Tonight's question - how many parts do you keep?

[JPSmit]

I have been getting back to work on the Vauxhall which involves sorting parts - lots of parts, all of which got me wondering how many parts you keep? I realize that you should throw nothing away until the job is done - I get that, but, the PO bought a new fuel pump, and so far, I have found 4 old ones. Yesterday I sent 2 distributors to Jeff Schlemmer to have him choose the best one to rebuild - and today I found a third. I have 15 tailights - excluding the ones on the car.

Likewise with the Midget, which is done, I have a manifold that I have replaced with headers, a water pump that weeps, all the spark plugs I have ever used.

Any thoughts? (This is a semi-serious question BTW)

 

[Gliderman8]

Easy, just build additional Vauxhall's.. Really, I think you answered your own question; keep what you have until your done and then drive it for a year or so to see if you need to replace any parts that fail.
What's the downside of holding onto the parts?

 

[Keoke]

Any thoughts: JPSmit-Ever hear of a hoarder ?

I guess you are like me I simply can not pass up an NOS part whether I need it or not . I can probably build a
car out of the parts I have stored, but know I will need it some day-OH SURE !!!-

 

[bgbassplyr]

Bound to need a part shortly after you get rid of it. That's been my experience at least.

 

[70herald]

Hoarders??? I sold the Herald 3 months ago and am still coming across hidden parts in secret storage places I forgot about!
I would choose the 4 best tailights and get rid of the rest (sell donate or whatever..) Same with distributors once it comes back from Jeff, everything else goes out. After all, the rebuild dizzy is going to be good for far more miles than you will ever drive an antique car.

I also had a big "spark plug collection" but only because in the first year or so I was fouling them so often that I need a bunch just to go anywhere. If they are well used, the only reason I would keep them is if they were somewhat unusual like original Lodge pink plugs.

And, do keep the weeping water pump, it could always be an emergency backup, and is probably rebuild-able and of better quality than the new ones.

 

[Mickey Richaud]

As I've aged, I seem to be losing parts all the time...

With retirement this year and a move over to E. Tennessee, I'll soon be going through the garage and shop to weed out some of the stash I've managed to accumulate over the years. Have my share of used, but serviceable bits - probably more than my share of some!

 

[DrEntropy]

feh. I've got two parts department inventories here: Lotus and Alfa. And enough MGB bits to count as a third. I consider it ballast to keep th' hovel and shed from blowing away if a hurricane hits local. :smirk:

 

[aeronca65t]

I built ~This Car~ completely out of scrap, unwanted parts that I had laying about.

Thus, preventing me from ever throwing anything away ever again. :friendly_wink:

 

[drooartz]

If I take off original bits, I'll keep them even if the functionality is questionable -- sometimes parts from an assembly come in handy later on. I will also keep old bits that got upgraded (like the old front drums from my Bugeye, even though I'll never use them), in case a future owner wants to go back to 100% stock. Bugeye bits aren't that big after all. For modern bits like spark plugs I'll keep one known good spare set. That's it.

My shop is small, though (12'x20' with an attic) and that's my parts stash limit.

 

[PAUL161]

I have enough left over MGB stuff to fill a 16 foot box trailer including a couple engines & transmissions. I'd love to find someone with an interest in it. No, I won't part it out, it's all or nothing! They'd get a good deal if they would come and haul it away. I have no use for it anymore. PJ

 

[DNK]

I save them til someone needs them and give them away.
Or if it is a rare part I might sell it

 

[mikephillips]

More than I probably should. But, I tried to get rid of some at one point to guys who might need them, Free to whomever needed the was the ad. For two months no one responded. Sure enough a couple days after they went to scrap someone contacted me who was desperately looking for what I had.

 

[sail]

Not many but more than my wife knows about. I need them.

 

[DrEntropy]

For two months no one responded. Sure enough a couple days after they went to scrap someone contacted me who was desperately looking for what I had.

A few of Ol' Doc Entropy's Law(s):

"A thing will be seen as unnecessary until disposed of."

A corollary: "A thing misplaced will reappear immediately on procurement of a new replacement."

And: "Any object dropped will immediately go to the most unreachable point under (or in) the chassis."

 

[Gliderman8]

A few of Ol' Doc Entropy's Law(s):

"Any object dropped will immediately go to the most unreachable point under (or in) the chassis."

I changed the oil on my daughters car last week. Before completing the task, I had to run out to the auto store to buy a filter; Oh yes, I had a brand new box on the shelf but the box was empty.
When I returned 15 mins later, I looked and looked to find my filter wrench to put the new filter on. I had it just before I left home since I removed the old one. As hard as I looked it was nowhere to be found.
About an hour later I found the wrench UNDER an edge trimmer in my garage...... grrrrrr :livid:

 

[DrEntropy]

A familiar syndrome, Elliot. Put a tool down in a place while doing a task and if it is not picked up again within sixty seconds, it will take another hour to relocate it. :confuse:

 

[PAUL161]

A familiar syndrome, Elliot. Put a tool down in a place while doing a task and if it is not picked up again within sixty seconds, it will take another hour to relocate it. :confuse:

And that's if your very lucky!! I'm still looking! :sorrow:

 

[Banjo]

Keep all parts! Always! no matter how badly rotten, ripped, tore-apart, broken, small, big, or otherwise useless. That way you can keep your shop looking like a treasure trove of rare and vintage parts when other enthusiasts drop by for a pint. They will be amazed at the fact that you have not one, but four, slightly knockered, original pandimetric waneshafts for the 1963 Kirby Rothington Fixed head Coupe you sold in 1985. And of course you know someday Sir Dewey Thropmorton the IVth, president of the Kirby Rothington Preservation Society, is going to email you offering $257,467.83 for the lot of your waneshafts. And he'll throw in an extra $50 for the original Yugo battery you have keeping your beer fridge from wobbling.
Of course, if all else fails, you can box up the whole lot, ship it to Doug, and he'll make some amazing sculpture out if it all.
~edit~ Just to clear things up, this post was not meant to be cynical. I was really just doing my worst impression of my hero BS Levy.

 

[sail]

Never mind. I will be nice.

 

[Guest]

Just to clear things up, this post was not meant to be cynical. I was really just doing my worst impression of my hero BS Levy.

Oh, don't worry, the worst levy of BS came though loud and clear.