Does part scarcity concern you?

I think with the company that visits these pages, most of you are in the "cars are meant to be driven" camp. But I do think about how uncommon used parts or replacement new parts are becoming for my particular bad habit (85 MR2), and I'd be lying if it wasn't in the back of my mind when I'm out on the road around all the brodozers or saying a prayer to Gods of speed before I try and pop that piece of 80's plastic off a portion of the interior in one piece.

On one hand, I've got this appreciating, cool, 80's door wedge that is nice and cozy in the garage that I can look at every once in a while.

But on the other hand, I've got this nimble, 80's door wedge that is nice and happy out on the backroads, if not a little out of place here in the PNW.

I probably don't drive it enough as I should based on the first fact, but really wish I did based on the second. It's got agreed value coverage, but still, it's not helpful if the parts don't exist.

Anyways, for the people who have something even more rare, or maybe on the same level of scarcity (I hestitate to call an 80's Toyota "rare"), put my mind at ease. I'm supposed to drive this damn thing, right?

I'm covered.  

https://shop.porscheusa.com/porscheoem/porsche_classic_.html

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/a29621696/mazda-miata-restoration-parts-program-us/

I have a Fiat 850 (last made in 1973) race car. I have running searches for various parts and look for substitutes for ones I know are rare. If a whole one comes along at a reasonable price (and I have space) I'll grab it and strip it. When it and I are ready I'm gonna race it one way or another. 

I also have several Wards motorcycles / projects (last made in 1969). I pick up parts and have a small collection and also look for substitutes. When one of the projects is completed it/they will be ridden.

Half the reason I still play with first generation RX-7s is that parts have dried up and I still have a healthy supply of "stuff".  I don't want to buy into a different automotive ecosystem because then I'd be starting all over again.

See also: I own a VW Quantum Syncro Wagon.  Less than 4000 were built.  The car is mechanically similar but different to 4000 quattro, the rear suspension is completely different, the body is a lot wider so none of the Audi trim or glass or anything will fit, but VW will not sell parts because they might be used on Audis (???).  So I have a hoard of glass, and weatherstripping, and wiring and various trim pieces, as well as transmissions and engines and Syncro specific stuff like rear suspensions, fuel tanks, and other stuff.  (I have THREE "syncro" script rear hatch glasses, there were NLA when the vehicles were new)

VW discontinuing a lot of important parts is 100% why I stopped being interested in the W8 Passat.  Awesome car, but I don't want to fear trying to get timing chain tensioners or whatever.

I have a first gen CRX. Basically the entire car is NLA, and the fenders will crack and fall apart if you look at them crosseyed. I used to have a 323 GTX where all existing spares had been used up in rallying. So, yeah.

The 60's era cars - the Mini, the Land Rover, the MG, the Cadillac - they're fine. Go figure. Three of them benefit from ridiculously long production runs, the other benefits from the massive GM parts bin.

I have a couple of old Mercedes.  They always say you can get anything, though that's not quite true.  But they do still have a lot.  However.... the prices are often eye-watering.  I need a couple of sun visor clips, as the original plastic ones have crumbled by now.  Can you get new ones from MB?  Yes.  Do I want to pay $45 EACH?  No.  The shift knob discussion got me searching for a new one for my manual 190, which has developed a crack right about where your finger tips sit when pulling it towards you.  I've got my eye on the Momo Anatomico now thanks to that thread.  I looked up the MB ones.  Yes, you can get them.  Range from $300-$700.  Yeah right.  

Taking anything plastic off is definitely terrifying though.

I've got a '91 VW GTI 16V and some stuff is getting difficult to find.

As a kid in 1980, my Dad got a '63 Jag 3.8 parts were really hard to come by back then. The World Wide Web has changed a lot. So has the advent of 3D printing. Not to mention, the bolster you get from watching Jay Leno, Retro Power, or our own JumperK. Balls make that unobtainable widget for that one of 25 car on the Youtubes.

I don't worry too much about getting parts. It is way better than the malaise era. It doesn't hurt a thing that all these ICEs may be on the brink of extinction. Drive that doorstop-it may very soon be an even more unique experience.

Sadly I don't have any cool old cars like y'all do. But I can't for life of me find a rear bumper for my escort zx2. E36 M3 ya not every time one hits the junkyard the bumpers are all falling apart to!

I have been running into this with my RX 7. I am now always on the prowl for items I may destroy or wear out. A couple of years ago the  front calipers I like became NLA and I discovered the 3rd gen calipers technically fit but have some clearance issues. I have since sourced 2 sets of 2nd gen calipers and will learn how to rebuild them when finally needed. I have had a couple of oddball cars and was amazed to discover how often the manufacturers make model specific commonly needed parts. Using the calipers as an example, you would think instead of designing it to fit across a wide selection of their models would make it easier on them. When you combine an odd car with old age it gets tough to find what you need and the aftermarket is usually pretty slim because not enough volume to justify the investment.

Subscriber-unavailabile said:

Sadly I don't have any cool old cars like y'all do. But I can't for life of me find a rear bumper for my escort zx2. E36 M3 ya not every time one hits the junkyard the bumpers are all falling apart to!

