Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.
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Colin916
Joined: 14 Aug 2019
Posts: 10
Location: Darlington
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 Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 9:13 pm Post subject: American cars?? |
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Hello and thanks for allowing me to join the group.
I have a 1975 Fiat 124 Spider 2000 which I restored after it had been laid up for 20 years.
I was looking through the eBay adverts and it occurred to me that the amount of American cars for sale is way out of proportion to what you see on the roads. Does anyone else agree? Certainly here in the Northeast you just never see them...maybe the odd one at a show, but there's hundreds of the blighters on ebay. It's every other car!.
Just a thought. They may be more common darn saarff. [/img] |
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consul 57
Joined: 09 Nov 2017
Posts: 487
Location: somerset
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| Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2019 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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| lots of my mates in somerset have yanks, they are used quite a bit as well. |
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Rick
Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22438
Location: UK
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1950
Location: East Yorkshire
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| Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 7:39 am Post subject: |
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I have an American car, and it gets used as often as possible....[bearing in mind the low-20's mpg fuel consumption.]
It's a bit of a pain as I feel compelled to wash it regularly...which doesn't happen but once a year with my daily driver.
Spares for 60's/70's American cars [of the more common kind] are easy to obtain...with the usual provisos of being aware that repop items may well be poor quality [lots of glitz, rubbish performance]...but normal service-type spares often arrive from the US just as quickly as Carparts4us....and can be just as cheap to buy.
Please give us a run-down on the FIAT...
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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V8 Nutter
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Posts: 587
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| Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Americans are pretty common here in the midlands, but they get used mostly for shows. One of our club members says there are loads of cars at the shows in the south east but you don't often see them on the road. Since the prices started to go silly in the last few years too many people are buying them and storing them away with the intention of making money. |
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Brent29
Joined: 07 Jun 2018
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:33 am Post subject: |
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| V8 Nutter wrote: | | Americans are pretty common here in the midlands, but they get used mostly for shows. One of our club members says there are loads of cars at the shows in the south east but you don't often see them on the road. Since the prices started to go silly in the last few years too many people are buying them and storing them away with the intention of making money. |
Can't blame them to not use those cars as DD, usually the replacement parts are hard to find or very expensive. |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1950
Location: East Yorkshire
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| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 9:28 am Post subject: |
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| Brent29 wrote: |
Can't blame them to not use those cars as DD, usually the replacement parts are hard to find or very expensive. |
Much will depend on the type of US car?
The more popular [originally] vehicles have few, if any, issues regarding parts.
This is especially true of those vehicles which have , over the years, attracted decent following Stateside.
As an example, I run a '67 Ford Mustang. It is a pensioner's special, in that it runs the base 6 cylinder engine [so, no issues with mechanical access, skinned knuckles, or detached retinas]....This particular week I realised I had to do something with the somewhat worn starter motor.
From a UK specialist dealer, I was looking at a heart-rending cost of around £200 plus delivery, although it was in stock, and would arrive next day [almost]...However.... a quick search of one of my favourite US parts dealers showed a choice of 5 makes, all different prices....and suggested levels of quality. The one I chose [not, as it happens, the one they sold most of, and had least returns]......had a purchase price of around £20!!! Add in the firm's particularly low core surcharge...[some firms charge over £200 !!!]....plus Fedex economy delivery[!]...which has the VAT pre-paid [Thus eliminating Parcelforce's unreasonable collection fee]....total came to £70.
Ordered 2 days ago [Wednesday]...current delivery date is given as next Tuesday [suggested date on purchase would be a week!]...
I realise there may be issues regarding faulty parts, returns, etc...but the retailer is known for being amenable, to 'reasonable' overseas customers.
Their listings are huge....I have, in the past, ordered small items which amount to but a few quid......cheaper to buy than via amazon...[and certainly tens of pounds cheaper than a UK dealer]....but the listings attempt to give an accurate idea of quality, expected type of usage, etc.
There are the ongoing issues of quality of 'new' parts [usually attributed to the Chinese manufacture...but, to be fair, the Chinese factories only produce exactly what the customer specifies..so blame the customer, not the manufacturer].....which plague us all....but I was impressed by this US parts dealers apparent honesty in description....[and I rely on sage advice from the owners club forum, of course].....
However, I imagine if one was trying to run a Studebaker Golden Hawk, rather than a Ford or GM product, then difficulties might arise...but certainly no more than equally esoteric British or French makes?
The big advantage of running a US vehicle ,I think, lies in the presence of a huge petrolhead following within the US itself.
As for 'storing away?'
Well, this is where buying cars as an investment, rather than for the pleasure of owning & driving, plagues our focus of interest [aka hobby?]
I admit, as someone now feeling their age,, [physically, but not mentally]....the Mustang is a far more 'comfortable' car to drive , than an MGB GT would be [my other choice of runabout motor]...with equal road performance.
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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V8 Nutter
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Posts: 587
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| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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Brent 29 is making the usual mistake about parts price and availability, as Alastirq says it really depends on the make and model. If you own something popular such as a Mustang or a Tri Chevy, it would be possible to build a complete car from spares. For my 1970 Cadillac which I have owned for 28 years, mechanical parts have not been problem, not that I have needed many. Body parts are different, but good used stuff is usually available from the dry state scrap yards and if you are not in a hurry several companies in this country organise shipping in containers. I usually buy service parts in this country. There are many excellent suppliers and they are not usually expensive. The last parts I imported were bushes and links for the anti roll bar, off the shelf 3 days delivery to my door, they cost about half what a friend paid for similar parts for a Mark 1 Golf, and he had to wait several weeks. I don't use the Cadillac as a daily driver, apart from the fuel consumption, which is probably no worse than a big European car, the size of it ( 19 feet long and 6 feet 8 wide) is not much fun in Worcester's narrow streets and permanent traffic jams.
