If you’re reading this it means you’re not a member. Or you’re not logged in. Become a member and join the fun!
Menu
If you’re reading this it means you’re not a member. Or you’re not logged in. Become a member and join the fun!
I don’t have a ton of parts in my hoard but I tend to keep things that I’ve replaced but are still good in case of emergency because RB part stock is kind of sort of starting to dry up and lots of parts are overseas which could take a while to ship.
For example, a few years ago I did the timing belt on my car because I didn’t know when it was done last. I also did the water pump while I was in there but there was no signs of any issues with the old water pump, no leakage, no play, no overheat or anything. So when I took the old pump off, I boxed it up and put it on the shelf just in case. I also have two sets of used but still good S13 tension rods for similar reasons. I even kept the stock springs and struts in case I ever want to convert the car back to the stock-ish form it was in when it was imported here.
Every time I find a Fiero in a junk yard I grab the sail panels. I have a nice stack of them. They tend to crack and they are pretty easy to remove so I just grab them when I see them.
My other junk yard collectable is shift knobs, I just really like finding odd ones. My Fiero currently has a 70’s Toyota knob in brown leather with the gear graphic in an emerald green with a red R. Something about it makes me smile, it is also a really nice size and shape.
Collecting up some parts to work on the Jaguar and the Suburban. Something bad happened with the power radio antenna on the Jag so not only is the motor/antenna almost certainly toast, it fried the fuse so badly that it melted part of the fuse panel so that needs replaced as well. I have the new fuse panel, waiting on the new antenna/motor to ship in. Luckily both things are pretty accessible so it will be tedious but I think I can attack the job myself.
Also I have a new passenger side mirror coming in for the Suburban as I damaged mine during some back country adventures. That should be a pretty straightforward replacement though.
Mustang I only have a set of endlinks that I meant to put on a few years ago but ended up having a shop do since it was in for an oil change and the mechanic did it for cheap. Now those are groaning when we so good thing I never returned them. Kia has nothing.
My 1985 Honda Spree has a shoebox full of various parts. I really have to get it running properly and get it sold this year. I’m sick of it cluttering up my garage.
My problem is that I still have random parts left over from previous vehicles and projects (in no random order).
– Random sheet metal from my ‘65 K10 pickup.
– Taillight from my ‘03 Golf TDI. Had the pair and had them sold, but then I discovered that some chemical melted one lens, so the other sits here.
– Various suspension and unsold other bits from my ‘09 G8.
– E-code headlight bulbs from a Golf I parted out 20+ years ago.
There is other stuff, it that would involve digging around and that would be too depressing.
Parts cars don’t count towards this, right?
Yes, but each counts as one part
I buy replacement parts for my vehicles (like cables and brakes and sensors) and then sit on them until I amass enough to do a bunch of projects at once, and then I do… some of them?
What I really DO need to get rid of are the old Thule roof rack for the WRX and some other items destined to smell like vape due to their inclusion in a Subaru.
I have been systematically getting rid of old parts for the last year, so my current hoard is A/C components to repair the A/C on my project car this coming weekend, the factory Lexus head unit because I’m not yet sold on the cheap Chinese Android head unit I put in, and a 120lb tub of automotive fasteners and bolts I picked up at a scrap yard 15 years ago for $5. Otherwise, if I can’t see myself using it immediately, it either goes in the trash or onto Craigslist.
Before I finished the restoration on my FC, I would have definitely called it a hoard. Now it is much more manageable. I have about three totes in the garage of various things – one is labeled “Upcoming Projects” and is stuff I hope to use in the near term. The other two in the garage have some spares. I have two more in the attic with items that aren’t likely to be needed often, if ever. There’s some other items in the attic as well, an airbox, a catalytic converter, an old downpipe, etc.
I don’t really hoard that many parts, but some of the parts I keep probably tell a story about how hard it is for me to let go. I still have a set of taillights and a passenger side headlight for a Renault Espace MK1 Phase 2, a car that’s been out of my life for over eight years. I have no use for these parts, and I do not plan on getting rid of them any time soon.
