davek1661

I'm kind of new to this "owning an old car" thing. I'm finding some parts are hard to find, and its tempting to grab them when I find them, even if I don't need them right now, so I'm asking- how many of you have a parts car, or a cache of spare parts? Would you buy another engine if you came across one for a decent price? My engine needs a rebuild and until I tear it apart, I don't know if it's rebuildable. Maybe the cylinders are badly scored and there's not enough left to bore them out, or maybe the crank is scored or damaged in some way. I won't know until I get into it, and I know a place I can get a used motor which may or may not be better than the one I already have. It's still in the car, seller is parting it out and he says the engine is a "rebuildable core". That's why I'm asking how many of you think it's worthwhile to grab parts- like a second engine or even a whole car. Or, do you generally only buy parts when you need them?

VI Cutty

Welcome to the world of obsolete parts sourcing, where unobtainium can be a rare and prized element!

The answer to your question will vary from person to person as everyone has different capacity to spend money on parts to squirrel away or space in which to squirrel. Ideally, collect the spares you're able to. A parts car can be a good idea if you have the space to store it AND it has quality/usable parts you're likely to need. Some parts are rarely replaced or readily available aftermarket. Other parts aren't reproduced and having one on the shelf can be a real time (and cash saver) when it's needed.

Selling an engine as a "rebuildable core" can mean anything from "I don't know much about it except the compression is low" to "the crank is wiped and the cylinders need sleeving but I just want you to pay me and take it outta my way". Accessory brackets, fasteners and so forth can often be useful depending on what your repair activities are like.

Sometimes you luck out and buy a bunch of parts in order to get one or two items and can resell the rest of the parts to recoup your investment.

Don't just buy parts because they're for sale. Make sure you're getting value for your money - usable/restorable parts at reasonable prices.

I started "collecting" air cooled VW parts back in the late 80's and now have an overwhelming stash of them that I'm trying to figure out how to pare down without sending good money to the metal crusher. My downfall was when people started giving me decent bucks for parts I thought were junk...then it got hard to throw anything away!!!

So, short answer - yes, it's good to have spares on the shelf but try to keep them organized and sensible. Some people keep spreadsheets of their spares inventory so they can determine whether they have or need something before going out to buy a replacement.

lshlsh2

If you have an old car you have spare parts. Yes I have them and if I see something I might need somewhere in the future and can afford I will buy it. Yes I have a wife that asks when will I put all the parts on said car. She also asks why don't I get rid of the parts I have replaced.

Rallye469

The value of having a nice original parts car sitting outside your shop is immense.
I can't tell you how many time I've needed to look at an original assembly, or steal a weird bolt or grab a small bracket.
Past that, i try and grab pieces for the cars I have +1 for a spare if they're hard to find.

Fun71

That's funny to me as all of my life the "new to me" cars were old cars.

Anyway, I have three rearends behind the garage, two engines in the garage, and many, many boxes and shelves of parts in the garage and in the attic.

davek1661

My truck is a 2001 GMC, and I don't think of it as "old", but I'm 62 and I don't think of myself as old either... I guess it's a matter of perspective. My '64 Olds, to me, that's an old car.

matt69olds

I have 7 455 core engines stashed, I have had them for probably 15 years. I also have several cranks, heads, and other miscellaneous drivetrain parts sitting around. I got several of the engine for basically nothing, people use to buy old full size cars for demo derby’s. Nobody wanted the Olds stuff, everyone yanked out the Olds/Buick:Pontiac stuff for the disposal sbc engines. That doesn’t happen anymore

I started to hoard this stuff when I realized they weren’t making new parts anymore. It pains me to think of the stuff I pitched that was “junk” at the time and was nicer than some of the stuff we fix now. I imagine it’s only going to get worse.

I would love to have a couple parts cars. If I only had the space to keep them. It’s infuriating to need a special piece of hardware and need to order it. It’s also nice having a car you can look at to see how things were put together.

Fun71

My perspective as well. My DD is a 2006 and I think of it as a new car. It surprises me when I realize the Cutlass is 53 years old. Seems like just a few years ago it was only 20 years old.

jensenracing77

If you have the space, a parts car is great to keep around. I have loads of parts and 7 parts cars right now.

