Here is a issue I'm sure most everyone can address. It really gets me how people go buy a old classic car for a project build or just need a few parts for thier car and they expect to buy these antuiqe parts dirt cheap. Ive heard time and time again,,(Well i only paid 500 bucks for the whole car) so they think they should get salvage yard parts cheap because the car is 20-50 years old or whatever.

Heres an example. I have a friend with a 39 Dodge and he dropped the glass headlite dome and broke it. He says he can get one for $150.00 but hes not paying that much because its a rippoff. I corect him quikly saying,,"Well what if you had to replace the taillite lense or headlight casing on your 2007 car,,,it would cost you 300-500 bucks probaly" So whats the big deal with paying half of what a new plastic mobile part cost to get a hard to find part.

And i know there are still alot of old cars in old country salvage yards that you can get parts reasonable, but think of all the gas and exspenseses you waste looking for these places, and most of them arnt on the internet. And if you do find what you need you have to crawl through some tick and snake infested jungle to take it off yourself. So if you spend hundreds of dollars in gas driving all over creation looking for somthing and still come home empty handed, why not just order the part and have it shipped to your house. Sure its going to cost alot most of the time but the people removing the parts have to get a paycheck too, they dont work for free and I'm sure no one else does either.

But still the case is and I still hear it all the time from people coming to my shop. They will continue to complain about how exspensice old classic car parts are. I have built alot of old cars from the frame up and still it was about half the price of buying some new computerized pollution controlled plastic mobile for 40 grand. And think about this, people buy these new cars for 30-50 thousand and by the time they pay iot off its worn out ready for the junk yard. I think I will continue building my old cars from the ground up no matter what i have to pay for used parts.

 

Welcome to Econ 101: Supply and Demand. Of course, you do still get the dreamers ($10,000 asking price for an N.O.S. W-25 hood???), but usually market forces will actually work (that hood didn't sell even when the seller lowered the price to $5,000). I have no idea how many 39 Dodge headlight lenses are left, but I do know what N.O.S. 70-72 Cutlass fenders were going for - until the repros came on the market.

Now in my case, I also happen to like the challenge of the hunt. I can buy parts at the going rate, but I have a lot more fun finding the same part for much less at a swap meet. It all depends on how badly I need it at the moment.

 

I have to agree with you for the most part. Most of the time, if there's something I need, I'll just go ahead and buy it, provided it's not ridiculously priced. Because as you state, by the time I spend possible months looking for another replacement, I could have had the part, clean it up, and install it. On the other hand, some people selling parts really have gotten slightly out of hand. They are helping make it a rich person's game as the price for certain things have gotten out of reach for the average guy. Now, I'm not saying they should give stuff away, but I think there's a line that gets crossed. Figuring out the line is the hard part.

I think at the end of the day, it comes down to how badly you need the part. For instance, if it's a minor part and can be replaced at any time and you're still able to drive the car, I'd be more apt to look for a good deal. However, I'd never berate the seller. I'd just say "sorry, I can't pay that much now". I've seen people on other boards really bash some people for selling parts for too much. I guess we all do it. On the other hand, if you're doing a rebuild and are in the middle of getting something done that is needed, I'm not going to complain too much about the price. I'm usually just happy to be getting a decent part at a not outrageous price.

I dunno, some people are born to complain. Some others are just used to a time when these cars weren't worth anything and weren't very popular. Parts were cheap and fairly easy to come by.

To quote the movie Anchorman, "As Bob Dylan sang, the times they are a-changin'.... Ron Burgundy never heard that song."

 

There's reasonably priced, ridiculously priced, and correctly priced. Condition of the parts is key. Thanks to all these high profile auctions, too many opportunists think any rusty or pitted part they drag out of a creek or gully somewhere is worth NOS/perfect part money. It is not.

I'll pay correct and reasonable, but I won't pay ridiculous, especially for something I'll have to put twice what I paid you into it to get it right. I'll also tell you real quick if you've got it priced ridiculous, then I'll walk away. I'm not going to finance your retirement or your kid's college off your used old car parts unless it is 1) an unobtainium part or 2) extra nice, as in I don't have to do more than polish/paint it and bolt it on.

