[Guest]

Lately I've been looking at the WIDE price differences between NOS/original and Repro parts. For example, the original heater hose with the red stripe for my car is $50 for 8 feet. OR... I could buy a black one for $8. Dual muffler tips with the correct rolled edge are $90 vs $20 for the cut-offs. Anyone got any other examples???

Jim


68 California Special- Acapulco Blue- Will someone please sell me one Marchal fog lamp lense?

 

[Huskinhano]

Battery trays!

Tom
You can do anything you want to......ONCE!
aka "my 66 coupe"

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1575517&a=11977890&p=45436241.jpg
My Thundebird!

 

[Guest]

this isnt anything new. people will always prefer a correct original Ford part over a reproduction, so it's simple economics of supply and demand.

you ever seen an NOS carpet set for a 65? last one i saw advertised was $900

Charles Turner
MCA Gold Card Judge(64.5-65, 66)
'65 Fastback
'00 GT Conv, triple black


Check out my 65 [color:blue]fastback!</font color=blue>

 

[ken_schall]

That probably why ya need to decide early on weather you need or want to do the "Show" thing or not? Are you going to drive it or have a trailer queen.... I plan on having as nice a "driver " as there is out there.....but I'll probably never show it! I don't think I'd do well having someone wrinkle there nose cause I didn't install a NOS nut. bolt or wire.... Figure I'll get plenty of Lookie lou's without all the hoopla.... but that's my opinion...and my choice...

Ken
99 GTP
97 Yukon
68 GT convert

 

[Lypheus]

I totally agree Ken, I think its a function of practicality and expense. If you are reasonable about things then you'll probably realize it makes little difference for a DD while a collector may find the repro parts to devalue their car.

Frankly if its being driven at all I can hardly see how 3pt seatbelts, electric fans, pw/pdl, etc... devalue the car -- my life/comfort is far more important than the trivialties of whether or not that lap belt is correct

Chris

------------------------------
1969 Mach 1 ( M-Code )
------------------------------

 

[johnpro]

In many parts you must also take into consideration the quality. For example ... '65/'66 rocker panel moulding. Ford original is about twice the cost ... but the quality is about 100 times greater.

If you always do what you've always done,
You'll always get what you've always got
http://www.classic-mustang.net/johnpro
http://www.classic-mustang.net/john66/mustang/pics/66fsides2.jpg

 

[ken_schall]

John... your right on that point. But I think with a little common sense you can have a very nice ride without spending half the national dept.... I believe there are many replacement parts available that fuction and look every bit as good as the original at half the cost...... so unless your going for "show" or have more money than you know what to do with?

Ken
99GTP
97 Yukon
68 GT convert

 

[Guest]

unfortunately, the novice restorer will spend the money on inferior reproduction parts before realizing that they should have bought original Ford stuff.

it's a lot more than common sense, you have to have experiecnce with the parts and of course, the people selling you the parts won't tell you if something is crap.

john makes a good point about the rocker panel mouldings. the repros are just pure crap and i have even seen them just fall off when closing one of the doors! I know if I had a daily driver stang I would be looking at quality parts that would last and most times you have to turn to good used original parts or NOS.

Charles Turner
MCA Gold Card Judge(64.5-65, 66)
'65 Fastback
'00 GT Conv, triple black


Check out my 65 [color:blue]fastback!</font color=blue>

 

[65pony]

One of my parts catalogs has complete OEM door for 1965-66 listed. They also have the "high quality" reproductions listed. The OEM is about $2,200 verses $369.95. I would rather repair a known original then spend the money on either options. I have spent good money for some parts where comparing side by side quality and fit, the difference is obvious, I have gone with the OEM. My car will be used for cruise-ins and local shows as well as a driver but I still want it to look as good as financially feasible.

 

[Guest]

To throw further fuel on the fire in the NOS vs. Repro debate, after much painful experience, my rule of thumb is:

For quality reasons *alone*, NOS is typically worth 2 -3 times the repro, *especially* for smaller items. And this goes for driver grade cars as well.

Case in point: I bought some reproduction rubber gaskets that go around the outside of my reverse lights.
You would think these would be pretty easy to make, right?
Guess again. The rubber was about as strong as semi-dried bubblegum and no where near large enough to go around the lights. What a joke. Ended up buying NOS ones and throwing the repros in the trash.

Cecil Bozarth

1966 GT Coupe (Tahoe Turquoise with black pony interior)

1994 GT Convertible

 

[ken_schall]

.Charles, your right to a point I guess. I really didn't make myself as clear as I should have... I was using the Common sense statement as coming with experiance..... I've spent as much repairing my original doors and fenders as I could have bought new repop's for.... so I know what your saying. The sad part of doing these projects is in a lot of cases you don't know the stuff is junk till it arrives.... and even buying someone else's "good" used parts sometimes ends up with the stuff you already have is in better shape..... I guess the bottom line is you have to draw a line somewhere and move on or your project would die in the garage from lack of funds or utter frustration!

Ken
99 GTP
97 Yukon
68 GT convert

 

[Jtt_indio]

I try to repair or recondition the original part before buying a reproduction or NOS. I have a thing against NOS in that it's a service replacement part and not the same as what might have come out of the factory. I kind of like doing distributors and smog pumps. Some of these repairs is in keeping with how the first drivers had to do it. Wait until the snow melt and the first train for thatr part or fix it themselves.

'67 A-Code Coupe
'68 C-Code Coupe (SWMBO's)
'86 SVO 1D
'86 SVO 2A
[email][email protected] [/Email]

 

[johnpro]

Just to clarify, I wasn't saying that one should only buy original Ford parts (Lord knows there's enough repro stuff on my car *LOL*). I was just making the point that the reason much of the Ford stuff is more expensive, is that is far better made.

Each individual has to weigh each part to determine whether the repro equivalent is worth the reduced price ... many times it is, sometimes it's not.

If you always do what you've always done,
You'll always get what you've always got
http://www.classic-mustang.net/johnpro
http://www.classic-mustang.net/john66/mustang/pics/66fsides2.jpg

 

[67mousetang]

WASTING money, my hood (with turn signals) has a little dent on the center line right over the carb, it can't be repaired because of the heat from the engine would shift the bondo, so I went to NPD and bought a repro hood with turn signals two weeks ago, I find out on Monday that the company I just started working for owns a ford dealership and I get employee cost, I called them up and there is three hoods left in Canada all w/o turn signals, thinking I better act fast before they're are gone, I bought one, now I have two new hoods, I prefer the turn signals and have the parts to make it complete, so now I'm thinking to paint them both and change them once and a while, can't wait to get this thing back on the road, and all the decisions over!!!!

 

[Opentracker]

Some of the repo stuff looks really bad and you have to
try and find a good used, or NOS. To me, good used is
a hard thing to do, but is the most rewarding. Anyone
with a tone of money can buy NOS parts. Getting a nice
used factory part that is still in good shape, and didn't cost
you a arm and a leg is worth the effort . That's one reason I
like to go to the swap meets. Good stuff, fair price.