With other automakers like Nissan and Toyota having parts programs, one can wonder if other automakers will announce similar programs for some of their classic models. As the years go on and parts become harder and harder to find for some of these vehicles, many current and future potential owners may be screwed one day if nothing is done.
We asked readers what cars they thought could use a parts reproduction program. These were their answers.
There’s already 5th gen (2010 to 2015) Camaro parts that can no longer be readily obtained. Z28 brake ducts, and the 1LE splitter are the ones I know for sure off the top of my head. I would imagine the rest of the Z28 aero is similarly rare. Not sure about the suspension components, but Sunmit was the only place offering the entire kit when I last looked.
Recaro seats were impossible to obtain new almost as soon as the 6th gen appeared. It’s an ever increasing list and I am not up to the minute on it.
So, given that, any car more than five years out of production probably makes for a viable candidate.
Suggested by: HelplessWilliam
I’m at about the end of my parts stash now - next time I need to do brakes I don’t think I can find rotors. Suspension parts like struts and strut tops are hard to find. Transmission synchros and decent engine bearings haven’t been available in decades. But, people would need to actually spend money to get them, otherwise it’s not worth it for a company to have the parts made.
Suggested by: Jonathan Jorda (Facebook)
Very many on the road, a large and highly organized community of owners and enthusiasts. Tacoma parts prices at dealers are outrageous for these vehicles, because demand is high, supply is low. Dorman, eBay, and Amazon do a brisk business in used and replicated parts. Recyclers will sell a whole door with a handle (if you can find one) but not just the door handle. “Part Out” sales proliferate. Parts with high replacement demand are well known. “TacomaWorld” online Forum has 309,583 members with extensive buy and sell parts marketplaces.
Suggested by: Freshman
It isn’t affordable at all but the 2005-06 Ford GT should have parts more readily available from Ford. After talking to a few owners, even now some parts are getting to be difficult to source.
Suggested by: BrownManualWagon
Mazda MX3, MX6, 323, Familia, and Ford Probe Family cars. The era of the cheap FWD sports car deserves to be remembered, and the small displacement high revving V6 deserves to live on. I mean, automatic seatbelts, rear wheel steering, and smoky good looks. By this measure, the Isuzu Impulse/Geo Storm also need to be repaired, or better yet, brought back into production.
Suggested by: Obscure Mazda from the Past
My current bias leans on my project, Lotus Esprit. Though I doubt there would be much of a market. Really seems every task breaks something new and hard to find or just not available anymore. Some parts luckily have alts from other manufactures/cars but your luck runs dry on many Lotus specific parts or the other rare cars the Esprit borrowed from. Might get lucky and one of the Lotus specific shops may carry the part or analog and fortunately, 3D printing really mitigates some of the headache with non critical parts and components. However there is always a sense of dread when I move onto other fixes and wondering what else I may break and if it is something I can find or have to make.
Suggested by: projectpaperweight
As of today, you can literally buy all the sheet metal that makes up a ‘69 Charger—no exceptions—plus the trunk floor and body floor. So by hanging the sheet metal off a Crown Vic chassis, you can build a ‘69 Charger (with a wheelbase 3" too long). More than one builder has done exactly that.
So it’s time for Dynacorn, a Taiwanese company which builds some muscle car unibodies, to take the plunge and produce the 2nd gen Charger unibody. Push the classic Charger to the Nth level of reproduction by also providing the grille and other ancillary parts.
If it happened, think how much movie producers would love it...an unending supply of Chargers that could be destroyed in as many chases as they could stage.
Suggested by: the 1969 Dodge Charger Guy
Anything made by Honda that is more than 10 years old. Honda has no regard for their “legacy” products and it seems like that they want us old Honda enthusiasts to just shut up and buy a new Honda.
Suggested by: Scott Harris (Facebook)
Cadillac XLR. I know, not really reasonably priced or even all that great. But it would be scary to own one knowing that burning out a tail light could pretty much total the car.
Suggested by: theart
As a P1 Volvo guy, I always feel bad for my 240/740 buddies as they have tons of trouble finding trim and other (primarily) cosmetic parts. This is due to the fact that with their reliability, finding them in junk yards is hard and there isn’t the tuning/customization scene for them like there are for the 850s and newer models.
Suggested by: cdydatzigs