When restoring antique cars, the inevitable invariably happens; you cannot find a part that you need to make the restoration complete. You have scoured the newspapers, antique car magazines and buyer guides, the online advertisements and related web sites and chat rooms. You have placed ads on EBay and every classic car restoration site that you could find. What do you do? Do you wait and hope that someone, somewhere will eventually respond to your queries, or do you settle for a work-around, using similar parts from other vehicles, with whatever else you may need to make the alien part work, and look like it belongs. But to the discernible automotive restorer, nothing but original parts will do. In this case, what do you do then? When parts are unavailable for antique cars, there are companies that will machine any part, to your’s, or the original manufacturer’s exacting specifications. You can order the material that the piece is to be made of, the colour of the piece, as well as any other detail that you wish. Of course, original stock is the most sought after, and it is usually still attainable. It may just not be an original part, but an exact copy of the original part. If you still insist upon nothing but original parts, and a remake of the original part to exacting specifications is not good enough, there are thousands of car parts and accessory auction houses and sales stores (the Internet is a great way to find these stores). Many people have bought two or three classic cars to make one completely restored vehicle out of, and will sell the parts that they do not need for their restoration. But be prepared to pay, and pay large for parts from these people. They will part with their part for the right price, but they also may want to keep all of their parts for future use, in case they need them down the road. The parts that you would be most likely to gain access to using this method would be non-mechanical in nature (body parts, maybe frame parts or seats in need of re-upholstering). If just one part, piece or accessory is missing, broken or a non-original part, you can not legally sell your car as a restored or rebuilt antique, nor can you sell it as mint condition. You can not even compete in Original Antique Shows. Not even if each and every part, even engine parts are shiny clean with no scratches, dirt, rust or grime can you sell your vehicle as original if even so much as a seatbelt or frame bolt is not an original piece from an exact match to your antique car (the exact same make, model and year). For all of the legitimate businesses trading or selling antique car parts, there will be a few that are scams, people who will offer you whatever you are looking for as long as you are willing to either pay up front, or pay partial payment and the cost of shipping up front, before ever seeing your piece (other than a picture of it). Be very wary of these people. Take care when renovating or restoring antique cars. It just may be a great idea to do a complete inventory, find and make sure you have access to each and every part that you will need before even starting. Getting 90 percent finished and finding that you need a few pieces that are impossible to find would be a waste of money and effort, unless, of course, you are happy with a replica antique car. In which case, forget about buying any original parts and go for the much cheaper machined parts. Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil
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