I don't keep a parts car but many of my friends with extra space do. So buying or trading a part from them is better for me than keeping my own stock.
It is also getting easier to purchase new parts of acceptable quality (there's the rub) or getting good rebuilds as needed.
Parts cars have let me put more 1979 appropriate parts on my car that had been first restored with parts from an early 75'ish model. I bought one half a parts Spider for the wheels alone and my friend got the rest.
Cheers
Ron
I don't have a whole car. I do keep a complete engine in stock for the Mini as well as a few shelves of stuff for the other vehicles. I used to "obtain" and strip cars on a regular basis, but after paying storage for all those parts for several years and actually having so much stuff I couldn't find things when I needed them I got rid of it all. I found the costs to obtain and keep an inventory didn't make sense if the stuff could be bought pretty easily.
I have a couple of parts cars for the Spitfires but I'm not a big fan of the concept. These cars were forced on me, by wives of the sellers I suspect, of some running Spits I bought as a package deals, take all or nothing.
I think 2 of them, which will have any useful parts removed soon, will become practice dummies for my brother's new plasma cutter.
Most new parts are available, why do I want to replace a 40 year old part with a 38 year old one?
mike
I have three parts cars on the property right now. I love parts cars!
I also have a 1980 Spitfire for sale. It is an old project car that needs love. It is not the blue one that I have been building with my son.
