Where are all the NOS parts coming from?

[Scott Liggett]

I've been perusing Ebay for parts and I have noticed a huge increase in NOS parts lately. What is also suspect is how nice all the really old NOS boxes look.

Then there is this guy. Check out his prices on used, old parts.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/classicchevyent59/m.html?item=171185933398&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1965-Chevy-Impala-SS-dash-gauge-pack-0064-/171185933398

[tardis454]

Well, the seller's in Wisconsin, not far from here..

[Scott Liggett]

Another Lambrecht Chevy? Oh boy. Is there a field of used cars behind the dealership with new, old, untitled rust buckets too?

[SuperBuickGuy]

I really need to get my crap... errr... collectibles on ebay. 24.99 for a knob? if you need it, awesome, it's there - but good gracious that's a lot of money for a knob

[Monk]

Big discussion on another car forum few years back on what constitutes NOS.
Some vendors who were re producing parts were calling then NOS......when, in the true definition, they were not.

Back in 1998 I happened upon an old AMC/Jeep dealership in a small Southern Missouri town.
Guy was still selling parts out of a catalog and had tons of stuff............heard later someone purchased
their whole inventory.
Maybe a few of these places still left.

[antmnte]

I dont know about you guys but when I find a part I need NOS its like gold to me! I feel like finding treasure! Carlisle used to be great for that years ago,we would all make sure each other knew what to look for and we'd start rooting through stuff,sometimes piles of the old turquois and black and white GM boxes. Kinda fun but you dont find stuff like that anymore, piled up in such quantity.

[Loren]

Yeah, NOS is the stuff when you can find it. I've seen some pretty awful components come out of original boxes though, in all years of cars. It seems like the best parts from the factories went to the new car assembly line, and the parts that didn't come out quite right went to the replacement parts system. One example:

It sure was nice to find an original pair of headlight trim for our '59. The lady who owned the car before us had gotten to a point where she couldn't fit a 7' wide car through an 8' garage opening anymore and most trim was bent to crap...


...but have a closer look at some of the stamping detail on this one. As seen from the rear, these little lines are supposed to be straight with clearly defined sharp scalloped ends that follow the arc of the headlight opening.

This part simply didn't get hit all the way, and the stamping dies were in poor shape when they did. Fortunately there were great re-pops being made when we did the car, but this same detail has incorrect rounded ends, and therefore is easy to spot as not original.

I've seen other body parts from GM boxes that were obvious "seconds" and wouldn't have been used on a new car but were apparently felt to be good enough to go into the replacement-parts channels.

In the eighties I used to break a Vega clutch cable once-in-a-while...if you wanted a good replacement you had to go to the wrecking yard and get a ten-year-old original. New factory replacements from the dealer would pull apart in a few weeks under the stress of a stiffer V8 clutch, they were all just weak crap that somebody at GM didn't feel was up to the quality standards of a new, uh, Vega, but still didn't want to just throw out. So anyhow we love our NOS, but still buyer beware.

--------------

As a guy in the mfg. business I see some pretty amazing "re-creations" of long-unavailable original parts sometimes, with lots of skilled effort put into them. A thousand-dollar piece of art that would have cost $40 at the parts counter if there were still any out there.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

I think it's a matter of people bailing on holding on to this stuff, it's x-mas time and gearheads gifts, and some are total fakes, that repo the box the part#tag/etc.. I always laugh at those ads that list at the bottom, box not included. like a n.o.s. ign switch.. wonder how many suckers got an chain parts store part thinking they bought a o.e.m. 1970 headlight switch..
I've also found when I was buying parts for the chevelles that many ads listed the "lic. g.m. repo parts" as n.o.s. in the ads

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

Yeah, NOS is the stuff when you can find it. I've seen some pretty awful components come out of original boxes though, in all years of cars. It seems like the best parts from the factories went to the new car assembly line, and the parts that didn't come out quite right went to the replacement parts system. One example:

It sure was nice to find an original pair of headlight trim for our '59. The lady who owned the car before us had gotten to a point where she couldn't fit a 7' wide car through an 8' garage opening anymore and most trim was bent to crap...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]26243[/ATTACH]

...but have a closer look at some of the stamping detail on this one. As seen from the rear, these little lines are supposed to be straight with clearly defined sharp scalloped ends that follow the arc of the headlight opening.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]26244[/ATTACH]
This part simply didn't get hit all the way, and the stamping dies were in poor shape when they did. Fortunately there were great re-pops being made when we did the car, but this same detail has incorrect rounded ends, and therefore is easy to spot as not original.

I've seen other body parts from GM boxes that were obvious "seconds" and wouldn't have been used on a new car but were apparently felt to be good enough to go into the replacement-parts channels.

In the eighties I used to break a Vega clutch cable once-in-a-while...if you wanted a good replacement you had to go to the wrecking yard and get a ten-year-old original. New factory replacements from the dealer would pull apart in a few weeks under the stress of a stiffer V8 clutch, they were all just weak crap that somebody at GM didn't feel was up to the quality standards of a new, uh, Vega, but still didn't want to just throw out. So anyhow we love our NOS, but still buyer beware.

--------------

As a guy in the mfg. business I see some pretty amazing "re-creations" of long-unavailable original parts sometimes, with lots of skilled effort put into them. A thousand-dollar piece of art that would have cost $40 at the parts counter if there were still any out there.

yup, my dad laughs at the guys in the clubs that bad mouth the replacement parts and say they'll buy n.o.s. he tells them that the dealer parts where the factory as line rejects and didn't fit right out of the box when the cars were new and would get hit and need a replacement.. but people will pay big money to get their hands on it.. then have to weld a bead on the door to fender gap and then grind it down as there is no other way to get the gaps correct.. sometimes you have no choice.. say like a '66 tempest/lemans/gto fender