Just how bad can parts prices get on old cars and parts?

[Raceman]

About 17 or 18 years ago I ran across a one owner 67 500 Shelby Mustang with a very motivated seller. A friend told me about the car in his hometown, about 100 miles from here. It seems like everybody in that part of the state had tried to buy it at one time or another but he wouldn't sell. His wife had given him a choice, get rid of the car and buy a nicer house, or she was hittin' the road. My friend said we should hook up the car trailer, go to the bank and cash a big check, and head west. After all this hookin', bankin', and drivin, we were in the guy's yard in about 3 hours. Other people were coming who'd heard about it, but I was the first guy, and bought the car for his asking price, which was 7200. bucks. The paint was ratty, it had the wrong seats, a Hurst shifter, headers, and the wrong distributor and wires, BUT the original two four barrels were still on the original engine, the factory wheels were still there, and there was NO RUST anywhere.

In addition to the other pieces missing the Shelby guage pod which is a bolt on under the center of the dash on a 67 and houses a Stewart Warner Oil Pressure and Alternator guage was missing. Whenever I think about it, I check E bay for the guages, since they're the only thing still missing from the car, with it being done from the ground up now, and complete/correct except for the missing guages. This week a set showed there. I thought they usually ran around a thousand bucks and although that seems really high, probably worth doing to make the car dead right.

Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=4606901732&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

How does $3605.55 sound for under dash guages?

Anybody got a pair of old SW guages layin' around under the bench? I've got the bare housing.:(

[The Big Al]

I sold a original set 8 years ago for 1000.00
it was the tach and clock for a 1966
original.
That was before this reproduction stuff was out.

Some got the cash and want the part!

[triple dude]

Yikes!! That's some big dough but what are ya gonna do?? I'd think having the housing would be a HUGE plus. Had a similar problem with the convertible power top switch on my 68 GTO. It was a one year design. It's work in one direction but I'd have to arch the posts with a screwdriver to go the other way. The only option was to find another used switch (which may go bad) or use a station wagon switch for the rear power window. Problem with that was the switch said "window" on it. Either of the above was up in the several hundred dollar bracket IF you could find. Performance Years just came out with a repro for $90. I can now put the screwdriver back in the toolbox.

[heath brinkley]

I wouldn't give ya $3,600 for the whole Mustang, after all it is a Mustang. :D :D

[triple dude]

Bill Gohr has a Shelby 350. He's quick to correct you when ya call it a Mustang. So of course, that's what everybody calls it.:D

[heath brinkley]

ok, ok, it was a step up from a Mustang


hmmmm, that's not saying much though is it.:D

[The Big Al]

truth is it bepends who walks up to the parts counter!

Raceman at the couter!

Raceman: I need a set of Motorcraft Sparkplugs for 1966 Mustang 351w 4 barl 4 speed Gt350, Now This car is not a standard Mustang, so make sure you look it up for the correct application, I don't need to come back.

Counterman:: yes, sir, her ya go, Motorcraft BSR42, set of 8 they are special plugs just for your car, and the correct ones for the GT350, thay are 6.98 each that will be 55.84 plus tx

Raceman:: Damm!! What the hell is going on with the price of old car parts these days!



T-Rex buying a set of plugs for his 1966 mustang 351w GT350

T-Rex: hey Bud, got set of those good plugs for dat old frord GT with dat widord motar?

Couterman: Sure do: BSR42, 8 of these sparkuum plugs .99 cents ech
7.92 plus tx!


Now this is an example, this story and names used are fictitious, any similarity is purely an accident and not a portrayal of real life story.:rolleyes:

[Clyde]

I had to replace the front and rear signal lens's on the 66 Park Lane I'm restoring. The Back were only used on a few models but were only 17 bucks (repro). The front while being more common in 66, haven't been reproduced and are almost nonexeistant.....$95 nos....each....:(

[T-REX]

T-Rex buying a set of plugs for his 1966 mustang 351w GT350


Well, Firss ov all U ain't gunna see ole REX buy'in no plugz fer no Musshorse...Hell, drive'in a ford iz like bang'in a 400# black woman!!...U damm sho don't want nobody ta know bout it, mussless bein seen in publik wit it:eek:

Car partz are krazy fer sho, specially wit this barret jaxson crap push'in up tha price that poeple THANK carz are worth!!...If'in U want a ole piece ov Detroit Iron to have, drive, or in Racemanz case, juss set in a shed, then by all meenz do it...All this CORRECT FER THE CAR crap iz juss way overboard...Hell, we got old Retired people that kan't afford to pay thier lektrik bill an buy medicine, an U got frikk'in retardz pay'in millionz for a damm car!!!...BUY,BUY,BUY!!!...A reel car fanatik iz a BUILDER, not a buyer!!!...I have a picture album wit a couple BILLION bucks worth ov hot rods(by todays standards), but sho didn't make me rich...but hind site iz 20 20:o