When I started looking for an IMCA dirt car the ZX2 was on my radar. At my local yard there were quite a few of them for me to look over. But turns out its not legal in IMCA :( . 

My motorcycle was made for two years in the early '80s.  It's an '83 Seca 650 turbo.  I ride it just like I would if new parts were still available.  My thinking is that if I need a part and it's really not available anywhere I can build something to replace it.  That's why the exhaust from the turbo back is custom.

In reply to imgon :

Nobody remanufactures GSL-SE rear calipers anymore, for that matter.  That was a good chunk of why I did the Ford 9" conversion on the one car.  If I had to make a new brake system because I couldn't make Mazda stuff work anymore, and I was going to need axles made anyway since GSL-SE axles have dried up, and they are a wear item for me...  Why not go all the way, and leave the dwindling supply of good used parts to the restorers and sunny-day drivers?

When I was younger, I never thought to check on parts availability before I bought a cool vehicle. I learned my lesson after owning a few '80s Japanese cars.

I bought a 1984 Supra P-type in 2001 from a shady BHPH lot. It was my first vehicle that I bought myself after joining the military. I paid $1600 for it and it was completely beat. The interior was disgusting and needed lots of trim parts. The headlight stalk was broken so the high beams stayed on constantly unless you held the stalk towards the wheel. The wiper arms were stripped out. The speedometer didn't work because the drive gear in the transmission broke. I could find some of the hard parts but trim pieces didn't exist anymore. I ended up selling it to a guy in my unit who owned a 1985 P-type. He had thousands of dollars in spare parts so he was good.

Like Keith, I owned a first gen CRX Si for a bit. I bought it off a coworker for $1k. Yes, the front fenders were cracked. Before my coworker owned it, a couple of dumb kids owned it who riced it out. My coworker did a great job finding a stock airbox and some interior parts. I was with him when we stumbled upon a pair of unmolested door cards in the junkyard. It was like finding the Lost Ark of the Covenant. We took every serviceable part we could from that car. The shifter was cut down by the idiot kids so I ordered a NOS part from heeltoeautomotive.com. They found one somehow and the dude emailed me to say that it was literally the last new one in the US. I wanted to fix that car up because it was special but parts are nonexistent.

Now, when cruising Craigslist and dreaming about cool cars, I definitely check the parts situation.

As someone who recently had an accident in a 90s vehicle I have become concerned with it because i am working harder than I expected to find some of the parts used and there is no new aftermarket parts for the most part.

I'd love to get an old audi S4 or S6 (5 cyl versions) or coupe quattro but body parts are like unicorn farts. 

PMRacing said:

I'd love to get an old audi S4 or S6 (5 cyl versions) or coupe quattro but body parts are like unicorn farts. 

They are not hard to find in Europe but shipping is a bitch.  Last I heard, there was talk on Motorgeek of a group buy for CQ windshields (apparently they are only like 120 euros?) but there aren't really enough CQ enthusiasts anymore who'd be interested.

I think about it for my crosscountry vehicle. I can go to almost any parts store and buy Jeep XJ parts.

I worry about the tI specific parts of my e36, which are thankfully few.

My mercedes... I wish I drove enough to care.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

Lalalalala. I can't hear you...

I think the question that changes my answer is, "Is this a toy, or does it need to run every day?"  Toy, finding odd parts, fabricating, or adapting something to work is part of the fun.  If I need a new part to get to work, and the last ones are stored in a bunker in Beirut, not so much fun.

That's why I always play party pooper when somebody wants to buy a GM built Saab for a daily.  You can find 99 parts.  9-3 or newer has weird stuff that can be really painful.

This is a reminder of all the fun and interesting cars that I have owned and will never own again.  They are thin on the ground or gone.  And I live and drive in Southern California.

Just one, I can not remember the last time I saw a 5000 TQ.  

Lol...

I'm at work making new draglink balls and a new universal joint for a 1913 Buick model 40.

Parts scarcity doesn't bother me at all.

I have some concerns about this for my daily, which is a combination of rarity and undesirability. 

Only imported for one year. 04 Lancer Ralliart wagon. Any body damage and it's going to be totalled.

Yes, totally.  And it changes my decisions.  Our race car for the last 10 years has been an EF Civic.  There are some parts that are now junkyard only, which are tough in the northeast.  Our chassis has now had its last lap for several reasons, so we arE moving to the EG Civic which is the 57 Chevy of the import worlds. 
 

Our fun street car is a late NSX, they only made around 1k of the fixed headlight front end, and now 15 years after production stopped there are parts that are getting scarce or expensive.  An example is that I was barely able to get a new windshield, and my insurance paid $2400 for the part.  Fortunately most parts are likely to be still available one way or the other for a while thanks to the strong value and enthusiast community, but it comes at a price.  Supercar life yo. 

It's why I buy cheap Korean crap. Once the parts are all gone the cars all used up and I get to buy another and start all over again! It's like the never ending gift!

plus outside of body parts most stuff is parts bin engineering so I can find thi s for decades.