Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

Do you have fond memories of any car parts shops from years ago? I quite miss seeing local, non-chain, emporiums around the place.

RJ
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Rick - Admin
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lowdrag · Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1585 Location: Le Mans

Eastleigh batteries and Spares. John Burton closed the shop a couple of years back after 42 years. So many great memories of the Saturday Club and coffees and yarns there.

emmerson · Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 1268 Location: South East Wales

Does anyone remember George Ford in Newport, Gwent? I'm not sure if they are still around now, as it's over 30 years since i left there.
I can even remember him in the little tiny shop in Church Road!
Gee, I am getting old.

Penman · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4756 Location: Swindon, Wilts.

Hi
Back in '59, when I learnt to drive, and the early '60s our local shop was Clare's in the Rodboro' Buidings, Guildford.
https://www.guildfordsociety.org.uk/rodboro.html

The History of the buildings also ties in with Guildford's own vehicle manufacturer Dennis Bros and my mother worked for a few years in the knitwear factory which was also in the building.

Clare's was one of those shops which sold all sorts of motoring and motorcycling accessories.
For cycling I used to buy those dust goggles (ex WD I think) which were flat but made curved with press studs and had an elasticated head band. Later I bought the aviator googles for m/cycling.
We had to buy a new carb for the Austin Ten from them because the original had a worn butterfly spindle and leaked a lot of air into the mixture.
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Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

MVPeters · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 822 Location: Northern MA, USA

Of course, Motorists Discount Club in Hammersmith. Worked there weekends & 2 or 3 Racing Car Shows at Olympia. I paid good eBay money for a catalog recently - we used to give away hundreds to Members!
Mini tyres were just over a fiver.
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Mike - MVPeters at comcast.net
2002 MINI Cooper 'S'

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6313 Location: Derby

V8 Nutter · Joined: 27 Aug 2012 Posts: 587

Here in Worcester there was a motor factor called K.A.Long. they had a railway arch filled with obsolete parts, mostly from the thirties and forties. They would let you search for parts you needed, because they didn't know exactly what they had. This was late sixties early seventies.

Penman · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4756 Location: Swindon, Wilts.

Hi
We shouldn't forget Pride and Clarke, because as well as the M/cyclees and M/C clothing they had a massive surplus spares invventory.
There is a picture of the Stockwell Rd premises part way down this page.
https://www.prideandclarkelondon.com/p-c-gallery

rick might be able to insert the picture onto the thread.
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Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

Brian M · Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 9:32 am Post subject:

I am lucky to have a second generation family owned spares shop at the end of my road. I have been using them for 45 years, and even get trade discounts!

https://dmssouthend.co.uk/
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Brian
1970 Volvo Amazon and 1978 Safari 15-4 Caravan
Classic Safari Forum: www.classicsafaris.co.uk

norustplease · Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 779 Location: Lancashire

Early seventies, I was running my first car, a Morris 1000, and still living in Derbyshire with my folks. The nearest spares place was Coopers, down an unmade side road in Calow. they always came up trumps for exhausts and all other car bits as I patched up my way though my first couple of years of motoring.
Looking on Google maps there is still a Coopers there, but it apears now to be a repair workshop.
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1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

Rootes75 · Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 10:56 am Post subject:

Our local Auto Electrical store had been in Glastonbury for years, they had a huge stock of obsolete Lucas and CAV parts. I even found the correct type Lucas catseye headlamps for my 1950 Commer!

Sadly, the last time my father and I stopped in we found that the whole store of old parts had been sold and the shop building had been sold to be converted into flats!
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22446 Location: UK

Rootes75 · Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 2:07 pm Post subject:

It was a really good shop, they had a store out the back that was private and had loads of stuff in it.

My father knew the owners quite well and had been a customer for 30 odd years so they would always try and help us out if they could.

We both wondered where all the spares went though!
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

BigJohn · Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 954 Location: Wem, Shropshire

Ronnie's on Gargrave Road, Skipton. You could get a wing for a Morris 1000, a snooker cue, a camping lantern, and a fine pair of gents shoes, all at the same time. A brilliant shop run by a great guy, Ronnie. It was a shame when he retired about 2000ish and the shop closed.
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1974 Mk1 Escort.