parts hording

[Gurbachen]

Guess it's just the Haves and the Have Not's arguing really :P

[danzvtil]

So let me get this right, op is having a sook about car enthusiasts buying up and storing hard to find parts that they will some day take and bolt onto a hard to find car that they will put away in the shed and store.........theyre kind of the same thing.....

[tlub]

if the last post was referencing to me, no I don't put my cars into the shed for no one to see. I am not having a sook .just saying I don't understand why having a shed full of parts ( and I should have said multiples of) is worth not having more cars out and about

[Eaturbo]

I understand what you mean mate. I know people who have parts that they will never use but just like to say they have a particular part because it's rare and they use to have the car but are keeping the parts incase they buy another one. There is heaps of parts laying around in people's sheds that will never get used but they won't part with them. When I was looking for T3 TS50 side skirt stickers there was heaps of people who had them and no car but would not sell them. This use to annoy me because Ford would sell them to anybody even without a car but than genuine owners couldn't get them because they were sold out. Some would say " I got 3 sets but I'm keeping them" like your going to have an accident and replace the side skirts 3 times which were no longer available either. There are a lot of cars that could be back on the road with original parts if people would just on sell there parts that they no longer have the need for.

[mr smith]

A few parts to keep your car on the road is cool, having a shed load to be a hero in your own lunch box is just being a weirdo.

[CoupeKing]

Originally Posted by Eaturbo

I understand what you mean mate. I know people who have parts that they will never use but just like to say they have a particular part because it's rare and they use to have the car but are keeping the parts incase they buy another one. There is heaps of parts laying around in people's sheds that will never get used but they won't part with them.

Maybe they have a son or grandson (girls included) that will eventually share the same passion? If they don't, and the in-laws find these parts, they will put them on E-bay faster than a fat kid dropping an apple.

[Bearman]

I only have a few bits n' bobs. I've got bugger all storage space so not a lot of scope to hoard parts. I envy those who do and have, I would like to have the security of having the spare parts to fix anything on my coupe if I needed to.

It's hard for those with projects who need hard to find parts, the search can be long and expensive when you do find what you need but that's just the way it is.

It helps to have a network of trusted mates who you can transact with for a fair value.

[EASYBOSS]

I've got a Model A steering wheel, but don't think its worth much, was my Dads, that's why I'm keeping it

[Eaturbo]

Originally Posted by CoupeKing

Maybe they have a son or grandson (girls included) that will eventually share the same passion? If they don't, and the in-laws find these parts, they will put them on E-bay faster than a fat kid dropping an apple.

Yeah and maybe they want to take them to heavan so God can rebuild his Torana. Some of you will know what I'm on about, like the people who have a rare old car in the yard rusting away but flat refuse to sell it cause it has sentimental value. Most people actually end up throwing these parts away cause they get too old or die or don't know where to advertise the parts to sell them. They think that people won't even be interested in them cause they don't see the cars out on the road driving around. I've sold heaps of rare parts that I had once I sold that particular car and it's great to know that it's going to put a car back to original.

[ZGM86]

My '73 ZG is a spare parts car, so I guess that technically counts as a whole heap of hoarded parts!

I'll never know when I need something else off it, and where else would I find ZG-specific parts otherwise? They're not exactly a common model nowadays.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

So let me get this right, op is having a sook about car enthusiasts buying up and storing hard to find parts that they will some day take and bolt onto a hard to find car that they will put away in the shed and store.........theyre kind of the same thing.....

And as hard as it is to believe, other people can actually own a similar make and model of car to the one you have, and actually need the parts every bit as much as you do...I don't begrudge someone who can afford to have a shed full of parts or a complete parts car sitting in their yard.
After all, do you think those parts you might one day need are going to just happily sit in a wrecking yard waiting for that day years from now when you may need them?
Nope.
The local wreckers some years back had two or three Celicas like mine, and with the high turnover of these places with cars constantly going off to the crushers, I really regret now not going and taking many more parts off them...hard to get stuff like the complete pop up headlight mechanisms and front assembly and the like. They've all gone to the great Simsmetal graveyard in the sky now, lost forever.

You snooze you lose...don't blame others for having foresight to grab whatever is available "just in case"....

