Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.
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Rick Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22447 Location: UK
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Bitumen Boy
Joined: 26 Jan 2012 Posts: 1735 Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2019 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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The spares supply for Heralds - and their derivatives - is, on the face of it, pretty good for a car that went out of production so long ago. However, the quality of the parts supplied leaves much to be desired a lot of the time and so the picture isn't quite as rosy as it first appears. I'd imagine the same might be the case for any other oldie relying on aftermarket parts?
The "holy grail" parts seem to be the chrome headlamp peaks for the earlier 948 and 1200 shape cars, tatty ones aren't hard to come by but in good nick they're properly rare and many an otherwise tidy Herald is let down by this one piece of brightwork being in poor condition. Pricewise I've seen them going for north of £150 apiece on fleabay! |
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alanb
Joined: 10 Sep 2012 Posts: 516 Location: Berkshire.
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Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:20 am Post subject: |
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Parts for the Morris 8s are well catered for by the Morris register club spares or 2 or 3 dedicated suppliers, quality is pretty good for most parts, prices can vary from reasonable for every day service items to eye watering for specialty parts. _________________ old tourer
Morris 8 two seater |
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Rootes75
Joined: 30 Apr 2013 Posts: 3816 Location: The Somerset Levels
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Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:49 am Post subject: |
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Spares for older Rootes vehicles arent easy to find. Speedy Spares are good but thats about it. Spares for my commercials are very scarce. _________________ Various Rootes Vehicles. |
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MikeEdwards
Joined: 25 May 2011 Posts: 2471 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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Spares for my two Vauxhalls are patchy. Ironically the specialist "droopsnoot" parts such as the nosecone are available as Vauxhall were kind enough to donate the moulds to our club, but stuff like wings, door skins and other panels are quite hard to get. Service stuff is good, and our club spares guy (who's now spun the spares off into a business for various reasons) is making a good stab at getting things remanufactured. |
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Phil - Nottingham
Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1252 Location: Nottingham
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Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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My wife still has her 1st car a 1968 Mini Traveller Mk2 which she bought in 1972 after passing her test. We have 6 other classics. 2 Series Land Rovers (not Defenders) and the others are a Rover P2 P4 P5 & P5B.
Spares for all especially the LR's and Mini are plentiful and often interchangeable. The ages range from 1938 to 1972 and we do not have any other modern cars so all of them go out throughout the year. _________________ Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2 |
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Ellis
Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 1382 Location: Betws y Coed, North Wales
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Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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Series 2 and 3 Land Rovers parts are well catered for although the quality varies from abysmal to good depending on how much you are willing to spend.
The days of reasonably priced good quality parts is long gone. When I bought my 2a in 2005 the only thing it really wanted was a nearside outer front wing.
It cost £16 then and was a good quality pattern part. The same wing today is £85. Parts prices escalated from 2010.
I'm hoping I will not need many parts for my Mark 2 Jaguar, it was all restored between 1992 and 1996, I hope you have seen my thread in the Jaguar section.
A new headlining will cost three times the one I bought in the 1990s and the chrome trims are going to be an expensive outlay.
But, there we are, at least nearly everything you need is available.
My cousin's husband, Tony, has just finished restoring a 1986 Ford Capri and he was shocked at parts prices. Front wings - genuine new old stock £1000+ and even pattern ones are £700.
What appalled him was a new Capri specific fusebox - £115, and as for a good used condition rear load cover/parcel shelf, well, he'll do without one until he strikes lucky. He's in for a long wait.
Mechanical parts are very reasonably priced though except for a new diff pan cover : £80!. _________________ Starting Handle Expert
1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet |
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badhuis
Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 1390 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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I am lucky in having British classics as the parts situation for these are pretty good. Usually something can be found, or there is a solution available.
My nephew has a few classic Lancias and the spares for these are very hard. Even regular "consumption" items are hard to find. I am hearing the same for a friend with two old Alfa Romeos, very hard to find and expensive. Another local has old Opels and the same story over again (which is strange as these were so popular over here when new). _________________ a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment |
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Keith D
Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Posts: 1129 Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia
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Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 1:56 am Post subject: |
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Austin Seven parts are easily obtained, both second-hand and after market. So far I have had no complaints with after market bits I've used.
I think the hardest parts to get in good condition are the gauges, but I guess this applies to most oldies.
A local enthusiast in Western Australia, (a professional engineer with his own well equipped workshop) machines many components, such as complete front axles on an exchange basis.
