Spare parts availability for the future years

[BLACK BEAUTY]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

Well Alain- I hope my love affair with Black Beauty is long lasting. But I'm sure that problems will arise...a good reason to be here at TBN. Then people like Charlie and others, who have many years beyond me, become my inspiration to carry on...

[Gobird]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

I will be keeping my T-Bird no matter what comes along. If I didn't feel this way I sure wouldn't bother owning a website for them.

[wcoates]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

Alain, apologize for lengthy reply. I'm going to give you a very brief overview/business model as to why the '02-'05 Thunderbird will reach icon status in the collector car market and why we all should be enjoying instead of worrying. I think I'll meet some of our saviors next week in Lexington.

I can only speak about somethings I know a little about. ( do not profess to know Birds.) Go to allantesourse.com.. See all the parts. Go to the about us link. See a picture of two guys in Florida named Ron and Dick. Dick's wife runs the office while the guys twist wrenches to fix or tear down wrecks or source electronics suppliers. Passionate about Allantes. Sound familiar? Let's call then Ron and David sharing the passion. Already have a shop and have recently found a source to repair modules. Hmmm. One can be president and one can remain Chairman of the Bird. Couple of gals named Liz and Jeannie run admin. , apparel and logistics. Tennessee can cover the southeast as well as Florida.

Go to allantestore.com. Guy named Tom Rohner owns/runs and captures the west coast out of San Diego. LA PHIL you and Aaron better start talking.

CadillacAllanteclub.com will get you Johnny Monzo the epitome of passion and the social chairman. (This year it is the Football Hall of fame and Rock and roll hall as their attempt at Bluegrass Cruising and Drive-In Thunder.) he's out of New Jersey. Ok Rusty put the damn surf board away. You got the east coast to co-ordinate and please elect Margaret/Paul/Charlie as social chairman.

Go to allanteparts.net. They are out of Minnesota. Hey who's in Minnesota for the six week Bird driving season. Black Beauty put the watering can away. Duty calls.

Will bid out the Canadian subsidiaries. Hey Mark Gill rumor has it that you are retiring next year and already have a yellow parts car and a wife who loves Birds. You'll need something to do. Consider Alain for engineering and circuit board development.

Whoa wait until the marketing guys (Gotta get Spence and Judy something to do) get wind that the total Allante production was only 23,000 over 7 model years. Yikes Birds sold three times as many in virtually half the time. Start building the factories!

Ok being a little facetious but there lies more seriousness than silliness here. We have passionate and intelligent folks here. An opportunity waiting to be taken. Me and Alfred E. Neuman 'taint worried about a thing! (Except when does our ESP expire!)

The Allante Bible from Dick Hussey really an Allante god:

Welcome to AllanteSource.com. As devoted Allante' enthusiasts for many years, we are pleased to provide more affordable solutions to many of your Allante' needs.

My 1991 Allante'
New parts,

used parts, rebuilt parts, reproduction parts, body parts, technical help, ABS troubleshooting, stereo components, electronics repair, literature, memorabilia, buy or sell or swap

When Allante's were new and under warranty, there was little need for assistance beyond the Cadillac dealership network. Now warranties have expired. Many Allante's have changed hands- to second, third, and even fourth owners. Specially trained Cadillac service technicians have moved on. More and more parts are being discontinued. We are here to help. With a combination of hands on experience, a real love and appreciation of Cadillac Allante's, a little Yankee ingenuity, and a healthy dose of entrepreneurial spirit, we have a lot to offer other Allante' enthusiasts. Come on in and take a look around. If you don't see what you need, please inquire. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Hey Ron cross out the word Allante , insert Thunderbird and the web site is already started. Please make certain the pics of all seven rotate on the website. Roger gets to help with Advertising and web development.

Of course Dot is goddess emeritus. She being a small "g" 'cause she did let the Chrysler Allante clone share her Bird web-site. (Can Maserati even think about competing with Pininfarina for styling and Beauty?)

