Do you collect NOS parts?

[69hurstolds]

LESSON IN INFLATION.....

When people see NOS decals for a G-body 442 and they're in a set, partial or individual, and they start weinering about prices....I would like to hand them a tissue.

A lot of times, you'll see decal sets for around 750-1000 depending on the items and condition. It turns out those are pretty fair prices, in actuality.

Below is a picture of a box containing a complete stem to stern 442 black exterior decal package. This was the easiest way to do my inventory on this box. Just tape the receipt to it. Apparently I purchased these back on May 7, 1997.

Added up with my 25% discount and back then there was 5% taxes, it was a total of $473.15. BACK IN 1997. Fast forward that to today, and that was like $755.10 if you could buy them discounted today, out the door. (not including an extra 3% in state sales taxes). Full price would be $591.44 back then, or $943.88 in today's dollars. Yeah, they're pricey. Always have been.

Note the last item...here's a picture of that. VIN 9 pump.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Many times the quality of AM parts is pretty lacking, with most not meeting correct factory specs like NOS. Plus some parts like emission parts and body glass the AM just is not bothering with.

 

[MrSony]

I like the idea of NOS parts. But unless im actively restoring a car, unless they were stupid cheap I wouldn't. However, a while back there was an NOS 79 Buick 350 for sale in Maryland for $900. Was donated to a highschool auto program, never ran. Still had paint markings everywhere. I still do want that 78 hurst dual gate on eBay... But for $800 it better come with $700 in a sealed envelope.

 

[69hurstolds]

Many times the quality of AM parts is pretty lacking, with most not meeting correct factory specs like NOS. Plus some parts like emission parts and body glass the AM just is not bothering with.

Sometimes the AM parts may be all you have when the NOS supply has depleted or rise to unobtanium price levels. QUALITY AM parts are difficult to find. But others are great and preferred over OEM. Like for example, I'd have no issues using an aftermarket Cloyes timing chain and sprocket set. The NOS cam sprocket is aluminum with nylon ring gear on it. NO FRIGGIN' WAY am I going to go that route.

But sometimes, you simply cannot beat original GM parts. They've been salt sprayed, water/heat/cold/windstorm/whatever and tested to meet GM standards. I'm sure it has everything to do with the GM rep that has to be convinced and signs off on a vendors part. But AM doesn't normally do that. They copy a part, reverse engineer it and as long as it LOOKS like the original part when new, that's the end of their guarantee. GM at least gave a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty on most over the counter parts. That warrantee could change depending on the part, but in general...

But yeah, in most instances, I'd refurbish an original part than take my chances on a chinesium knock off.

 

[Ribbedroof]

Seeing mention of NOS stripes/kits reminds me of a time about 20 years ago when i was heavily into a certain vehicle of the mid/late 1970s. A few guys got all excited when they found and bought some NOS stripe kits (the available repros sucked, and that's being kind). The bitterness came when they attempted to apply them a few years later, and found the adhesive was no longer viable. Aside from the ridiculous prices they paid, which I would not have paid, I preferred painting the stripes on and burying them under the clear. Not "correct" for a resto, but I was more of a restification guy anyway. Today, that market has finally gotten to where a legit resto is actually worth pursuing. At the time i was in it, there was a pretty fair amount of NOS floating around, and I boght a lot of it. Some got used, most got resold when I exited the marque.

 

[69hurstolds]

Seeing mention of NOS stripes/kits reminds me of a time about 20 years ago when i was heavily into a certain vehicle of the mid/late 1970s. A few guys got all excited when they found and bought some NOS stripe kits (the available repros sucked, and that's being kind). The bitterness came when they attempted to apply them a few years later, and found the adhesive was no longer viable.

They obviously didn't store them properly. While true the adhesive can and does dry out eventually, keeping them out of the light, and not too humid and not to dry conditions as well as around 75 degrees give or take environment makes them last for years. I feared that too when I was restriping the 84 H/O because they were getting up in age. But the door and trunk letter decals looked and acted like they were made the day before after years of storage in the right conditions, and they still look great on the car.

There's also a method to revitalize the adhesive so there's always hope with NOS stripes.

But I agree, painted stripes are ALWAYS better IMO.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Sometimes the AM parts may be all you have when the NOS supply has depleted or rise to unobtanium price levels. QUALITY AM parts are difficult to find. But others are great and preferred over OEM. Like for example, I'd have no issues using an aftermarket Cloyes timing chain and sprocket set. The NOS cam sprocket is aluminum with nylon ring gear on it. NO FRIGGIN' WAY am I going to go that route.

But sometimes, you simply cannot beat original GM parts. They've been salt sprayed, water/heat/cold/windstorm/whatever and tested to meet GM standards. I'm sure it has everything to do with the GM rep that has to be convinced and signs off on a vendors part. But AM doesn't normally do that. They copy a part, reverse engineer it and as long as it LOOKS like the original part when new, that's the end of their guarantee. GM at least gave a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty on most over the counter parts. That warrantee could change depending on the part, but in general...

But yeah, in most instances, I'd refurbish an original part than take my chances on a chinesium knock off.

Also, the AM all too often consolidates different applications into one, especially among sub models. Like stating a part meant for base models is also good for performance models when it really is not. That is the really tricky issue to look out for.

 

[Canon_Mutant]

Um . . . not intentionally. 🤔

But, I have my NOS 307 and 200-R4 w/ stock converter and factory 442 exhaust with only 24K miles on them. And, I now have the original NOS front and rear control arms, front and rear sway bars, front brake assys, front spindles, shocks and springs, and SSIII wheels. Ah, and 2 extra vin 9 CCC carbs and an extra ECM. I'm sure I am forgetting something.

Sorry, none of above is for sale though . . . yet.

I even have NOS Goodyear Eagle II 215/65/15s. Those are negotiable.

 

[69hurstolds]

One thing to do with NOS parts if you can is to verify the part number matches the part you need. Case in point- I once ordered some front fenders for an Olds G47. When they came into the dealership, they were wrapped in heavy brown paper. When I went back to the loading dock door to put them in the back of the truck, I noticed one didn't look like the other. Turned out, although the correct part number stickers were on the parts and the paper outer wrap, there was one Olds G47 fender and the other was a Camaro fender. WTF? They fixed it for me, but still. Sometimes GMSPO gets it wrong.

Another time I ordered LH and RH 442 rear exhaust hangers. The part numbers were on hang tags that were wired to the hanger and they came as they were. They went in the box with all the other junk I ordered and when I got to the house, I noticed they both looked alike. Found out I had two RH ones as one was mislabeled as a LH. Rather than send one back, I ordered 2 LH ones and fixed that issue myself. Although the GM packaging and warehouses do pretty good, they're not perfect.