Humor me with a thought problem related to part availability...

[MGNoir]

Sometimes people who don't have an LBC ask me about part availability (thinking it rare), but I usually indicate the catalogs are pretty complete and you could almost build a whole car from them.

Which begs the question, how much of a car could you build just from Victoria British or Moss? And what would it cost to do as complete as possible?

 

[Guest]

Which begs the question, how much of a car could you build just from Victoria British or Moss? And what would it cost to do as complete as possible?

The answer is 1/3 of your budget...because it will cost you three times more than what you think it will. :wink:

 

[BillW103]

Parts avalablite is better for my Sprite than it is for the 1969 Ford Van I am restoring now.

 

[SaxMan]

I think pretty much everything but the body shell, engine block, wheels and tires can be had from VB. As quickly as I've spent money on improving an otherwise "complete car" (and being relative "drops in the bucket" at that), I imagine the cost would be preposterous to build an entire car from their catalog. I'd put it conservatively between $30 to $35k.

 

[JPSmit]

I agree, at a minimum. I don't think everything is available from VB and/or Moss. The hose that goes from the block to the oil pressure sender on a 1500 comes to mind. Still unobtanium. However, if you expand to suppliers in the UK, you can certainly get a shell. IIRC you can get wheels from VB but tires would need to come locally. However, i am not aware of anyone casting new blocks - maybe a race supplier, but even there I doubt it would be worth it for a relatively small number of orders.

 

[glemon]

You can get most all of the wear and trim items, but the big parts that don't wear out, or can be machined are where there are "holes". As mentioned engine block, I have not looked at a Sprite catalog for a while, but I don't think you can get a rear axle housing either, gauges, I think you can get some but not all. I know you can get seat foams and covers, can you het new seat frames, new Dashboards? don't think you can get the radio box, at least for a '66 or '67. But I have wondered the same thing myself from time to time, you could probably get closer with a B, because they used, to, and I think still do sell complete body shells. Man it would cost a LOT.

 

[JPSmit]

OK, it is morning, I am not quite awake, it is winter so I can't go drive - we all have Moss catalogs. I would be willing to add up a few pages - just for fun - to see how much one really would cost. Is there enough interest here that if we all took a few pages, it might be a fun and silly way to pass the time. Actually, come to that, is this something that could be done on the website - click the order and just don't check out?

 

[Rut]

JP,
I would do it online as well. Do exactly as you said, or put everything in your wish list to keep a running total.
Rut

 

[MGNoir]

$2,382.55 total for the Moss Sprite/Midget Gearbox, with some items not available on the list. This is from https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=29287