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Tips For Finding Antique Car Parts

Posted: Friday, April 4, 2014


By Terje Brooks

Some car fanatics have a real zeal for renovating and refurbishing antique cars, their only restriction being their level of know-how and their expendable income. Hunting down the rarer accessories can be challenging, but it is possible to find the antique car parts you need.

For example, you wouldn't find the fabric covering for the interior of a 1956 Buick's roof in a normal shop; however, it would be possible to order this online. If you are prepared to search for it, you could even find cotton nap materials for a Buick in the 1940s to 1960s in the initial shade and fabric originally employed by General Motors.

It is important to realize that the majority of antique car parts you unearth will not likely be the materials that the manufacturer originally used in building the first model of that car. This is because after some years, manufacturers pass on the manufacturing of substitution parts to manufacturers, known as "aftermarket manufacturers." With the original manufacturer, you would be assured of a flawless match and could be certain the part would do its job perfectly. However, the aftermarket manufactures make the parts in similar condition and quality as the original manufacturer in the hope of gaining customer loyalty.

The popularity of antique cars in America make the market for antique car parts very worthwhile. Different generations attend the car fairs where antiques cars are shown and spot the models of their first cars from their youth. This might bring back a flood of memories and emotions from their younger days igniting a desire to own one again.

The aftermarket for antique car parts is flourishing, but there will be times when a specific tool or accessory you need can't be found. It might be that only limited quantities were originally created, and they have possibly already been taken. When there is no other option, it may be that a metal shop can make a new one to fit your order. It would be beneficial to keep the original piece to match the measurements, but any decent machine shop will be able to verify if making a replacement is feasible.

An orphan car, which is a car where the nameplate no longer exists, may present a special challenge in tracing needed parts. From 1929 to 1931, Indiana manufactured a car called a Cord, which is a case in point of an orphan car. Another example would be the car manufactured from 1939 to 1952 in Cincinnati, Ohio called a Crosley model.

There are various grounds and reasons for these cars disappearing from the public arena, including refusing to modernize among many other factors. However, a yearly car fair that takes place in Ypsilanti, Michigan attracts enthusiasts of all sorts of obscure car models to one place, making it a valuable resource for discovering where or how to obtain the antique car part you need.

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