But in fairness I'll also tell you if I think you've priced it too low.

 

Oh I agree 100%, there alot of these specialty salvage yards and such that are just OUTRAGIUOS!! But there is always the part you need out there somewhere at a affordable price. And ya thanks to alot of the new replacement parts coming out its making it a little easier on us. I'm really talking about these people that buy a old classic car for 500 bucks or whatever and want to buy a good fender or something for 20 bucks. LOL! Alot people buy these cars and expect to restor them or fix them up for a few hundred bucks ya know LOL!!

 

I've said this before, but don't confuse asking price with selling price. Ebay advanced search lets you search on completed auctions. Pick any of your favorite search criteria and note how many of the high dollar cars and parts are never sold. Ebay doesn't care - they get paid anyway.

 

Ive bought parts off ebay also. Ive got some good deals and some rip offs, and yes ebay gets thier cut no matter what.

 

I always thought that looking for and finding the parts was all part of the hobby. And when you find a good/great deal you feel that much better. IE I found a set of NOS grilles for my '70 F85 at a swap meet for $50. Spent the better part of two yrs looking for them. JKaz

 

Yes i suppose it is part of the hobby, but in my case I dont do it as a hobby. I use my old classic cars as "EVERYDAY DRIVERS, RAIN SNOW SLEET OR SHINE" So basically this family household puts 3000 miles a month per car. And our cars can range from the 1960s to the 1980s depending on what we buy sell or trade. We put more miles on our old classic cars then most people put on thier new plastic mobile junk in a years time. But still no matter what year of cars we are driving I still think that paying a high price for a old classic car is still MUCH CHEAPER than buying some new piece of crap computer mobile and by the time you pay it off for the $30.000-$50.000 you payed for the plastic mobile its already worn out ready for the recycle bin. But i can understand that most people that own these old cars use them as trailor queens or just drive them to a car show or what not,and thats ok. But in this house hold we DRIVE THEM EVERYDAY. No matter what the parts cost at least i can repair and keep them running with ease and enjoyment from my own garage. The more primative the car is the better in my opinion. But each to his own ya know. I found some good deals at swap meets also, accually I've found that swap meets are a very good source for finding hard to get items fairly reasonable. But I guess it depends on the area and the seller. I build / buy / sell everything from Fords,Mopars to GM's but I always seem to have a Oldsmobile for my personal ride. ITS A OLDSMOBILE ADDICTION I TELL YOU!!! LOL!!

 

i have bought and sold oldsmobile parts off and on over the years and i like the guys that want a fortune for there parts. then when i sell a part people feel like they got a deal. if i am to high on a part it is because i do not know the true value of it. if i do not know the value i would rather be high because i sold a 72 442 W-30 with under 20,000 miles for $14,500 in 99 just to find out that that guy sold it for $32,000 before he got it from me. i am not mad at him but want to protect myself from selling something to cheep. i am not looking to get rich, just like to make a little extra money and also keep other oldsmobiles on the road.

 