Yea, HEMI cuda'z are rare...So iz a Yanko Camero, or a boss 429 cobra....BUT NOT A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH!!!!.....I got a damm 1966 Dodge Dart Station Wagon wit V-8, air, PB,PS...How Rare iz that??...U find more tha 5 and U are a mirikle worker!!!...1 yeer car, last Dart Wagon made, sole sheet metal!!!!...I don't go buy a set ov plugz for a "ONE OV A KIND 300HP V-8 DART WAGIN"!!!...I buy tha a set that fitz it'z cheepo sister car...and it will run juss az good az any!!!....

Mustang, GT500, Saleen, Cobra, what da funk ever U wanna call it, It'z still a damm ford, and idiots wit more money than sence have drove tha price ov scrap metal wit wheelz WAYYYYYYYYYYY outta leff field!!!...

If Donald Trumpz 2 million dollar Cuda wuz sett'in nex to Heath Brinkly's V-8 dodge caravan, I would have more respect for Heaths ride, juss for tha reason ov know'in HE built it, and didn't BUY it...I quess I'm juss an ole Junker wit no money, and build'in to me iz the only way...Sorry, didn't meen ta go postal, but this iz a sore spot fer me..:rolleyes:

[triple dude]

I had to replace the front and rear signal lens's on the 66 Park Lane I'm restoring. The Back were only used on a few models but were only 17 bucks (repro). The front while being more common in 66, haven't been reproduced and are almost nonexeistant.....$95 nos....each....:(
Been wondering where you've been and kinda figured you're up to your azz in the Merc project. How's it comin' along??? Norris---Just a thought on your guage problem. There's a company that advertises in several street rod magazines. Their specialty is rebuilding and refacing old guages. If ya got a 47 Hudson needin' a speedo reface, they can do it. They might be able to reface newer guages with older face?????? I wanna say their is name is _____Speedometer Service out of California. Seems like they run full page ads on the back of magazines. Just a thought.

[heath brinkley]

Go Rex !! I love these guys sittin' at B.J's auction sayin' their car guys.:rolleyes: No car guy would be caught dead there. AND NOBODY at B.J. would be caught dead UNDER the hood of a car. Probably none of 'em ever even got their hands greasy. Like Rex said CAR GUYS BUILD CARS they don't buy 'em from B.J's.

[Clyde]

I'm on the mend from back surgery. Hope to be well enuff to boat this summer, if not you'll see the Venom up for sale:(.

The car resto is going slow but sure. Block is at the machine shop, tranny is being rebuilt, and the body work is looking good. I have almost all the parts I need and so far things look good.

I have been working on setting up a race on Shawano this June, shooting for the 10th. Didn't want to say anything until the permit goes through, but should know around the 14th. If this happens I want to plan a few things for the weekend, keep your fingers crossed and that weekend open:).

[Clyde]

I agee with you that the prices there have gone stupid high. That is why nos/original parts have gone through the roof.
There are guys there that are "wanna be's" or have more money than sence. But I don't blame a guy that wants to buy a car rather than do it himself. Some don't have the time, some are getting too old to be wrestling with big blocks or blocking 8 ft quarters, and yes some don't have the talent to do it. Don't rip that guy, the "hobby" has just passed him by.

[triple dude]

A lot of those BJ buyers are simply investors. They go in and out of the hobby and treat it as another commodity. Buy a car, stick it in the garage and sell a year later, maybe for a hefty profit and probably no gains tax. Glad to hear the Mercury is comin' along. Those unique cars are always a treat to see. Have you got any production numbers yet?? Has to be low numbers. Wishing you well in your surgery recovery.

[Clyde]

Don't know the numbers, they gotta be low. The S-55 is more desierable. The Park Lane was the luxury model. The base motor in "66" was a 410 cid. (390 block w/428 crank and the one I have) you could get a 428 (Q-code). All park Lanes came with the C6 trans. I would have liked a 428, but my priority was to have a triple black rag top w/factory A.C. and that's what this will be. Besides, the 410 is still a Maurader motor and only 15 hp less than a 428 (330 vs 345) and has 444 ft lbs of torque. Should pull the boat nicely.
It'll be mostly stock with air ride and shaved doors being the exception. Also plan on updating to front disk brakes. The car needed a complete restoration but was a CA. black plate car and very original. I'll post some pics of the resto when I can.