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

I won't sell but eventually if I have problems I will sell off car's parts to those who were not worried about the supply of parts. In other words. To quote Alfred E. Newman: "What? Me worry?"

[Rooster]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

When I was in high school in the early '60s, I pined for a '55-'57 Thunderbird. They were going for about $1,000 or so at the time, but my lifeguard salary wouldn't support such a grand venture.

My father said, "No, you won't be able to get parts for them in a few years". End of discussion. And, for several years, fewer parts became available. That's not the case now. I couldn't afford a 'Bird at the time and I still can't today.

Oh, for the $1,000 '55.

[Guest]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

In addition to the many sources posted in other threads here by members for various T-Bird parts, there are quite a few damaged Retros available at 'e-repairables.com' I browsed their inventory just yesterday, and most of theirs have damage limited to one area (typically front or rear). Most are up for auction, others have set prices. Prices range from starting bids of $ 100 up to $ 2,000, and most could probably be had for under $ 6,000. These would make excellent 'parts cars.'

I realize most TBN members aren't yet ready to buy a salvaged Retro just to have available parts, but I'm pretty sure that it won't be long before a number of companies start specializing in used Retro parts from salvaged/damaged cars. In addition to that resource, Ford Restoration has hundreds of licensees that can produce anything to OEM specs, and are just waiting for sufficient demand to 'ramp up' production.

We may not be there quite yet, but as was the case with the 1955-57 T-Bird, most if not all parts including interior trim, seats covers, etc., will eventually be easier to find in the future than they are today.

[SugarDaddy]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

In addition to the many sources posted in other threads here by members for various T-Bird parts, there are quite a few damaged Retros available at 'e-repairables.com'

Phil,
The salvage website is: erepairables.com
No dash between e and repairables.com.

[2K2BIRD]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

Alain, there is an old saying -- "Where there is a will, there is a way". Those of us that are in this for the long haul have the will and will find a way to take care of our cars.

Those that look at it as just a car or some kind of commodity will not have the will to stck with it if things get a little tough on the supply side for awhile.

I've never really understood the thought that a car is "nickel & diming me to death". It takes a ton more nickels and dimes to buy a new car than a person will spend keeping up a used car.

Even if a repair costs $4K that's only about 1/10th or less of what any half comparable new car will cost before paying taxes, increased insurance cost, cost of mods to make it your own, e
finance or lease charges for most folks, extended warranty, etc., etc.

There's no real way to guarantee easy access to parts no matter how old a vehicle is. (I've had to wait on parts availability on brand new cars.) Guess the best way to avoid it is to buy a popular cookie cutter sedan with the most common generic engine. I am not, and I suspect most folks aren't, wired that way or they wouldn't own a T-bird to begin with.

Lots of things to lose sleep over in this world, car parts availability isn't one of them.

[Guest]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

Thanks for the correction Jerry.

Paul, I agree with you. And even if someone buys a 'cookie cutter' sedan, who's to say that parts for it won't be hard to find down the road?

Two options as I see it: Buy or lease a new car every 3-5 years, or deal with maintaining a used car. If the car is worth keeping and you enjoy owning and driving it, those benefits will outweigh the inconvenience and cost of repairs and maintenance. If you lose sleep at night worrying about finding parts for a used car, just keep buying new. That's what the automakers want people to do anyway.

[wcoates]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

, there are quite a few damaged Retros available at 'e-repairables.com' Prices range from starting bids of $ 100 up to $ 2,000, and most could probably be had for under $ 6,000. These would make excellent 'parts cars.'

but I'm pretty sure that it won't be long before a number of companies start specializing in used Retro parts from salvaged/damaged cars.

most if not all parts including interior trim, seats covers, etc., will eventually be easier to find in the future than they are today.