And price? For instance, among the stash of parts for my Celica I have a spare center console lid and some of the plastic dash mouldings. I don't need them now, but one day I might, given the way plastic out in the sun degrades over time. Among the other general Toyota bits and pieces I also have many other hard to find, model-specific bits and pieces.
If I met someone who was doing up a similar RA60, and mentioned looking for those very parts, I either wouldn't mention I had them or, if I could be convinced to part with them, would have to agonize over whether to let them go, knowing that it was hard enough for me to find them, so what would be the chances of finding them again in the future? If I could be convinced to sell, it would have to be a big enough price to make me want to part with the parts.
Can't blame someone for knowing they have hard to find items and charging a decent price, knowing that once they've sold it they've "helped out a fellow car enthusiast", but have also just done themselves out of a part they may one day need and which they might never find again.

Even things like the Charger three spoke steering wheel mounted on my shed wall. I don't have a Charger...yet...but who knows? That wheel ain't going nowhere despite the fact they're very hard to find and someone might need one for a Charger of their own...the point is that I hope to one day need it "for a Charger of my own"...

[Gurbachen]

I think we're really talking about people buying multiples of particular items. For example, there's a guy on a Z Car forum who buys every original radio that pops up. Must have a dozen by now, and as far as I know he only has one car they fit. Other people try to get in to get one because they need it for a resto or what have you, and there's a whole box of them on a shelf somewhere going unused and unsold.

Keeping one, maybe two spare (depending on the part)? Perfectly reasonable. Keeping a dozen? Bit iffy imo.

[Eric A]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

The local wreckers some years back had two or three Celicas like mine, and with the high turnover of these places with cars constantly going off to the crushers, I really regret now not going and taking many more parts off them...hard to get stuff like the complete pop up headlight mechanisms and front assembly and the like. They've all gone to the great Simsmetal graveyard in the sky now, lost forever.

You snooze you lose...don't blame others for having foresight to grab whatever is available "just in case"....

And price? For instance, among the stash of parts for my Celica I have a spare center console lid and some of the plastic dash mouldings. I don't need them now, but one day I might, given the way plastic out in the sun degrades over time. Among the other general Toyota bits and pieces I also have many other hard to find, model-specific bits and pieces.
If I met someone who was doing up a similar RA60, and mentioned looking for those very parts, I either wouldn't mention I had them or, if I could be convinced to part with them, would have to agonize over whether to let them go, knowing that it was hard enough for me to find them, so what would be the chances of finding them again in the future? If I could be convinced to sell, it would have to be a big enough price to make me want to part with the parts.

Dude I hear you here. I'm restoring an RA65 notchback at the moment and I'm needing to source parts from as far off as Norway! And my local wreckers (Kelly's Wreckers) had three of this model a couple years ago too. Also had a few XCs and got rid of them all at the same time. Glad I raided the XCs then but I should have done the same for the Celicas but I wasn't looking to restore it back then. Perfect case study for 'if you see it grab it'

[mike_nofx]

Some people do have a problem though, like on those 'pickers' shows, where these 80 year old dudes have parts for a project they are NEVER going to start, including complete rare cars rusting away to dust that they just cannot sell.
I guess those people just die and their children sell them for near nothing or just scrap them.

[anto]

Collecting parts is like a hobby, I collected marvel comics whe I was a kid, the records etc.. Now it's car parts....it's fun

[Bearman]

There is the collector aspect, I hadn't thought of that. There are guys out there who want their garage to look like a '70's Ford dealers parts shed, I get that.

I guess the aspect that really irks me is advertising that I'm looking for, let's say, a foofer valve for an XB and have someone contact me to tell me he has 23 of those. And then proceeds to tell me he doesn't want to sell me one. They're really rare so he wants to hang onto them. Why bother telling me?? Is it just to big note yourself and stick it up my butt??

Plonkers like this make my blood boil.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

Some people do have a problem though, like on those 'pickers' shows, where these 80 year old dudes have parts for a project they are NEVER going to start, including complete rare cars rusting away to dust that they just cannot sell.
I guess those people just die and their children sell them for near nothing or just scrap them.

Generally the wives dont have any idea their true worth, rarity or what they are, and will just throw them out when they clear the house up for sale to downsize.

[rex351]

It's great when those 'pickers' try to buy bits for f-all so they can maximise their profit and the owner sets a proper price and won't budge. Knows what it's worth and who cares if Frank and Mike don't make 200% on the item!