[The Big Al]

T-rex, it was just an example of the buddy system in the parts bussiness.
But I love the way ya tell a story!

WHo ya know and attitude still dictate price. And when ya got to have it, that doubles it.

AL

[Raceman]

..................I'd think having the housing would be a HUGE plus.

Actually there's a repop of the housing being made and sold for 200 bucks retail that as far as I know is undetectable from original. That's what makes the pair of bare guages being worth over 3K to somebody so unbelievable. In reality, the SW guages that Shelby chose were kinda cheezy lookin' and the Sun guages from that era were a lot better lookin' and probaby a period replacement in more than one Shelby back then.

[triple dude]

Sun guages?? In your finaglin', have you run across a particular person/business selling Sun tachs?? I run across one now and then at flea markets but never know if they work and quite often the sending unit is gone. I'm surprised someone hasn't made a business of restoring complete packages. Sun Super Tachs were the t*ts back in the day.

[Raceman]

E Bay is full of Sun Tachs. I've been gonna buy one to put on the old 427 Biscayne project if I can find somebody guaranteein' one that'll work. Seems like they bring about a hun to 150.

[triple dude]

Thanks for reminding me of the obvious place to look.:o I need to tear myself away from ebay's Pontiac hood ornaments.:eek: I know the early 60's Chevy's had factory tachs quite often on the small side and mounted on top of the column. Was it the same on your Biscayne?? On full sized Pontiacs, they were in a cup that hung from the left bottom of the dashpad. They've gotten pretty pricey too.

[Raceman]

I've got a factory 140 MPH speedo in my Biscayne that came from an old police car, that I picked up at Super Chevy several years ago. It looks really cool in there and if it wasn't for that I'd put a guage cluster in that a friend has from a 68 SS that has a square tach to the right.

[triple dude]

Sounds good!1 I always thought Biscayne or Belair two door sedan with 502 and five speed would be fun!! How's the other projects comin' along?? The yellow 442? Did you ever get the shoprag blown out of the 67 Vette motor?

[Raceman]

The yellow 442 is painted except for front sheet metal and the body shop has been draggin' on finishing it up. I've had a rough time finding engine parts that I want, so it's slowed down now.

I've got the engine back in the 67 427/435 car, hopefully with no shoprags this time and have fired it, but the carbs are leaking so I've gotta put kits in them and it'll be pretty close to finished again, except the dash has to come out to fix a broken oil pressure guage which is responsible for me missin' the sudden loss of oil pressure in the first place.

I've been working real hard on the LS6 El Camino and it's getting closer, but after 10+ years of storage since the chassis & drivetrain was out and done, the motor detail has gone to crap, so I'm probably gonna pull it and make it purdy' again since the rest of it looks so good. It's got REAL overdone base coat/clear coat paint that's much better than any factory laquer job from that era, but I'm all about pleasin' ME now instead of judges, so that's the way my cars are goin' from this point on.

The matching color LS6 Chevelle is in the bodyshop and will probably be done and ready for re-assembly in the next several months, along with the 442, so I hope these three at least have a chance of being mostly finished by the end of the year, along with the shop ragged Corvette.

[ShorePounder]

Norris, I've got an old SW oil pressure gauge. Plain Jane black face with chrome bezel. It needs to be cleaned up and you'll need to come up with plumbing and probably a back bracket and light bulb. It's just taking up space on a shelf out in the garage. I can send you some pics, it's yours if you want it. I have no use for it and it doesn't hold enough value to me to want any money for it.

[Raceman]

Brian, I appreciate it, but I found a dead correct pair on E Bay. They set me back 487 bucks, but could've been a lot worse. The guy didn't have Shelby anywhere in his ad and I found em only by doing a Stewart Warner search. The guages themselves are much nicer than the faded/rusted ones that sold for 2200 a couple of weeks ago, and the cast aluminum pod that mounts em is repro'd and I've had one for a couple of months.

So, with the 500 for the guages including shipping and 200 in the pod I've got 700 in a super nice cluster. Of course everybody in my office who saw the set for over 3000 last week thinks I should sell mine now, but since it was the last remaining thing missing from the car it ain't happening. I just feel really lucky to have completed it for cheap (relatively speaking)

[ShorePounder]

The keyword being "relatively" Sheez, when I put the little turbo motor in my Mustang I'm replacing all of the gauges with the new SW stuff and I think my total bill for 7 2-5/8" gauges, a speedo, and a tach will be less than what you have in the pair of vintage gauges. For $200 more I can get the panels and pods that fit the stock dash.

Then again, no matter what I throw at it or how much I pay for the things thrown, it still won't be a Shelby :) I'll still be better lookin though. ;)