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bobnorman
Samba Newfoundlander
Joined: August 09, 2010
Posts: 1389
Location: Newfoundland
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 Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:54 pm Post subject: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ago? |
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Been thinking about my Squreback lately.. The build is currently on hold, but I was following a discussion in the whine thread and it got me thinking about parts and scarcity of decent parts.
Assuming I dont get back to the Square for 4-5 years, Any thoughts on parts that I should be buying now? I mean ones that will likely get a lot more scarce/expensive in the coming years?
What are some parts that you all wished you'd bought say 5-10 years ago?
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=289807 |
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Mike Fisher
Samba Member
Joined: January 30, 2006
Posts: 17970
Location: Eugene, OR
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 6:28 pm Post subject: Re: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ag |
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You should have bought the early front apron I was gonna cut out & wrap so you could take it home with you on the plane? 
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69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold
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ataraxia
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 4504
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:04 pm Post subject: Re: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ag |
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Parts I wish I'd bought years ago:
* NOS rear drums. I bought and sold nearly a dozen sets of rear NOS drums and now the fronts are easier to find than the rears for 64/65. Hell, I can find four month only (early 62) pinwheel drums for both front and rear easier than I can find rear drums for 64/65.
* Grey parking brake boot: Passed on two NOS units in the last 5 years
* Rear armrests: harder to find than the front Z armrests
* Rear seat kick panel: Found two, bought none.
* An NOS pair of early heater channels: Didn't buy them because the seller wanted near $1200 for the pair shipped from Germany. Seemed crazy then, seems like a deal now.
* An NOS Mickey Mouse front apron - I thought it was too expensive at the time...now I'm hoping I can find one before I get to restoring my 64.
I now stick to a few rules:
Rule #1: Do a hard assessment of what you intend on doing yourself vs. farming out
I bought a few used steering columns with the intent to rebuild/restore them myself - that never happened. I've recently come to terms with the fact that it isn't going to happen and some of those parts are now for sale. Being upfront with your constraints (skills, time, money) will save you a lot of money.
Rule #2: Buy the parts when you find them if you think the deal is decent
Some parts took me 5+ years to find while others have simply shown up. If it's a really good deal on a hard to find part, buy two; spares are not a bad thing (see Rule #5).
Rule #3: Stick to NOS parts when restoring a car - unless you are 100% sure the non OEM part will work
See my brake thread for 'why'.
Rule #4: Buy a parts book (or use the online version) to help make sure you're buying the correct parts.
This step alone will save you a ton of money - Volkswagen was great at changing parts mid-production run. I've got two cars that are, technically, seven months apart and the number of parts they don't share is higher than you'd think.
Rule #5: Trade parts when possible
Let go of parts you know you're never going to use to get parts that you need/want. Make use of your connections to help find parts.
As far as parts you should buy now? Floor pans. If you need pan halves - get them now. The prices have been steadily rising each year. It'll hurt but it'll only hurt once.
Last edited by ataraxia on Fri Feb 12, 2016 9:36 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tram
Samba Socialist
Joined: May 02, 2003
Posts: 22728
Location: Still Feelin' the Bern- Once you've felt it you can't un- feel it.
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:17 pm Post subject: Re: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ag |
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Are the new rear drums for '64/5 junk like everything else?
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ataraxia
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 4504
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 8:19 pm Post subject: Re: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ag |
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| Tram wrote: |
| Are the new rear drums for '64/5 junk like everything else? |
I've had two pair from two different sources and both required filing the splines to get them to fit without beating the shit out of them in the process. |
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ALLWAGONS
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2000
Posts: 4191
Location: Pasadena CA/DTLA soon China
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 10:33 pm Post subject: Re: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ag |
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Parts come and go Bob, back in 2008 I had a cash emergency and sold tons of NOS stuff to a few type 3 nuts here, thought I was done. I eventually found more stuff for half the price I sold my stock. Buy NOS when available and ask sellers if they have other type 3 parts. you never know what they may have for sale and just don't post them. I found most NOS parts I needed for my type 34 in less than a year from acquiring the car. Just need an engine, but it is still in standby mode.
Martin
allwagons
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Thanks to my Tesla driving neighbors, I feel more relaxed driving my SUBURBAN and old VW's.
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Bobnotch
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003
Posts: 22431
Location: Kimball, Mi
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| Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2016 11:15 pm Post subject: Re: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ag |
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Wait on buying any rubber parts, as they'll go bad before you get to use them. Who knows, maybe the sellers will have changed to a better supplier by the time you need them. 
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Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
| Tram wrote: |
| "Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
| Tram wrote: |
| People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
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t3kg
Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2006
Posts: 2712
Location: Los Angeles
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Erik G
Samba Member
Joined: October 16, 2002
Posts: 13281
Location: Tejas!
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| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 9:51 am Post subject: Re: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ag |
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agreed on all of the above. Other than rubber, if you see it, buy it. Even if you don't need it, you can trade with others for stuff you need
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bobnorman
Samba Newfoundlander
Joined: August 09, 2010
Posts: 1389
Location: Newfoundland
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| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 12:02 pm Post subject: Re: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ag |
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| ataraxia wrote: |
Parts I wish I'd bought years ago:
* NOS rear drums. I bought and sold nearly a dozen sets of rear NOS drums and now the fronts are easier to find than the rears for 64/65. Hell, I can find four month only (early 62) pinwheel drums for both front and rear easier than I can find rear drums for 64/65.
