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02-21-2014, 06:48 AM
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#1 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: tool box
Posts: 3,115
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Parts Sources
return to The 60-66 FAQ Index, Section 2C...
---- NOTE : this article was written for the 60-66 trucks, HOWEVER a lot of the places to search and the methods used also applies to other model trucks. Also, many of the vendors mentioned in various links within this post sell parts for many, many year models. Even if you do not have a 60-66 truck, but you wandered in here from elsewhere, you can still learn something from this thread. Enjoy. This post is about parts searching methods and actual parts sources. If you want to learn anything from this article, you will need to follow the various links, read, absorb and explore them. I am pointing you in the right directions, not spoon feeding you every single morsel of information. This post and it's many links to other articles requires reading comprehension skills. If you do not wish to take the time to read it all and learn from others, it will not be of much use to you in learning about parts searching. Searching methods can be from looking in person at parts, researching online, seeking parts on the telephone or wandering around a swap meet near you. Parts sources range from actual parts vendors that cater to our old trucks, other forum members, Forum Vendors, your local salvage yard and parts store or a random yard sale near you. Parts searching is all part of the adventure of owning an old truck.  I am not an Administrator of the forum or a Moderator. I'm just a fella that likes old GM trucks and as I've collected a lot of information about parts searching, I'm just trying to share it with other forum members..  One of the most handy parts sources is here on our forum in the classifieds section, the Parts Boards, which are broken down by year model/body style. To make the most out of the Parts Boards tho', requires being a Supporting Member, so that you can place ads. Hence I have included the details on this, in this message. A lot of your success in finding parts will be due to asking for or searching for the correct part by name or terminology. Trying to find out what a piece of your old truck is actually called in a GM parts book... or the nickname that has since developed for a component is all an element of the adventure of owning and fixing an old truck. The mention of the Announcement posts is included as a lot of new members never bother to read them when they join, then complain or whine when a post they made about parts or other things is edited, locked down or outright deleted. Read the Announcement posts and you'll get a good idea of what is allowed and what is not. My only intent in posting this is to share information about available parts sources for new old stock/reproduction or used parts for GM trucks, from forum members, Supporting Vendors(scroll down to see 'em) or others. I have no financial stake in this, I am only sharing the knowledge to help you along your way in learning how to find parts for old GM trucks. Read it, learn, go explore and find parts... or ignore it. Also, be sure to explore the posts made down below within this thread as other members chime in with suggestions and advice! -W This message was last wrenched on : 10/10/2014 Supporting Vendors & Suspension Marketplace Be sure to stop by the Vendors Marketplace from time to time, as the Supporting Vendors(scroll down to see 'em) have sales on items, new product offerings... or sometimes they ask for advice about products they are considering producing. Many of our Supporting Vendors sell used parts, so check with them if you are looking for something. See which parts boards they post in the most, to get an idea of what year models they specialize in. Links Directory If you have a 1960-66 truck, be sure to explore the The 1960-1966 FAQ Index and the sites and articles linked there... you never know what you will find by exploring the External Links sections... as many of the sites listed in there, have various types of classifieds sections. Everything within this post, is listed or linked somewhere in the 60-66 FAQ Index, but I decided to write a post about parts huntin' and searching. The 60-66 FAQ Index contains a list of 100's of threads within the forum about all areas of '60-'66 trucks. There is also plenty of links to external "how-to" articles, tech., photo albums, videos and web logs from your fellow forum members. Go Explore! GM parts wikiFLAPS *Friendly Local Auto Parts Store. A lot of mechanical bits and pieces can still be found for our trucks at the local parts stores, big and small. Gasket material, hoses, brake and fuel lines, rebuild kits for carburetors & brake wheel cylinders. Bigger things like alternators, water pumps. Things like, wires, fuses, brake shoes and more... generally speaking, the under the hood, under the chassis mechanical things and and under the dash electrical items. Now, they may not always have it on the shelf, you may have to order it, but if you have to return it, there is no shipping involved. The policies for the older type, new/rebuilt parts are in line with the same policies on modern parts. For example : most places don't accept returns on opened electrical parts. Another reason to shop there is that some long existing aftermarket companies(think Edelbrock, Holley, some exhaust companies, the aftermarket AC companies, think about any aftermarket company that was around before the Internet, etc..) have distribution agreements with various stores all over North America. These companies and those exclusive distribution agreements pre-date the Internet, so they do not sell their products directly to the customer. If you visit the websites of some long existing aftermarket companies, you will see something like : find a distributor/dealer/installer in your area, etc.. Well, a lot of times that distributor is your local parts store, speed shop, 4x4/off-road & custom shop. The plus with this situation is, most times they will have the catalogs of the various companies. Another plus is, if there is an issue you can take it back and have them order another part, etc.. NOTE : The newer aftermarket companies, that do not have exclusive distribution agreements are usually the ones that will ship directly to you. Woogeroo articles about parts(links) NOTE : these next two links are on my personal non-commercial oriented website. They list current Parts Vendors that sell pieces for old Chevy/GMC trucks and where/how to look for used parts. Parts Vendors The Chevrolet & GMC Truck Parts Vendors List
Be sure to check the Review Board here on the forum before buying parts from any vendor. Start a new post to find out what you need to know. Some vendors have great service and parts returns policies... and others do not! Sometimes places go downhill or start to get their act together... sometimes they get new owners, for better or worse. Find out the latest results in your Review Board. Used Parts Searching - an article on how to get started The link below goes to an article that has existed in multiple incarnations on my personal web pages at different URLS for many years now. The article contains tips, hints and sources for searching for New Old Stock, reproduction and specifically, used old Chevy/GMC truck parts. It is by no means the end all explanation to finding everything everywhere, it is merely an article, not a book. I am not an expert by any means, I am just sharing what I have learned or found out in the last several years looking for parts myself. I have noticed though, that some old truck folks know about some of these resources, but maybe not all of them. Also, they may know of the resources, but not all of the ways to search them, or to best make use of the sources in order to find what they are looking for. The article covers pre-1973 truck parts as that was my original focus when I made up the original list that the article has since evolved from. Many of the same ideas apply to looking for later model truck parts, at many of the same sources. I have not spent as much time and effort searching for later model truck information and parts, so I cut it off at 1972 as that was my range of interest at the time. In other words, I'm not hating on the later model Chevy/GMC trucks, I like those too! If you find type o's or have anything to add, please let me know and I will edit my article. Enjoy, I hope some people find it helpful, Used Chevy/GMC Truck Parts - where to look and how?
*end of Woogeroo article links* Stovebolt Page Links any pre-1973 GM truck... tech articles and forums as well as the 60-66 trucks section.The 'bolt has an extensive Links page with almost a thousand links listed... and an active Swap Meet area for the pre-1973 GM trucks.
As always, do your research on the Review Board before putting your money down! Also explore the Vendor Links page from hilandr451's '60-'66 Chevy Trucks Page. Review Board This is where folks can discuss good deals or bad deals, excellent customer service or terrible customer service... and everything in between. It is a good place to do research, before you put your money down!If any of you have information to add about parts books to look for, etc., or other ways/places to search for parts, please post it within this thread, as this thread is now listed in your 60-66 FAQ Index. Thanks. Sincerely,---- return to The 60-66 FAQ Index, Section 2C... Last edited by Woogeroo; 10-10-2014 at 05:36 AM. |
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