2blu442

I agree with the posts others have made. If you have the space, and don't need the money you could sell it for, then by all means hang onto whatever you come by. For years I've drug home whatever I came across that's Oldsmobile and priced right. Yeah, I have way more than I need right now. But it makes great trade stock and if I damage something restoring a car I'll have a backup part already. 20-30 years ago the wrecking yards were full of 1950-70's vintage cars. Not anymore!

Sugar Bear

Keeping maintenance items in stock is a priority for me, it provides convenience, quality parts and usually a savings through sales and shipping. E.g. oil, oil filters, tune-up parts.

joe_padavano

The need for a parts car kind of depends on what you have. Pretty much anything for a 1970-72 Cutlass is available out of a catalog. You might as well have a 69 Camaro. On the other hand, try finding parts for a 62 F85 wagon, or even a 67 Delta. Not so much. Plus, I don't know how many times some unobtanium clip has gone flying across the garage, never to be seen again. Being able to walk to the parts car and grab a replacement is invaluable. I'm lucky to have the space. Of course my wife thinks we got a farm for her horses.

66_Jetstar

I quit hoarding parts ten years ago and sold off most of my "collection". Quite frankly I don't miss one bit of it. With the advent of sites like these most parts can be found within a few days. It's a hobby car, it can wait for a week for parts! I'm not tripping on spare engines or moving spare fenders around. The extra garage space is nice too.

jensenracing77

Not for a Jetfire. Well, maybe more now than in the past because I have all the parts others will need, lol.

joe_padavano

What Eric said. And frankly, I drive my cars, so yeah, I do care if one is down for weeks or months waiting for an unobtanium part to show up.

jmcghee

I buy all the the oldsmobiles I can find. I keep the parts that are nicer than whats on my cars and sell the rest. With the exception that i keep I an extra as a spare. My cars are drivers. I cant aford to pay "retail for parts".

66_Jetstar

I drive mine as soon as the weather breaks right up until the weather turns. I've got a more than a few to choose from. If one isn't behaving, I'll jump in another... I have consumables and normal wear parts around, but I cant imagine a scenario where I'll need five spare 455s. So I kept one crankshaft and block and sold the rest. I don't drive or restore 100% correct cars so I don't sweat correct fasteners or clips. Plus I have a local junkyard that has a pile of 60s-70s era GMs, so thats handy as well to grab some of those rando parts..

To each their own, there are 100 different ways to enjoy this hobby, no one way is better than the other.

69HO43

Guilty! It took a long time to build my spreadsheets. And truthfully, I still ain't done. And since then, I've made it into a searchable databse which shows me where it is and which box it's in to help locate it. Of course, there are more dedicated parts hoarders than me on this forum.

BlueCalais79

I am one of those less sophisticated parts hoarders who is trying to curb my habit and am actually gearing up to sell some stuff. My wife & I have been identifying and categorizing 40 years worth of parts collected and placing them into CLEAR tubs for easy reference. Moved to SC from CT permanently nearly 2 years ago but I just retired in Feb., so the fun begins. Now. It's been somewhat fun up to this point, with the goal of loading up our 20 ft trailer and heading to a big swap meet such as an AACA event. The plan will be selling the bigs and some mediums/smalls at the meets, and the majority of the smalls on e-bay or this site.

This has been a tough thing to break this parts hoarding habit, really tough. Not sure I have turned a corner on this even now. But its got to be done, I'm keeping stuff I know I may need but I'm even paring down on my owned vehicles as well with one already gone.

rickw30

If you're really into your car, then grab that parts car now. Offer him a reduced price to take the whole thing instead of buying picked parts.
Next thing you know it will be gone. Either someone else bought it or it went to the crusher.
You would be absolutely amazed how much you learn parting out a car.
Like others have said, keep what you want/ need and sell the rest.

Horsepower

I bought 2 parts cars and used a lot of pieces from both cars. Bolts, screws,head lights etc. It's good to have them around.