* Grey parking brake boot: Passed on two NOS units in the last 5 years
* Rear armrests: harder to find than the front Z armrests
* Rear seat kick panel: Found two, bought none.
* An NOS pair of early heater channels: Didn't buy them because the seller wanted near $1200 for the pair shipped from Germany. Seemed crazy then, seems like a deal now.
* An NOS Mickey Mouse front apron - I thought it was too expensive at the time...now I'm hoping I can find one before I get to restoring my 64.
I now stick to a few rules:
Rule #1: Do a hard assessment of what you intend on doing yourself vs. farming out
I bought a few used steering columns with the intent to rebuild/restore them myself - that never happened. I've recently come to terms with the fact that it isn't going to happen and some of those parts are now for sale. Being upfront with your constraints (skills, time, money) will save you a lot of money.
Rule #2: Buy the parts when you find them if you think the deal is decent
Some parts took me 5+ years to find while others have simply shown up. If it's a really good deal on a hard to find part, buy two; spares are not a bad thing (see Rule #5).
Rule #3: Stick to NOS parts when restoring a car - unless you are 100% sure the non OEM part will work
See my brake thread for 'why'.
Rule #4: Buy a parts book (or use the online version) to help make sure you're buying the correct parts.
This step alone will save you a ton of money - Volkswagen was great at changing parts mid-production run. I've got two cars that are, technically, seven months apart and the number of parts they don't share is higher than you'd think.
Rule #5: Trade parts when possible
Let go of parts you know you're never going to use to get parts that you need/want. Make use of your connections to help find parts.
As far as parts you should buy now? Floor pans. If you need pan halves - get them now. The prices have been steadily rising each year. It'll hurt but it'll only hurt once. |
Josh, that is a most excellent write up. Words to live by there.
I guess the big part of how you get there is determining where it is you want to go. I’m not looking to build a 100 point show car. I just want to make this car into a usable stock driver; a bit of cosmetic wear and tear with sound/new mechanicals. Patina if you will, but not that god awful rat look crap. The car is pretty solid and I‘m planning on doing most of it myself- if not all. Time might be a factor, and time will tell. Then again, what is it they say? The surest way to make God laugh is to tell him all your plans...
I’m definitely trying to live by rule number 2, but it’s been hard lately with our dollar reverting back into the northern peso. I have bought things in the past knowing that their day would come.
My approach with my current Ghia project (as well as other VWs I’ve worked on in the past), has been that if NOS isn’t an option, to use good used original, rather than new reproduction parts.
As for parts books, I’ve printed the ones that are posted here and at the OACDP, and find myself using them a lot. Again, good advice.
I’m also guilty of holding on to way too many parts that I don’t need, but it always seems that when I let go of something I end up needing it pretty soon after. I should be looking at it as a way of financing my build...
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http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=289807 |
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bobnorman
Samba Newfoundlander
Joined: August 09, 2010
Posts: 1389
Location: Newfoundland
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| Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2016 12:18 pm Post subject: Re: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ag |
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Thanks for the replies everyone. Lots of good advice here.
| Mike Fisher wrote: |
| You should have bought the early front apron I was gonna cut out & wrap so you could take it home with you on the plane? |
Mike, you must have me mixed up with someone else... though, if I were in your neck of the woods and it was rear apron, I would have definitely found a way to get it on the plane.
| ALLWAGONS wrote: |
Parts come and go Bob, back in 2008 I had a cash emergency and sold tons of NOS stuff to a few type 3 nuts here, thought I was done. I eventually found more stuff for half the price I sold my stock. Buy NOS when available and ask sellers if they have other type 3 parts. you never know what they may have for sale and just don't post them. I found most NOS parts I needed for my type 34 in less than a year from acquiring the car. Just need an engine, but it is still in standby mode.
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I’m hoping that that is still true - about parts coming and going, seems the concensus is the tide is heading out these days though. Good advice about asking what else the seller might have.
| t3kg wrote: |
| The best time to buy Type 34-specific parts would be 10+ years ago. |
You know what they say, the best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago; the second best time is now.
I’m gathering prices aren’t going down, even if supply might pick up. As for the rubber bits, I’m inclined to buy them, if they are decent NOS VW. Thought being -if they’ve survived this long (as some of the NOs stuff I already have has), then they’ll likely last a few more years properly stored. As for the reproduction stuff, yeah, I’d probably be best holding off on it till needed.
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Air does not freeze. Air does not boil.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=289807 |
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.65vw
Samba Member
Joined: August 06, 2008
Posts: 122
Location: Washington - East of Seattle
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| Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2016 12:39 pm Post subject: Re: Parts to buy now? Parts you wished you'd bought years ago? |
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I occasionally search for parts that I have found to be hard to find like cardboard wire covers, original grey rubber e-brake covers (got 2 with the 5 bumps, still looking for a grey type 3 one with one bump) and original plastic light covers for the brakes and turn signals.
It is nice to have them on hand in case they are needed and since most are smaller parts they don't cost too much and are easy to store. |
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