General Chat
Q:
Hi folks,
First of all let's give some up for the boys in the Courtesy Nissan Parts Department. They have given me discounts when they could, hunted down parts for me and got them to my front door safe and in one piece.
Lately, I've been hearing a lot of, "There are only 12 left in the country", or whatever the number might be for that part. I've also been hearing a lot of, "no longer available", (red interior rear view mirror for 83T).
I felt bad several months ago when I forked out $172 for a turn signal switch assembly for my 77280Z (Only ten in the country at the time). Now it is over $200. Kind of glad I got it when I did. And for the record, today I just purchased the last 13 red push pins in the country for the interior of my 83T.
Anyway, it seems like I've been hearing a lot of this lately. Of course it was someone on this board who pointed out that these cars were never expected to be around now. I think that over the next ten years these cars are going to be much harder to restore, especially for those who have a tendency towards the stock versions.
Everyone take care and have a good weekend.
John
77280Z (Spooky), 83ZXT (Garage Queen), 86ZXT (Bulldog).
Proud owner of 10/03 Z car of the month.
A:
If you're good at fabricating - you have market potential - find a need and fill it. Good ole "Yankee" know how, entreprenurial ( good grief however you spell it) market savy - whatever.
It took some 30 + years for people to manufacture parts to restore Ford Model A's; something like 10 years for Ford Mustang (instant classic car).
Look how many specialty shops cater to certain model muscle cars.
Z's are classic - restore more - demand will generate supply.
Ed and Jeanne's
ZXelda 1981 280 ZXT: ZXena 1990 300 ZX
1941 Buick Special Sedanette (Betty)
1956 Dodge Royal (Dorothy)
1971 Buick Riviera (Rita)
1975 Ford F-150 Stepside (Fiona)
1992 Firebird (Frieda)
A:
If more people would reuse parts and restore them there selves, instead of always buying new ones, there would be alot more NOS or aftermarket parts that arent made anymore, to go around. I understand that sometimes you have to get brand new, like most of interior things. But i have not had to buy a NEW turn signal switch, combo switch, or ignition switch or anything like that. Just have to find someone selling a working one, or make your old one work.
No body needs to be offended by any of this, im not attacking those "who have the money to buy new" im just saying there are ALOT of good used parts out there, use those first and leave the new ones for those who NEED them.
Jason:
'77 280zT coupe: 8.8:1, flat tops, .030 over, Msd-6al, 60mm tb, cold air, 2.5" exhaust and DP, no cat, GReddy type RS BOV, medium intercooler
A:
With the net and the classified sections of today, there is great hope.
19[TT]91
My TT beauty is gone.
2[00]2 Honda 954RR
Suzuki 1200 S; sportscar eater
19[I4]94 Integra GSR Sedan
Long live the Z...
aka SAHTT
A:
Again, the important thing is demand.
You can just about assemble a 1st. generation Mustang from new made parts. Of course it is a very popular car to restore.
The more Z's that are kept and restored, as opposed to scrounging parts from several to keep one running, the more market demand for new parts.
There's nothing wrong with pick-apart as now it is sometime all you can do and of course more affordable.
I'm saying: restore more Z's, bring more people to the hobby = more demand for cottage industry to make more new parts.
The down side is the cars and the parts become more valuable and more expensive unless and until you get enough to keep supply over demand.
Ed and Jeanne's
ZXelda 1981 280 ZXT: ZXena 1990 300 ZX
1941 Buick Special Sedanette (Betty)
1956 Dodge Royal (Dorothy)
1971 Buick Riviera (Rita)
1975 Ford F-150 Stepside (Fiona)
1992 Firebird (Frieda)
A:
Sounds like they are telling you this so they can charge you more $.
1991 300ZX N/A Slicktop
1970 240Z
A:
I bought a used turn signal switch that looked like new and worked like new. Norm K
Norman Krell
A:
if a part becomes really scarce then someone will surely make it, look at the aftermaket rubber weatherstrip kits for instance - not available from Nissan any more yet someone has taken the trouble to get a batch manufactured.
I didn't have a Clue??!!! Until I found Blue...
Blue's Z car tips -
A:
Someone was cracking on me for saying to have a part made...
Because it woudl cost (in his mind) $200.
Hey, when it's NLA, and yours is dust, watcha gonna do? Even at $200 for something custom made it's better than not driving the car!
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"
A:
Another thing that seems to be going on is that entrepreneurial people are cashing in on this phenomenon of parts running out and making money on ebay. I remember a few years back when Nissan ran out of the maxima caliper brackets, I got one of the last sets shortly beforehand for under a hundred bucks for the pair brand new. There is a seller on ebay that I have seen sell at least 7-10 brand new pairs in the last year or so alone for an average of at least 175-200 dollars a pair. Somebody saw an opportunity and took it.
Post Edited (Nov 19, 3:34pm)
A:
"If you're good at fabricating - you have market potential", and "Good ole "Yankee" know how"
Have you ever seen any of the shows with Boyd Coddingtons stuff! Complete Garbage. There is ZERO engineering staff in their design process, they just cut, weld, recut, reweld, until it looks saleable.
As for some OEM stuff, why does Motorsport have it for sale, yet my local Nissan dealer asks "What is a 280Z"??? and "We don't make it anymore" without even looking anywhere. That makes me angry.
A:
Hell I'm going to start trying that. I am going to be carrying Z31 W-series turbo pistons for sale. Nissan NOS for WAY cheaper than Nissan or any parts houses would have them.
A:
Welcome to 1979! Corvair out of production for 10 years, but still parts available in GM stockrooms....the unpopular parts that is. Your only REAL source for parts was Corvair Underground, Larrys in Hawthorne, OTTO Parts in SoElMonte, or Cal Clarks in Shelburne Falls MA...
Lo, these 20 years later, Cal and Underground are your primary parts places. Everybody buys from them, and remarkets.
TAKE A HINT! The biggest usually is the one that survives. Long Motor Victoria British don't seem big on reproduction stuff, but MSA is....
Support the vendors, in 20 more years the problem will be much more acute. Parts hoarders like me will laugh and keep hoarding, never sharing, and die withered in a ball in the corner of our garage smeared in our own filth under a collapsed pile of NOS L24 Blocks....
People Are Idiots, Just look around here and you will see!
Tony D: "Knowledgeable but Caustic"... rationull
My brother from another mother calls himself "Willie D"