Keith _________________ 1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution |
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lowdrag
Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1585 Location: Le Mans
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Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 5:59 am Post subject: |
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Parts prices of course depend purely o the make of the car it seems. No, I know this isn't always true but I was talking to someone who has had his Aston Martin engine rebuilt. My Jaguar engine was completely rebuilt by VSE five years back after 120,000 miles of faithful service, and it cost £6,300 whereas this poor soul needed a mortgage to pay the bill! But on an uplifting note the quality of some well-known problem parts such as in-line brake switches and oil pressure senders has improved out of all recognition. and the cost of trimming from people such as Aldridges is fair and very good quality. So in our Jaguar world, I think we are not too badly served. |
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mikeC
Joined: 31 Jul 2009 Posts: 1775 Location: Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire
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Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:06 am Post subject: |
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I cannot complain about either the Austin Seven or the Lancia Appia. General service items are available by return of post for both cars, and for the most part other items are available without too much difficulty. Body parts are virtually non-existant, but the Seven is solidly built, and the Lancia bodywork is mostly aluminium, so if I bend something it's a question of skilled workmanship rather than parts supply. _________________ in the garage: 1938 Talbot Ten Airline
Recently departed: 1953 Lancia Appia, 1931 Austin Seven, 1967 Singer Chamois, 1914 Saxon, 1930 Morris Cowley, 1936 BSA Scout, 1958 Lancia Appia coupe, 1922 Star 11.9 ... the list goes on! |
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Minxy
Joined: 22 Sep 2010 Posts: 272 Location: West Northants
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Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2019 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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Rootes75 wrote: | Spares for older Rootes vehicles arent easy to find. Speedy Spares are good but thats about it. Spares for my commercials are very scarce. |
When I got my Minx I too struggled to find parts but then I bought a Lanchester and suddenly Hillman parts seeemed plentiful.
The holy grail of Mk Minx parts, other than body panels, are the grills.
For Lanchester’s just about everything, other than basic service items, is rare. _________________ Hillman minx convertible. Lanchester LD 10 |
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ukdave2002
Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4105 Location: South Cheshire
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Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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I'm the spares secretary for the Morris Register, so interested in this thread 80% of the cars in the register are 8's or a derivative.
I'm sourcing components for pre war vehicles, the days of finding NOS are few and far between, so these days we have to have things made, CNC and 3D printing/ cutting have made low volume more affordable:
Gaskets; Composite Head gaskets require tooling investment its viable for the more popular models, for the less common vehicles we get them out of solid annealed copper. Paper and non composite gaskets can be CNC cut.
King Pin's, shackle pins and the like can be CNC machined. Small plastic items can be printed, having someone who can create 3D files is a bonus. We have a small firm in the Midlands who makes simple stuff for us; U Bolts, engine studs etc
We don't stock body panels, however there a number of firms in the UK who will fabricate any panel or repair section from scratch, same goes for exhausts.
Brake components; the master and slave cylinders are made in Holland and relatively expensive (£80 for a wheel cylinder), hoses; there are a few UK suppliers who will produce low volumes or one offs, brake linings are made in the UK and not expensive.
Pistons, rings and shell bearings are available new for the more popular Morris 8's, but are expensive. Engine valves are getting harder to source, I can get them made at around £18 each
Ignition components are not unique so readily available, rubber bits and bobs come from India
The components that don't currently stock, but will need to in the future are things like gearbox gears, crown wheel and pinions, half shafts, all can be made but require some investment with minimum quantities to make viable, herein lies the challenge; if we commission 10 new crown wheel and pinions they would have to retail at over £500 each, getting 20 made reduces the price by around 10%, either way it ties up a lot of the clubs cash! |
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Mog
Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 661 Location: Sydney
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Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2019 6:53 am Post subject: |
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I can understand the problem . In the 1960's to buy pistons for my JAP was impossible . To buy 2 you needed a big bank roll . Order 100 and that would be o.k. To day my 30 year old Landcruiser could do with some new rear brake shoes and cylinders . I have owned it for 13 years , time to replace them . 4 brake shoes and 2 wheel cylinders on E-bay AUD$99. |
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norustplease
Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 779 Location: Lancashire
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Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2019 9:28 am Post subject: |
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Not all foreign classics are problematic with regard to spares.
Citroen Traction, generally excellent, both via the owners club and from various sources in Europe. Most things are available, but trim items and steel wings are expensive. Some parts for Slough built cars are harder to track down. There have also been some quality issues with metallastic components and wheel bearings.
2CV, enough stuff around to build a new one from scratch, if you had the urge. Some pattern body panels are not brilliant in terms of fit. Good second hand bonnets are the holy grail.
Volvo PV544, again, almost everything available from UK specialist and several European suppliers, no doubt helped by commonality with the widespread Amazon models. Quite a few second hand parts as well. Again, steel wings are expensive, as is interior trim, but everything can be had. _________________ 1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV |
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