Phil that is exactly why I did my earlier posting about the gentleman who started Allante businesses. I know that Rohner and Hussey have at least 40 cars most of the time being parted. Allanteparts.net says thay have done 125 cars totaled. No absolutely not will most of us buy wrecks but the person looking at a parts business will. I do not believe that there will be enough demand to support $1500 seat replacements or even a $1500 grille replacement. (sure some will but volume??? Hope I'm wrong for your sake).

I have parted out 2 Cadillac Allantes-A 91 brought $7200 for a car I had $2800 in and a '93 brought $7500 for a damaged unit that I couldn't get a $2000 offer for. Prices I charged were much less that the 4 Allante Business were charging. ( can check out coat69 feedback on ebay in 2012 to see what parts were bringing.) I don't think the $6000 wreck works as a parts car but the $2000 one sure does IMHO. I don't think we will see parts being reproduced until there is enough demand for the businesses selling re-cycled parts. But I strongly think these business will flourish enough to supply us in the future. Who starts them is the question. People whom I mentioned earlier seriously could and should be serious candidates. For these business to work I think they need a link to a enthusiast network like TBN. C'mon Spence, Charlie, Ron and David and Aaron..

Forget the Gent who was parting two birds recently but his input would be invaluable.

[Guest]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

Bill, I think the member who was parting out the T-birds here was Dick Roe.

I agree that we probably won't see new businesses offering 'recycled/rebuilt/salvaged/restored' Retro parts until demand picks up. This will be a fairly small 'niche' business, but look at all the companies offering 1955-57 parts, and 1961-1966 parts. Almost anything for one of them can be found pretty easily, albeit at a price.

Replacement seat covers, when they're available, will probably be in the $ 1,500 price range you mentioned. New ones from Ford cost close to $ 1,000 back in 2002-2003, so a 50% increase over 10-12 years works out to about 5% per year, not out of the ordinary given inflation. The air bags and premium leathers make them more expensive than say reproductions for the 1955-57. Will people spend that much? I can't say. The 'average' Retro owner may not, but anyone doing a full restoration will have to. Most Retros have been maintained well enough that they don't need full restos yet, but that will change 10-20+ years from now.

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

Bill, I think the member who was parting out the T-birds here was Dick Roe.

I agree that we probably won't see new businesses offering 'recycled/rebuilt/salvaged/restored' Retro parts until demand picks up. This will be a fairly small 'niche' business, but look at all the companies offering 1955-57 parts, and 1961-1966 parts. Almost anything for one of them can be found pretty easily, albeit at a price.

Replacement seat covers, when they're available, will probably be in the $ 1,500 price range you mentioned. New ones from Ford cost close to $ 1,000 back in 2002-2003, so a 50% increase over 10-12 years works out to about 5% per year, not out of the ordinary given inflation. The air bags and premium leathers make them more expensive than say reproductions for the 1955-57. Will people spend that much? I can't say. The 'average' Retro owner may not, but anyone doing a full restoration will have to. Most Retros have been maintained well enough that they don't need full restos yet, but that will change 10-20+ years from now.

Phil, you have to let go of that air bag claim, there are NO AIR BAGS in the covers.

[Guest]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

Ron, there are airbags somewhere in the seats and the seat covers require special thread to allow them to release, right?

I've had numerous conversations with the Ford Restoration department manager and they are very concerned about the safety issues involved with manufacturing or licensing suppliers to produce anything where safety issues are involved.

The average person may not be too concerned with the air bag issue or the special thread needed to make sure they deploy, but if OEM seat covers are produced and don't perform properly Ford has major liability issues.

So the air bag issue must be factored in and accounted for, and that aspect is an important part of the project.

It's not me making an issue of this, but rather Ford. I can't move forward with the project without addressing and complying with their concerns and issues.

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

All manufacturing companies know the type of thread to use and all car companies have specs. on the tensile strength of the required thread. It is not a mystery or a black hole, just different thread. It is just required in the side bolster seam and allows the side air bag to deploy. Now get busy.

[Guest]

Re: Spare parts availability for the future years

Okay, okay Ron. I'm working on it.