It’s not hoarding until A&E brings in a film crew, dagnabbit.
I’ve got Too Much of my shed, some bins at the house where the Porschelumps live, and a sprinkling of parts around my house. Four of the wheels and tires for the 944 live indoors. There’s a big stack of more in the shed. There’s parsh everywhere, and that’s fine.
I’ve owned a Fox chassis Ford LTD of some sort continuously since about 1997 when I was still a teenager living with my parents, and I’ve been collecting parts for them ever since. A couple of years ago I moved my mom out of her home of 25 years to downsize and I was surprised to find a stash of parts in her garage attic that I completely forgot about. At the time I put the stuff up there it was kinda worthless, but today some of the parts are now in demand. There was probably $1000+ worth of lights and lenses alone! I didn’t have any place to store them at my home and actually had to buy a big storage box to store all my refound parts.
Separately, I have about 6 plastic bins full of parts for my E30 Lemons race car in my shed. I basically have spares of all the mechanical parts that are small enough to fit in the bins, and have them organized by part type and even have a spreadsheet document which parts are in which bins because I have to drag all of these along with me anytime I go racing. Bringing these spares has saved me several times at the track, and at my last race I was particularly proud of my team for actually reading the spreadsheet to find a part that was needed mid-race when I wasn’t present, so my organization totally worked.
I have another set of wheels and random parts for my Honda Insight Gen 1 since they are discontinued. I also have another set of wheels for my Chevy Bolt that I snatched for cheap. I am planning to put some winter tires when its that time of the year.
My spouse is always asking when I am cleaning the garage. 3 cars fit perfectly fine its just the parts sitting around lol
I needed part 117646 for the ’83 car and when only two were available in the western hemisphere I bought them both. Just in case.
See, that just makes sense.
And if you don’t need the second one for your own car, it can be converted into beverage money!
I know the feeling. I just bought a fuse panel for the passenger side of my Jag, and it was only ten pounds more (had to ship them from the UK) to get the driver’s side one as well. I figured it was worth it for the parts stash.
This is the way. Most NA Miata mechanical parts are easy to get and dirt cheap but some of the uncommon bits have been OOP for years. When my power antenna mast broke I found a Japanese site with a few for sale and I bought an OEM replacement and spare. If the original lasted 28 years I figure I’m covered for the rest of my life or the car’s, whichever comes first.
I have like 20 17″ tires that were given to me when the local PD swapped from Crown Vics to SUVs.
None of my cars run on 17s.
Small stash here. OEM (nonfunctional) CD stereo from my ’95 Miata, as well as the ’95 “tombstone” center stack that’s incorrectly sized for a DIN standard unit. When I did my stereo swap I sourced a ‘96.5 tombstone with the correct double DIN opening. Stock power mirrors (I swapped out for Car Make Corns retro chrome mirrors a few years back). A spare power antenna mast (milled from purest unobtanium, fortunately I was able to source two from Japan when the original one broke). A dipstick, just ’cause. The rare OEM M Edition floor mats, which I’ve swapped out for Coco Mats. A new soft top, which I haven’t gotten up the nerve to install. Finally a few spare BBS center caps for the wheels.
I have everything from used hard to find parts, large parts like seats, wheels, grilles, a few extra superchargers, all the way down to new old stock of things, stuff that fits the cars I have, maintenance items like a lifetime supply of oil filters and drain plugs and gaskets and such, spare lamps, parts for future upgrades. Anything I have that fits something I’m probably not going to need again gets sold, but if it fits something I own currently or in the foreseeable future I keep it in storage where the cars are. I’ve managed to keep a lot of it confined to a 8′ tall, 8′ wide by 4′ deep pallet rack, but had to add a second 4′ wide one, and even still I’ve got parts in other storage units also, and almost every room of the (small) living quarters, and the garage at the house too…
It’s not a problem though, it’s saved me so much over the years to be honest, when you have eight cars to yourself, it’s nice to be able to fix something or do maintenance without going to buy a part.
