When Searching for Classic Car Parts

Most people’s perspective reason to buy recycled auto parts is the price, but if you are a car collector or a rebuilder, this could be your only option.  As many know that cars go in and out of style every year, new features come out on every new year’s model, more miles per gallon, electronics, safety and even colors. However, some of us like to drive that classic beast that made our parents proud, a loud machine that can make everyone do a double take and wish they had one. The only problem with all that is that they don’t make those cars anymore. Ask yourself what your goals are in restoring this vintage car. If you cheat with a knock-off parts, will it make you value the car less when all is said and done? Or is looking classic good enough? If it's the second, new, imitation parts may be the best, cheapest and easiest way to go. Consider the difference between visual and functional parts. You can usually restore visual vintage to good condition if you find the right model/make/year it's guaranteed to fit, and it's not like a reclaimed fender is going to give you driving problems. Then, if you buy new pieces for classic cars, make sure you're not buying a lemon. Sometimes classic is better. If you can't tell the difference between quality classic vintage car parts and junky new parts, spend some time around friends' projects, swap meets, starter projects and rebuild shops before diving into your dream project.

A good start is to find replacement classic vintage car parts.  Do you have a specific make, model and year in mind or are you just looking for a project car? If you have a particular vehicle in mind, first make sure you're going to be able to find the parts for it even if you can't get them locally. This is when you should decide whether you're going to be okay with replacement parts or if you're going to stick to original parts wherever possible. Original classic vintage car parts are a great way to make your restored car as authentic as possible, but they may be difficult to obtain depending on the make and model of your classic car. If you're planning on aiming for one of the higher levels of car restoration, you should consider seeking out original parts whenever possible. Believe it or not, places still exist where you can physically walk into a store, pull out your wallet and leave with a part. And like swap meets, one big advantage of these brick-and-mortar stores is being able to talk with experts about what you need and how to get it from the shelf into your ride. The disadvantage, of course, is that the store may not have it. Call ahead with your make, model and year to ensure you're in the ballpark. The unspoken rule is that if you use the expert, buy the part. No fair extracting advice and then going home to search for classic vintage car parts online.