Alastair also mentions a Studebaker Golden Hawk, a couple of years ago a friend managed to find a reconditioned super charger, some gear box parts and bits to rebuild the complete braking system on 1958 Golden Hawk |
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Keith D
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Posts: 1129
Location: Upper Swan, Western Australia
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| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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I restored my vintage Chrysler a number of years ago, her rebirth being in 2007. Restoring this car was no harder than restoring a smaller British vehicle. At the same time I restored an Austin Seven. Both restorations were total and both vehicles were tickety-boo when finished. In the last ten years both vehicles have seen extensive use. The big difference is that the Austin needs continual adjustments, fiddling and quite a few replacement parts. The Chrysler NEVER needs touching other than normal servicing. I have never needed to replace parts. It is so over engineered that almost every part can be reconditioned by local businesses if the need arises.
I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate Yank tanks. IMBO the extra money you spend on petrol is saved by much greater reliability.
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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Rick
Site Admin
Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22438
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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My modern(ish) is a Yank also, and as has been mentioned, buying bits from the States is a breeze, with many manufacturer choices available for each component. Popular classic cars from the US also appear to be well served, that's what I've found anyway over the years, it's only when you get into real obscurities that it can take time to track down parts - as with British vehicles too really.
RJ
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Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014
Posts: 6304
Location: Derby
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| Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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In my experience the biggest headache with buying parts in from the 'States is the cost of shipping and import duties. Generally you can expect to double the cost of anything you need.
On the plus side, American parts - especially for the older (pre 1960) cars is likely to be better made, better designed and more reliable than the equivalent British or European parts.
One example is the vacuum tank (obsolete type fuel pump) that is often found on vintage and early 'thirties cars. Here we have the "Auto vac" which is a poor copy of similar devices made in the U.S.A.by the likes of Stuart Warner. Both work well in practise but there is a tangible difference in materials and build quality. |
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Brent29
Joined: 07 Jun 2018
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 4:15 am Post subject: |
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| alastairq wrote: | | Brent29 wrote: |
Can't blame them to not use those cars as DD, usually the replacement parts are hard to find or very expensive. |
Much will depend on the type of US car?
The more popular [originally] vehicles have few, if any, issues regarding parts.
This is especially true of those vehicles which have , over the years, attracted decent following Stateside.
As an example, I run a '67 Ford Mustang. It is a pensioner's special, in that it runs the base 6 cylinder engine [so, no issues with mechanical access, skinned knuckles, or detached retinas]....This particular week I realised I had to do something with the somewhat worn starter motor.
From a UK specialist dealer, I was looking at a heart-rending cost of around £200 plus delivery, although it was in stock, and would arrive next day [almost]...However.... a quick search of one of my favourite US parts dealers showed a choice of 5 makes, all different prices....and suggested levels of quality. The one I chose [not, as it happens, the one they sold most of, and had least returns]......had a purchase price of around £20!!! Add in the firm's particularly low core surcharge...[some firms charge over £200 !!!]....plus Fedex economy delivery[!]...which has the VAT pre-paid [Thus eliminating Parcelforce's unreasonable collection fee]....total came to £70.
Ordered 2 days ago [Wednesday]...current delivery date is given as next Tuesday [suggested date on purchase would be a week!]...
I realise there may be issues regarding faulty parts, returns, etc...but the retailer is known for being amenable, to 'reasonable' overseas customers.
Their listings are huge....I have, in the past, ordered small items which amount to but a few quid......cheaper to buy than via amazon...[and certainly tens of pounds cheaper than a UK dealer]....but the listings attempt to give an accurate idea of quality, expected type of usage, etc.
There are the ongoing issues of quality of 'new' parts [usually attributed to the Chinese manufacture...but, to be fair, the Chinese factories only produce exactly what the customer specifies..so blame the customer, not the manufacturer].....which plague us all....but I was impressed by this US parts dealers apparent honesty in description....[and I rely on sage advice from the owners club forum, of course].....
However, I imagine if one was trying to run a Studebaker Golden Hawk, rather than a Ford or GM product, then difficulties might arise...but certainly no more than equally esoteric British or French makes?
The big advantage of running a US vehicle ,I think, lies in the presence of a huge petrolhead following within the US itself.
As for 'storing away?'
Well, this is where buying cars as an investment, rather than for the pleasure of owning & driving, plagues our focus of interest [aka hobby?]
I admit, as someone now feeling their age,, [physically, but not mentally]....the Mustang is a far more 'comfortable' car to drive , than an MGB GT would be [my other choice of runabout motor]...with equal road performance. |
Very true. And it is really something to watch out on Amazon and Ebay about Chinese knock offs going massive with fake reviews. |
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 1950
Location: East Yorkshire
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| Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 7:53 am Post subject: |
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As a postscript to my post above, the starter motor I ordered from Rock Auto last Wednesday.....[at a price a tad cheaper than a starter motor for a Ford Puma/Festa from main UK parts dealers......]....has now been scheduled to be delivered today! All VAt, etc, already paid.
Not bad, when I consider how long it takes for a parcel to be delivered from a UK address?
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces. |
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