Classic Car Parts

If you have a classic car like me, you know that it can be less-than-convenient to find parts for your vehicle – parts manufacturers don’t exactly push out a lot of new parts for cars made in 1960.

I live in the Fraser Valley (Chilliwack specifically). Here are some places that I buy classic car parts. Whether it’s rear end differentials, brakes, performance parts, or upholstery – you should be able to find almost anything using these channels.

NAPA Auto Parts

NAPA carries a lot of mechanical classic car parts at a VERY reasonable price. They’ve got a lot of little stuff like;

  • light bulbs
  • head lamps
  • taillights
  • engine parts
  • pumps, starters
  • alternators
  • more…

They don’t necessarily have parts to rebuild the engine itself, but most things that go ON the engine. They also have brake and suspension parts for much older model cars – at least as far back to the late 50’s if I recall correctly.

I use NAPA for most older vehicles, as well as newer vehicles. They’re great if you want to replace the stock parts of your vehicle with working parts, but don’t want to upgrade to “performance” parts.

I sometimes use Lordco if I ever need aftermarket performance parts; Lordco puts a big emphasis on these types of parts.

A 3rd parts supplier I use is Fortin’s. They are the middle ground between stock and high performance parts. Where they really excel though, is their engine division. Fortin’s machine shop is excellent – if a motor can be saved, they’re the ones who can save it.

They’re excellent at locating any engine parts. If they can’t get an engine part, no one can.

To summarize:

  • NAPA – excels in stock parts.
  • Lordco – excels in high performance/aftermarket parts.
  • Fortin’s – excels in their machine shop & internal engine parts.

Hot Rods & Classics

It was almost impossible to find weatherstripping for my 1960 Pontiac Laurentian – every option I found didn’t fit the car.

And then I found Hot Rods & Classics, run by Richard Tschritter. Not only was he able to find this rare weather stripping, but he had it in stock – and at a fraction of the cost I was expecting.

Year One (Muscle Cars)

year-one-auto-parts

Year One is great for classic muscle cars.

I had a customer who was quoted over $10,000 on parts by a hot rod shop for their classic. After an order from Year One, they were able to get the same parts delivered to Ship Happens (across the border) for a total cost of only $2,500. That’s a pretty massive savings.

Year One does a great job of cutting out the middleman and passing the savings on to you.

As I said, they’re only useful if you have a muscle car; their selection is limited. Check on their website to see if they carry parts for your car.

Rick Davino – Upholstery

I had Rick do the interior of my 1960 Pontiac Laurentian, and he did an excellent job that exceeded my expectations – I have no complaints.

Since the panels on my car were virtually destroyed (most are made of cheap cardboard) I remade the panels out of wood veneer. Rick did the upholstery on the panels so they were ready to reinstall. Everything fit perfectly back into the car, and it will last longer than the original panels. It was a great move and the interior of the car is spectacular.

I usually reach him on his cell phone at 604-845-4481.

I.W.E. Rear Ends Only (In Burnaby)

iwe-rear-ends-only

As the name suggests, I.W.E. specializes in differentials and rear ends.

Last summer when I needed a differential for my Pontiac, not only could they get me one, but they had it IN STOCK, on the shelf, and ready for deliver. On top of that, it was cheaper than if I had shopped online and shipped from the states.

I had the part the very next day.

If you need anything to do with rear ends, I.W.E. is the place to go.

Local Wrecking Yards

Occasionally a local wrecking yard will have an old car come in. Checking periodically for hard-to-find classic car parts is a good last resort.

I recommend:

All the mainline auto wreckers are interconnected. If you call one of the wreckers, they can search all auto wreckers in Canada to see if your parts are available anywhere.

If you were to call those 7 wreckers and couldn’t find what you’re looking for, you’re not going to find it in a Canadian wrecker. At that point, I would advise you to start searching south of the border.

Re-chroming Bumpers

If you ever need to get your parts re-chromed, I go down to the states. Most shops that do re-chroming down there are half of the money you’d pay in Canada.

But beware – sometimes the price difference comes because they’re doing a single-plate of chrome, instead of the superior triple-chrome plated. Usually, this involves doing a nickel, copper and finally a chrome plate.

Don’t get hosed with a single-plate!