Hmmm, there are two sides to every story. I drag race and have a car hauler with an 8-ton PTO. About a dozen years ago I started looking for 425/455's because I thought I might need a couple in the future. So I started buying & draging old 88/98's out of gulley's, fields and off small mountain tops in Oh/Pa/W.Va. I have to admit I enjoyed finding them. My "Chevy" Buddies thought I was crazy and I use to tell them, "hey, u can buy your Chevy stuff at K-marts, they quit making my stuff a long time ago." At first I would pull the engine/trans and a few other trinkets and scrap the cars. Whenever I got a Cutlass I would pull a lot off. Northern cars aren't like western cars, lotta rust and work to get to some parts and then have someone want it for nothing. I had a space at the Canfield swap meet for 3 years till I got tired of guys trying to "beat me down." I still have the space only because my Buddies have spaces connected and I like having the drive-in pass. Ya, we cookout a BS and drink beer. I enjoy it so much more now! Some guys aren't happy no matter what the price is. Exampleone of many) Wheelwell moulding from a 66 Cutlass. The moulding was like new but the fender was rusted bad. I try to be as careful as I can and I got it off and it cleaned up nice. A ((442)) guy looks at it for 5 min's, he asked "how much?" I say $25. He says "can u do better?" I say, "OK, $20." He walks away. Whatever. (did I tell u that we drink beer at the swap meet?) About an hour goes by and he's back looking at the moulding. He says "can u do better on the price?" I" joke around with these guys about how they're beating me up, yada, yada. So I say, "OK, give me $18." He says, "that the best u can do?" I said "Ya." He walks away. My Buddies and I joke about how cheap some guys are and I say he'll be back as I have another beer. A little later, a Buddy says, "here he comes again." He looks long over it once more, I might have made a joke or two about him looking it over again. So, I then say, "look, u must want it, give me $15 and u won't have to come back." He says, "I'll give u $12." I go over and take the moulding, look at it and say, "do u want it for $15?" He says, "no." I take and crack it in three sections and throw it in the garbage barrel. He says, "what'd u do that for? I would have paid u $15 for it." I told him, "now u can have it for nothing." Thats just one story I could tell. I got to the point I don't sell nothing at swap meets, just go there to have fun with my Friends. I use to sell on Ebay or list parts on Olds sites, it way easier and more $$. Here's an example, another 66 Cutlass that was sunk in a field to the frame. I dragged it out in mid-winter, ya, I tore the rear-end loose doing it but my truck (Big Daddy) has a powerful winch. It can and has torn a frame in half. Anyhow I take the wheel-well mouldings off and they are nice. I paid $80 for the Cutlass so I put them on Ebay with an $80 starting price, hmmm, when the smoke cleared, they sold for $310 and the guy that bought them thanked me for the nice mouldings that he'd been looking for a long time. Stripping parts off and the hassle of selling & shipping is a lot of work and the last 5 years I haven't had the time. I may get back into it a bit now I have the time if I can find the energy. I have a little Cutlass stuff still but I am more into 88/98's. I still have a pile of engines, last count was 32. I figure in a few years they will go up in value "because they don't make them anymore." So, I thought I would give u the other side of the story. Me bad! Ken

 

If I were selling that part I would have done the same or worse. He would be digging it out of something other than a garbage can. Swap meets are a lot a fun and I expect a little haggling, but that guy went too far.

 

Sigh.....
I guess I'm a little bit on the opposite side of the spectrum here.

I drag old junk Oldsmobiles and parts home because I enjoy saving them from certain death. I also enjoy giving fellow Olds guys the parts they need for dirt cheap because it will better the cars that they love. For the hobby. I can smell a rat right away, and the guys that buy and resell, I don't give em' ****. I'd rather break it in half like Kennybill than see it on ebay the next week for 30k more than they got it from me.

I'm the kinda guy that would dirt track a brand new Lamborghini, or buy a brand new Porsche and rattle bomb it primer gray.

They're all just worthless hunks of steel, people. 5 cents a pound in scrap. The only time it's "Special" is if it took you to ball games as a kid, or brought your first born son home from the hospital, or you built it yourself from 5 different cars staked for the crusher and it exists because of your efforts.


I will low ball the hell out of the junk piles.
Yes....True, Mr. seller....you saved it....
But why?
To see it go to a good family with a car they appreciate and love?
Or to make a buck and deserve to be rewarded for your time because you're "Jesus savior" of car parts?

If it's something I need, at a fair price, I cough up the dough and don't b1tch about it. I'll even thank you for saving it. $20 is more than fair for a much needed molding for a car that you can't live without.

I can't even fathom the reasoning behind total meticulous restorations with correct parts #'s etc. It blows my mind the money and effort that goes into making an old car perfect again. Sometimes it is absolutely admirable, and sometimes it's utterly ridiculous.
Some of these guys are perfectionists that would climb a mountain for the correct carb baseplate, and some are just trying to build a picture puzzle, frame the puzzle, and then try and sell it for a million bucks as art.

Art, mind you, that someone has already released.
I too, could practice painting a Van Gogh until I perfectly duplicate it. Half the world will call me a fraud though.

Let's keep the prices low for the hobby's sake. So we can enjoy old cars as long as we can before big brother stuffs all into smart sh1tboxes.

