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Tue Oct 26, 2004 3:56 am

Just a thought.... back when I restored my 1955 oval in 1987 to 1990, my local VW dealership (UK) were able to supply me some parts from stock, including wheel cylinders and a track rod arm. If you have the part numbers, are VW able to supply any parts for 50's VW's now???

If not don't you think it's a bit of a bad show that VW can't supply parts for cars they have supplied, after all most splits & ovals are only around 50 to 55 years old at the moment!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Paul N

Tue Oct 26, 2004 9:41 am

IF they can, be prepared to pay out the @$$ for them. i needed 2 vent window latches...just the little glue on latches....for an 83 Rabbit. $75.00 each! i ended up finding them here on theSamba for $10 each.

Tue Oct 26, 2004 2:46 pm

bro2539 wrote: IF they can, be prepared to pay out the @$$ for them. i needed 2 vent window latches...just the little glue on latches....for an 83 Rabbit. $75.00 each! i ended up finding them here on theSamba for $10 each.

someone still drives an '83 rabbit? J/K I'm only trying to clown you.

Tue Oct 26, 2004 3:55 pm

a while ago, i called one of the local dealerships and inquired about a throttle cable for my '65. they told me it was "discontinued" or something like that.

Tue Oct 26, 2004 4:23 pm

it really depends on what you are trying to buy... sometimes the dealer is cheaper... sometimes they have already destroyed, yes DESTROYED, all of the NOS stuff

as for your rabbit... they have the color coded window cranks for a buck a pop and have clutch cables cheaper than any auto parts store could get me... and it's the ONLY place to buy a kickdown cable for my 82 jetta.. too bad it's $90+ MY cost! :shock:

Wed Oct 27, 2004 7:32 am

true-i watched as they buried nos parts in a hole dug in the ground-would sell them to me for any price - back in the 80's.....

Wed Oct 27, 2004 7:48 am

I hope you went back with your shovel once they had gone!!!!!!

You'd think they'd be happy to raise revenue by selling them on to VW specialists rather than destroy them, oh the thought of all that lovely quality stuff going to waste :( makes me want to cry :cry:

Wed Oct 27, 2004 7:50 am

im talking semi trailers full not a pickup truck bed full.......

Wed Oct 27, 2004 8:35 am

Argghhhh...... The Horror

I suppose thier logic is that they don't want anyone to be able to offer genuine VW quality apart from VW dealers.......

Wed Oct 27, 2004 10:55 am

VWOA sucks. They don't support their OE fans and actually have done more to kill our hobby than C.A.R.B. has.

Wed Oct 27, 2004 4:03 pm

bill may wrote: im talking semi trailers full not a pickup truck bed full.......

wow. yeah, i doubt many places would still have a lot of old stuff. im sure they'd much rather use that room for newer parts.

hey paul, how's the dressing? any new flavors?

Wed Oct 27, 2004 4:25 pm

yeah but most places at least sell the old stuff off... they dont destroy it.

Wed Oct 27, 2004 7:57 pm

I think when a part is discontinued vw gives them some kind of credit and tells them to destroy the parts.
I work at a parts store and i see the boss smashing oil filters and sparkplugs,and whatever is discontinued or not the brand that we stock today!!!!!!!!!1
Trying to keep the store clean and neat!!!!!!!1
whenever i see them destroying something i make sure it dosent fit something that i drive !!

Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:39 am

I think you should turn that vw dealer in to the EPA, burying painted metal and all is against federal pollution laws. It would serve him right.

Thu Oct 28, 2004 5:46 am

Three Words: Product Liability Issue

Imagine you're the lawyer for VW. Someone buys a 30 year old fuel pump for their beetle, and it leaks, starts a fire, and kills someone. The cost of that single lawsuit will cost VW more than they could make selling beetle parts for the next 100 years.

At this point they no longer control the quality, the distribution or even the design of the parts, and they have no control whatsoever over how the parts are used or installed. But if they sell them or put their name on them they have just accepted the liability if something happens.

Not worth the risk.

Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:53 pm

radrob wrote: I think when a part is discontinued vw gives them some kind of credit and tells them to destroy the parts.
I work at a parts store and i see the boss smashing oil filters and sparkplugs,and whatever is discontinued or not the brand that we stock today!!!!!!!!!1
Trying to keep the store clean and neat!!!!!!!1
whenever i see them destroying something i make sure it dosent fit something that i drive !!
This is right. I used to work at an independant VW shop, the owner of which was an old time VW parts manager at a local dealership. He told me stories of having to take 36hp motors in the crates out to landfills and smashing them. Also destroying stuff that didnt sell, which made sense I guess. Useless stuff like split window upholstery, seats, semaphores, doors. Things like that! I wonder where that landfill is...... But yeah you can still get some stuff from VW, I ordered some 111998051 points for example. Most everything is gone now though..

Fri Oct 29, 2004 3:50 pm

The horror stories of dealerships destroying parts are all too true! At the porsche/audi dealer I used to work for, I busted up about 3 to 4 grand worth of instrument clusters for mid 80's porsche 944's! The parts manager got credit back and returned the clusters as "shipment damaged parts". It seemed very shady and possibly illegal to me, but from what I know now it is common practice at quite a few dealerships.

Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:14 pm

I know this doesn't relate to VW but since we're talking dealership horror stories, when I worked at a Chrysler dealership in the early '90's, I can recall the parts people chucking NOS Plymouth Duster front fenders into the dumpster.

Years later when I mentioned this to the occasional Mopar freeks that would drive in with their early '70's cars, I could see theirs faces wince from the pain of such a thing. Kind of like I was just doing while reading the messages posted from those that worked at the VW stores. UHHHH!

Sat Oct 30, 2004 2:36 pm

I'll tell you one just as bad and this happened about 5 years ago.

The old VW dealer here had been around since the 1950's, and when they had a fire the insurance company totaled out the building, and every VW tool went right to the landfill. All the body jigs, the Hazet tools, the special dealer-only stuff-- everything. Right to the dump, and most of it was still on the pegboard racks in perfect condition.

Sat Oct 30, 2004 3:09 pm

That reminds me of the time I lived in Orlando – the distribution center for Alfa Romeo used to be there. When Alfa closed its’ North American operations, I found about a ton of parts they apparently dumped in a junk yard near my families’ house.