[Xauterus]

But those shows are also interesting in that they move on stuff that would never see the light of day again. A lot of people never get round to selling stuff they will never use again. Like people have said, how much just ends up dumped after they pass away.

I know I hoard too much when I can't fit cars in shed to work on them.

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by rex351

It's great when those 'pickers' try to buy bits for f-all so they can maximise their profit and the owner sets a proper price and won't budge. Knows what it's worth and who cares if Frank and Mike don't make 200% on the item!

Im skeptical of their valuations on the show. Its never "we resold these for $X" its always "We THINK its worth $X".

But regardless, they buy a rare part, make double their money, someone pays them a premium for the part and a project gets completed. The alternative is it stays in old mates possession and becomes:

[Adamz Ghia]

Originally Posted by rex351

It's great when those 'pickers' try to buy bits for f-all so they can maximise their profit and the owner sets a proper price and won't budge. Knows what it's worth and who cares if Frank and Mike don't make 200% on the item!

Frank and Mike annoy the hell out of me sometimes. I get what they're trying to do and they need to make money but sometimes they are so unreasonably tight!

My favourite episode was when they bought a model train and Frank was convinced it was worth a five figure sum so he ended up talking the guy down to what he thought was a bargain 6 grand. He went and had it appraised and it wasn't original and was worth $300 to $600.

But anyway, sorry for going off topic.

[Kingsley]

One bonus of hoarding parts is when your going through the boxes looking for something and stumble on something cool you'd forgotten all about.

[wodahs]

another bonus of hoarding parts is if I haven't got it done before it gives me something to do with finishing my project and sorting thru the rest keeping me in the shed "away from other problems " once I retire

[pottery beige]

its my parts and i will hoard if i want to

hoard if i want to

hoard if i want to

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by anto

Collecting parts is like a hobby, I collected marvel comics whe I was a kid, the records etc.. Now it's car parts....it's fun

I agree with this in some cases, I have a fascination with XA/XB dashes and gauges, I have a collection of XA/XB GT/GS dashes and gauges, speedo's, tachos etc etc, all are mint, tested rebuild and calibrated. I also have mint associated switches, wiring harnesses that I have rebuild, both 6 and V8.

I still scour gumtree/ebay/swap meets on a regular basis looking for that odd speedo, or gauge, as there are a few oddities around.

I even build a full custom white facia one, with my not so perfect gauges for something different.

So yes it is a bit of a hobby.

But it always seems to amaze my missus and friends when something does go wrong with one of the cars that I just wander off into the shed and nearly always emerge with the required part to facilitate any repairs required.
Unfortunately it's not as easy as walking into a wrecker these days to find parts for XB's so I have to keep my own stock on hand.

On another note I do occasionally sell surplus parts but generally only to facilitate the purchase of other parts that I require or want.

[cosworthfreak]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

Unfortunately it's not as easy as walking into a wrecker these days to find parts.....so I have to keep my own stock on hand.

This is pretty much why many people appear to be hoarding parts. If you have old cars that you want to keep driving you need to keep parts for almost any eventuality. Maybe even two sets.

Cheers
Jamie

[XG_Falcon]

Want a fun drinking game? Park a dirty old car on your front lawn... then down a beer every time some mad bro stops by to ask if he can trade you half his payment and what's left of his pouch of champion ruby for it.



It works best when it's obvious the car needs a resto, that way they will feel most comfortable lowballing you.
Play dumb like you don't even know how to check the oil - hilarity ensues.

Guaranteed to make you question human psychology.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by XG_Falcon

Want a fun drinking game? Park a dirty old car on your front lawn... then down a beer every time some mad bro stops by to ask if he can trade you half his payment and what's left of his pouch of champion ruby for it.

image

It works best when it's obvious the car needs a resto, that way they will feel most comfortable lowballing you.
Play dumb like you don't even know how to check the oil - hilarity ensues.

Guaranteed to make you question human psychology.

Reminds me of a guy a knew who had an old Holden in his back yard, which for years was hidden from the public.
However his yard backed onto a main road, and the council decided one day to pull 500m+ of fencing down as it was discovered it was up to a metre in the wrong spot.
So suddenly his car was being spotted by 100s of people a day, and he was getting up to a dozen people some days knocking on his front door. He even found people inside his yard walking round it.
After a week or so he had to move it elsewhere.