 

I'm big on parts trades. That way there's not a big offensive price tag. So long as both parties have good junk that is useful to one another.

 

Quick story on the subject. Have a good friend that has a lot of parts, but not as active in selling them as he used to be. He will usually go to the Pate Swap Meet (big one down here) to sell some "stuff", and at fair prices. One time a guy came by, doint the same thing: How much, and leave; come back, and go through it all again. My friend shot him a fair price, then next time went up $10. The next time another $10. Guy asked why you keep going up? He told him he didn't like him, pulled the part off the table, and told him it wasn't for sale...........to HIM!

 

The only reason I buy or sell parts is to fix my car or help fund the fixing of a car. I sold a 70 OAI hood to a guy probably 10 yrs ago. He came to my house took one look at it and said I'll take it ($1,000) Probably a fair price even back then. We both knew I could probably get more for it if I really wanted to but he didn't argue and I saw his car and how excited he was to put it on. Over the years we still correspond over the internet and talk on the phone about cars and parts etc...This guy used to work at a GM plant back in the 70's assembling these cars and is very knowledgeable. He has become a good friend and good contact in the hobby of restoring cars and parts. One thing he said to me which I believe is true: " It's easier to find the money than it is to find the parts" So if you need something bad enough sometimes you need to pay a little more, like Joe P. commented: it's supply and demand.

 

IMHO

Basically there are two kinds of people in the world.

Givers and Takers

 

A dozen years ago I was into sellng parts because of my obsestion of dragging old Oldsmobiles to my compound for the engines. I have lot's of examples of not so favorable experiencies here's another. There use to be a Lisa Madson's Oldsmobile site, (I loved that site but the aurguing between a couple of guys, hmmm Chris W, made her shut it down) Anyhow a guy named Rev-cane advertised he needed a pass-side rear tail-lense for a 1970 Delta 88. Hmmmm, just so happened I had dragged one home, I emailed him that I had a nice lense. He replied, what shape is it in/is it cloudy/any cracks/how much for the lens/how much for the shiping/will u pack it good?And then a "God Bless You." I replied, "if u want the lense give me your address, I will send it, if your happy with it reimburse me for the shipping cost if not keep it. He sent his address. I took off the whole rear fender extention tail light assembly (painted Green), pot metal housing, gasket, screws, unplugged the wires nice, never took the lense loose so it had the bulbs in it too. (probably I should have tested them to see if they were working) Boxed it up in "peanuts" and sent it to N.Y. for like $8.67. About 2 weeks later I got a check for $8.67. So, I guess he liked it but the rear quarter fender extention may have been painted the wrong color. I've made a lot of Friends thru dealing in parts also. I would say there are 20 good to one not so good and every 50 one meets a bad one. My best Friend is an Olds guy that I met thru selling Olds stuff, he is local. I have met a lot of great guys thru selling Olds parts and it's nice to run into them at swap meets/Miller meet. My Lady-Friend always says, "wow, u know a lot of people." I say, "ya, they've all beat me up." By the way, has anybody ever shipped a 1966 Toronado trans/assembly to Belgium? I have and I didn't do it for the money and he did thank me. Later, Ken

 

I have bought a lot of parts from Olds. Most spent in one transaction was 6K. have not been screwed yet. Guess i must be lucky. Truth be told there are more honest people around then dishonest. Just my opinion

 

I'm at memory lane as they have O.K. prices...

A guy buy the center trunk panel off a Dodge Charder ...

He didn't want the space capsule tail light extensions that were $20 a piece ...

I told him I would buy them off him if he didn't want them ...

His partner pulled him aside, talked some sense into him and he bought them ...

duh uh ...

 

Just a couple quick thoughts - the economics of the situation is that a particular item is only worth what someone is willing to pay - not what you are willing to sell it for. This is true for the piece of stainless fender molding up to the entire vehicle at BJ.

And who out there doesn't have a box or 2 of 3 of parts for your car or not for your car?

 

I blame EBAY for the prices on parts... now everyone thinks their stuff is treasure. There's no one more ready to deal than the guy loading up his junk at the end of the swap meet!