Also, this sickness has definitely been furthered by having worked in just about every corner of the Auto Parts industry over the last 13 years.
Here’s the beauty of motorcycles: the parts are much smaller and easier to store. 🙂
In fact, right before this article dropped I received a notification that the seat I’d ordered for an old Yamaha had arrived. That makes two spare seats. Possibly three. I really need to do some kind of inventory.
Twice in the past few years I’ve been lucky enough to catch ebay sellers who were/are parting out low-mileage examples – but not lucky enough to get to them before the dismantling started. The previous haul was from a bike with 1025 miles on it. 🙁
Basically I try to get the seat, gauges, skid plate, exhaust (with heat shields), taillight assembly, and any other pieces that are likely to have been damaged or lost in the past 40+ years. One seller must have (correctly) figured that since I bought several items I must be really interested in the bike, so he threw in a bunch of additional parts and hardware that probably wouldn’t bring much money. That came in handy when I broke the kickstand last year: dug through the boxes et voilà, a spare kickstand and bolt.
However, all of that stuff goes in the basement and workshop (temp/humidity controlled). The only parts that are in the living portion of the house are some NOS items on display on the shelves in the home office.
Same. I have 5 bikes, two of them more than 40 years old. I collect stuff like nuts and bolts that are bike specific, lamp lenses, bodywork, etc. I usually have a collection of stuff that eventually breaks like cables, rubber bits, seals and the like.
I appreciate the pointer on the eBay thing with bikes being parted out. I’m always looking for airhead and VFR parts.
I keep an eye out for things for my beemer and vespa. A prior owner removed the original airbox, etc, and so I fitted some custom components to get it fully put together, but have also kept an eye out for the OE components so I could put it back to stock if I ever wanted to. I recently found the airbox; now for supporting hardware.
My parts hoard is both from ‘I ordered the wrong part’ and the delulu ‘I can return it to stock when I sell it.’
Anyone need a Qaife QDF10L? I have one that was bolted on, looked at, and determined to be the wrong one. $300 shipped. (not really kidding; it is just taking up space).
Maybe I will need these 12 year old shocks when I sell it. (I’m never selling it).
So, it isn’t really that bad. My PROBLEM is that I buy tools for single usage, and those are getting unmanageable, especially since 50% of the spousal group in this house does not put them away when they are done with them.
I’d need to do more research but maybe? It’ll either need to fit the housing from an IS300, or a G37 diff would need to fit into an IS300. Visually they look the same but I haven’t wanted to try swapping it to see if it fits just to swap it back. Any chance you’re in the Chicago area?
I am just outside Richmond, VA.
There were three versions of it for that housing (R200, I believe). This is for the open diff replacement.
I have to run now, but I will dig in with more research when I get back. I hope I can help, because it would save you around $700. I just don’t want the thing sitting around my house any more.
I’m fairly clueless about Nissan’s and I don’t have the diff at home like I thought, but I can go check it out tomorrow and look for any obvious markings that’ll let me know if if does or doesn’t fit the diff carrier. All I know is it was cheaper to buy a wrecked 2007 G37 from copart than to buy a CD009/CD00A from a junk yard and I kept everything from the transmission to the CV axles before handing it off to someone that wanted the rest of the car.
The type of 2007 G37 matters. Was it a base auto or 6sp AND, did it have factory VLSD?
If those parameters don’t work out, whether the r200 will fit in the IS300 is moot.
My hoard is mostly manageable. I’ve learned to order parts in manageable chunks. I try not to order more than I could reasonably install in a wrenching day.
Right now I have lower control arms, ball joints, and valve cover gaskets for one of the Subarus.
Parts I don’t need but still have are usually for the Miata. I have a complete spare engine and 5 speed transmission for that car, an exhaust and the stock shocks and springs. I also somehow still have a set of snow tires on steel wheels, Weathertech floor mats and stock floor mats from my FR-S that was totaled in 2017.
I think I have a spare set of wipers and a couple of oil filters for each car. I have a barn for a garage that has an upstairs also, so these things aren’t in the way.
