The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk parts sources

Here's an email I just sent to another Stovebolter on a subject we've been discussing privately. I thought some others might find it amusing or interesting.

"I don't buy any of this stuff from professional vendors. Their prices are vastly higher than stuff from hobbyists. I know that when I finsished restoring my '36 pickup in the mid 70s I took all of the extra stuff to a swap meet. My goal was to clean out the garage after a long restoration process.

My swap space was between 2 "pros". My stuff sold for reasonable prices as fast as I could toss it out of my van onto the pavement. The pros on both sides of me sold next to nothing because of their high prices. I went home early an empty van and a full wallet and they probably stayed all day and took home everything they brought.

The more time they get into trying to sell those overpriced hunks of rust, the more they think they're worth, the more no one wants them because they're overpriced.

The best source of fairly priced running gear parts is street rodders. To them the stuff is just in the way.

There, I feel better now.

Ray

I find the opposite true on a lot of parts. I set up at swap meets regularly but am not a "pro". I'm familiar with a couple of the pros though. They go to a lot of trouble to find old trucks, strip them down, sort the decent parts from the junk, pack it and transport it. Most of them do a brisk business around here because they are known for good, usable parts. A lot of people would prefer to buy a fender from them for more money because they are a pro. A lot of them figure I'm just trying to pass off junk I didn't use building mine.

I AGREE with YAR, Im a street rodder and there are many parts left over from my project that are good parts for stock restoration.I've given many parts away cheep or for nothing.Hate to see the junkman scrap these parts.Sell at scrap price.I know what the vendors charge for there gold... MADE in Japan.Myself NOS parts are better if you can find them.Helping out another bolter out, makes my day.

thanks