 

No doubt, E-bay made a huge impact on the parts (and car) market. Not all bad, of course, but higher prices have resulted for sure.

 

I am looking for a ralley pac gauge set for my 69 cutlass, 429 on ebay, holy crap that half what I paid for my car, thing is I am going to have a ralley pac gauge set someday even if I end up paying 400 for it. I could cut the dash and put a 100 dollar radio in it but I would rather spend 500 and not cut the dash. There is something about keeping some parts OG.

 

Last summer I decided to sell my two Austin Healeys (needed money and the Olds aint going!). I took pictures of them and put the pictures on our board at the Hot August Night Swap Meet. (My husband and I own Big M Automotive and get a spot there every year.) I had three guys come up to me on the first day asking how much for each one. I told them and they walked a way. One guy came back ten minutes later and asked if I would take half and I told him no, that the price is marked on the sheet. A friend of my husband walked up saw the picture and wanted to talk to me. He ended up buying both cars for what I asked and paid a deposit to make sure I wouldn't sell them. On Monday after the swap meet a man called up my husband and offered to "take the cars off of your hands for $1000.00 each". My husband told him that I sold them already and got what I asked for. The guys was all mad and demanded the name and number of the purchaser. Needless to say, the right buyer will come around and if he wants it bad enough he will pay the price. Of course I sold the 2 cars for under low blue book, but I got what I wanted.

 

I do not sell parts but just look for them to restore my Olds to as good a condition as possible. Ebay is one place I look but it seems that there are some sellers who do nothing but find old parts then put them on for rediculous prices. I agree that checking what the seller is selling parts for can help and a lot do not sell at all but some do sell for 10 times what I think it is worth to me. I guess if some people keep buying at the inflated prices it is worth it for the seller to keep listing multiple items at high prices. An example would be a NOS nose emblem I found was listed at $65 and I contacted the seller to ask what he would take for it and the reply was $65. I did find an even nicer one that was still in the original box with the 2 clips still in the original sealed envelope for $10. There are very few junkyards around this area and the ones I have looked in have no cars that have parts to fit my car. All parts I have gotten from internet but will not pay stupid prices even if I have to go without. Unfortunately there are folks with a lot of money who will pay the high prices to get NOS parts and usually have other professionals fix up their CLASSIC so they can trailer them to car shows.The only help I have gotten to fix up my Olds is from you people , and I will enjoy driving my car just for the joy of it.

 

Nothing new there. Before E-Bay, there were (and probably still are) vendors that had the same high price parts meet after meet, year after year.

 

Yup. Hemmings Motor News was always a good source of overpriced parts ads (I'm not referring to ALL ads in HMN, so hold off on the cards and letters). And here in the Mid Atlantic I see the same overpriced parts carted around by the same vendors at one swap meet after another. There's a vendor in MD who has an FA 455 block with rusty cylinders. I didn't buy it at $300 at the Howard Co. swap. I didn't buy it at $200 at the Frederick swap. I didn't see him at Carlisle. When he gets below $100, I'll throw it in the truck. I just can't imagine that it makes sense to keep hauling heavy chunks of cast iron around.

 

I read an economist professor write about that exact concept once and give this illustration. His wife returned from the grocery store and commented as she set the bag of groceries down that she was "robbed". When he asked her why she told him that eggs were $1.43 a dozen and she thought that was terrible but she paid it. He corrected her and said someone is robbed when they are forced to give something of theirs away against their will. Since she willingly paid the money she must have thought it was worth it or she would not have paid for those eggs............

 

I saw an add here for a coolant recovery tank w/ hoses etc. ...

The guy asked $65. As Olds did not like to put these on cars I was happy to find a cherry one ...

I e-mailed a response and said I would pay that plus shipping ...

He just got back at me ...

 

I've been looking for months on e-bay for a borg clock to replace the clock delete on my '71 SX. Even ones that aren't running go for $75 bucks, and close to $100 for one that does. I respectfully asked one guy if he'd take $65 for a dead one and he wouldn't budge. I'm surprised that guys are holding firm on prices, even with the tight economy.