• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

I don't have stupid written across my forehead

Share this page

I recently worked on a Mitsubishi that needed a new expansion valve on the A/C. I went to a local air shop and was told this valve was "SPECIAL" and had to ordered from the dealer because of "SPECIAL" threads used just for THIS model. All other valves would cost about $25. The dealer charged me $110. I walked bow legged for a little while after that /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.
 
What a bunch of whiners /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I get the same thing even with GM - try and buy a chain tensioner for a 3.4 some time - lots of parts either silly prices or dropped from the lists. Stock pistons for $200 each and stuff like that.

But as the owner of a Twincam MG and a Lamborghini I have a hard time sympathising about parts prices!

On the Twincam, such things as chain damper pads are NLS. Solution - buy new Jaguar items and cut the flat pad part off and rivet them to the old bracket.

Lamborghini Islero - this one sat for 25 years in a garage and the resonators rotted. New parts? Amazingly available (except probably made only when you order them which likely means a year wait) and about $900 for a couple of resonators.

Solution? Research it and find out that several of the after market manufacturers used the OEM Stebro pattern. Buy new twin tips from one of them - identical to the Lambo ones except that they are separate parts, not part of a resonator muffler. Make up bridge pipe where the muffler once was. End up with a $200 solution that sounds one heck of a lot better anyway......

Then there was the time I figued out that the $150 temp sender for a Jensen was the same voltage as a $10 Austin part, and the unobtainable turn signal switch for the Lambo was also a Lucas part - Austin America to the rescue again....and the brake light switch (took awhile to find that - mounts back in the rear wheel well) was the same as a TR, and the tie rods could be fabricated from Toyota truck parts, and........
 
Yup, gotta admit, Italian exotics can be a challenge: once had a set of pistons made up by Wiseco for a V-12 Ferrari faster and cheaper than I could get 'em from It'ly. Car ran as if it didn't know the difference! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Back
Top