ve moved on.
After realizing that most junkyards are limited to1977 and newer, the internet is the saving grace, red seal and torque king are good sites for steering and suspension parts, some parts can be retooled to fit different vehicles a vernier and micrometer are a restorers best friend,dennis carpenter, npd, rock auto and parts geek are other parts places.
Lucky you. Rob Auto, as of late, doesn’t carry a lot of the parts I need for my 80’s Dodge 2.2 motor. Often the parts sent don’t match. They sent me a timing belt dated 2003. It was so stiff it resembled plastic rather than rubber. Auto Zone saved the day with a proper belt.
Good ideas, Kyle. I’ve used all of them in getting my ’85 Supra up to snuff since I’ve owned it.
This isn’t practical but I find it fun to mention. One of the members of our Jag Club who is a computer whiz created a program that has all the original parts diagrams for multiple models. When you choose a part number it searches the web and produces a list of all the sites that have that part. It’s pretty amazing to use.
Can I get a copy of this program? I have a 2008 XK and am already in need of parts that the mfr no longer makes.
@JLUFZCRZ,
He should post his list to the Jaglovers forum. Please encourage him to do so.
That would be outstanding for my 1996 XJS. Posting at Jaglovers would be outstanding!
BMW Owners know the joys of Real OEM online to get exploded parts diagrams with part numbers. They also show which parts have “ENDED”, meaning no longer available. From there, it’s off to Google or eBay to search via part number.
I’ve learned from perusing REALOEM.com that “ENDED” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s no longer available. Some parts shown as ENDED may still be available even through BMW Classic, as they periodically reproduce parts when they see a demand. Besides, there are other sources that either have NOS stuff or reproductions. And if they’re proprietary parts (Bosch electrics, bearings etc) they’re usually available from many sources.
I’ve tried most of these strategies to find parts for my 1988 Fiero GT and for months I’m still striking out. It’s hard to get people on Facebook Marketplace to reliably respond to questions when they’ve advertised that they do have parts. I knew this would eventually get tough, but I never thought it would take so much work for a Fiero. I’m now beginning to check with national clubs for help. I’m not looking forward to the future with my other old modern cars as they age.
I guess we all need to buy parts cars early when we come across them.
My first stop for Japanese motorcycle restoration parts is always https://www.cmsnl.com/.
For bearings and seals it’s https://www.allballsracing.com/. They have a handy cross-reference section by dimension.
For Brit bike stuff check out https://britcycle.com/ and https://www.walridge.com/
These guys are great for replacement seat covers, because the originals usually take a beating from age and weather – https://www.motorcycleseatcovers.com/
If anyone has any other links to share I’d sure appreciate it.
Here are some of the ones I used for my Triumph. Autocycle Engineering, The Bonneville Shop, BritBits, KM Jones, Hawkshaw, Tricor Andy, MAP, Baxter Cycle, British Spares, Holden Company, and Draganfly. For “British Spares”, you want the one in New Zealand. You will find that shipping from the UK is pretty expensive.
Back in the pre-internet days you would have to delete the 1st level and pretty much reverse the rest…
Especially with a very rare old British bike I aquired as a basket case and restored to running condition…
while based in Japan. Calipers, scales, and friendly machine shops (now mostly rare themselves) willing
and interested in my project/proposal of creating parts from my dimensional drawings … which resulted in
convincing a set of pistons and rings from Honda to believe that and behave as if they were genuine Hepolites.
The reverse – somewhat – continued when I brought my JDM-only (this was a good 30 years before “JDM”
had even entered the American vocabulary) 1982 Mazda HB Cosmo Rotary Sports Coupe back to
California – and got it passed all the US EPA and DOT requirements for that model year. (eg. fitting side-
impact reinforcing beams out of a 2-door Lincoln into the Cosmo doors to pass DOT crash standards)
I had a lot of support from Mazda HQ in Hiroshima with a massive printed parts catalog all in Japanese,
and english language service and body shop manuals for everything but the engine (since the Cosmo
rotary was never exported, although the body was sold in Europe (under the 929 model name, years
before 929 models reached the US market) but only with conventional gas or diesel piston engines.
Thankfully parts numbers don’t need translating, and I was delighted to find a number of mechanical
parts for my Cosmo were available/common with other Mazda models sold in the US market.
Google Translate will work wonders!
Rearcounter.com has a database of people selling NOS parts. You’ll need the part number.
Anyone have suggestions for locating a transmission, driveshaft, and rear end for a 1963 Econoline east of the Mississippi?
That is year-specific. Only 1963.
I was just about to make a comment about having a penchant for obscure vehicles like Jaguars and 1st gen Econolines. I have the parts you need but I’m in Northern Michigan. I have a 3 speed and even have a 4 speed with steering column and associated linkage.
Thanks very much for replying. That would be a bit far for me.
Hey – I know it’s becoming almost impossible but junk yards are still viable. The search though yards isn’t what it used to be and finding decent ones is tough.
… but just wandering through a junk yard is a zen experience.
In some cases there is also different marks use the exact same parts. Pages of early VW parts fit the early Porsches. Often they have exactly the same part numbers and are made by the same OEM manufacturer and cheaper by orders of magnitude.
Many 21st century Aston Martin parts are shared with Jaguar’s at a much lower price. Same with some late model Bentley’s Audis and Volkswagens. Look at the various model specific websites like “Benzworld.com” for valuable information on cross references.
Need a hood bumper for a ’81 Corolla – buy one for a Hilux. Many parts are interchangeable among models of the same manufacturer but unfortunately 14″ stainless steel trim rings are only available from Moon Equipment in Japan.
I needed a part for my wife’s Buick Roadmaster. The local Buick dealership told me that they no longer carried that part. I searched with no luck, Finally went to a Buick dealership in a small town not to far away. They had a reputation for being customer orientated. The parts guy told me that when a manufacturer decides to stop carrying a part they sell their remaining stock to someone and he had a list from GM as to who bought what. He looked it up and found the exact part I was looking for. The price was very reasonable.