I will admit the non-useful stuff I am holding here. I have rotors from 10 years of brake jobs for myself and close family (in-laws are exceedingly cheap, and often show up with pads and rotors when they need brakes done). I have a pile of dead wheel bearings (yup, from Subarus) and I have a large floor space occupied by Mobil 1 jugs full of used motor oil. All of this would be simple enough to address, yet it all sits where it is.
I just went and checked.
I have 24 assorted used rotors. There are 40 5-quart jugs of used motor oil.
I also have 2 stock intakes for the Miata, and an Injen intake from a Civic I have not owned in 20 years. Also 1 rusted exhaust (plus mufflers) for an Outback, plus one new mid-pipe for the same car. There is also a stock muffler sitting outside that I like to shoot at with a pellet gun.
When I started refurbishing my GT6, I saved everything. EVERYTHING. Every rusty nut and bolt, every leaky brake line fitting, everything. Five years later and I’ve actually started going through and getting rid of stuff. I’ve got a much better feel for what’s worth saving, what parts are still available and what’s not. Still got a huge bucket of rusty bolts to parse through, though.
My parts hoard is for my 1970 Cougar, but since most of the car is just Prettier Mustang, I only hoard the parts that are Cougar-specific or truly hard to find. The big red taillight assemblies for the brake lights / sequential turn signals, for example. The ones from 1969 would fit and work just fine, but they’re different (equidistant single spacing between the chrome verticals, instead of being in pairs), so when I happened upon not one but two pairs of spare 1970 assemblies, I snapped them up and have hoarded them jealously for nearly thirty years, just in case I get rear-ended or otherwise bust a taillight lens.
I mean, they’re not even all that hard to obtain (I count two and a half pairs currently on eBay for under $200 a set), but dammit, I myself am already insulated against the advent of two (2) future rear-endings, so there. I sleep at night.
I hope I make Torch proud.
Umm… In my basement I have a 2JZ along with a CD00A transmission. How I plan to get them out later when I want to use them is a problem for future me to solve.
I just remembered I have a Nissan CA20 in my parents’ basement. Forgot about that one.
I’ve got all the stock parts for my S5, which is a lot because I’ve done quite a few modifications. I always said I’d return the car to stock before selling/trading, but now I’m thinking that may not be the case. Selling things on FB marketplace is a chore, so odds are the new owner will just got many boxes full of stock parts in the trunk. In addition, so much hardware on these Audi’s is torque to yield, so every time I do something I buy a few spares in addition to what I need. I’ve also got some parts I bought and never used, like intercooler charge piping, turbo blankets (x2), a diverter valve spacer (after doing some reading I realized these are a bad idea). There’s a Mishimoto catch can somewhere on the side of my house that I yoinked off after it caused an air intake system leak. I don’t want to sell it to someone else and cause them that trouble, but I can’t bring myself to bin it, either.
There’s also the consumables. I keep things like fuse taps, wiring, Tessa tape, ferrules and whatnot in stock at all times.
Oh and there’s a whole LT1 engine block taking up space in my garage from the Camaro I gave to my dad. I hate that thing but it’s too heavy to move. I also have a 5 hole Alfa wheel on a plant shelf in the kitchen. Need something cool to do with that. Maybe a garden hose reel?
I have a wheel (dented on the inner side) from the Land Rover I traded in five years ago – was planning to make a hose reel out of that.
Now that I’m thinking about it, it would make a great reel for my 50ft of pressure washer hose. The reel on the unit is horrible.
I wonder if it would make sense to bolt handles on to our respective wheels, using the existing valve stem hole…
Winding them back up would be easier with a crank handle.
I was gonna slap one of these bad boys on a spoke. LR wheels probably too thicc though.
https://www.amazon.com/Steering-Accessories-Spinner-Anti-Slip-Universal/dp/B001PRX7WK?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A2AGVYN5ICMWBB
I’ve got a freshly re-chromed front and rear bumper from a 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood that just might help put my daughter through college.
User name checks out.
Is she going to live in them to save on housing costs?