What cars have niche replacement parts that are hard/expensive to find?

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AlwaysBagHolding@reddit

Fiat X1/9 hood and trunk release. The lever sits in a cheesy plastic bucket that shatters and it’s hard to find. It’s a giant pain in the ass when it breaks because you have to pull the cable with pliers. I had one modeled and printed for my buddy with one because they aren’t available. Easy print, and I could send you the file if you’re interested.

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Historical_Low_6204@reddit

I’d be interested in this please

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AlwaysBagHolding@reddit

I'll dig my model up.

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-HELLAFELLA-@reddit

Vortec 3500/3700 Brake fluid reservoir cap

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InMyReach@reddit

2009-2012 Porsche 944 c4 or c4S rear reflector. It’s ONLY a red reflector strip. It doesn’t have any lights in it, it’s just a thin strip of reflective plastic. Price from Porsche >$1,500. You can find it ‘discounted’ from a reseller for $1200 but there are no aftermarket versions, and these parts DO break. (Source, I had to buy one) https://www.suncoastparts.com/product/SKU9972C4REF.html?srsltid=AfmBOophGynEVqtIujrR2MAZdVPeVNbzaSL9J7Pn3DMB5KUs4f8FZ06t

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zzyzx85@reddit

S2000 interior pieces. not my own experience but from a few friends who complain non stop about NLA S2000 parts lol.

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titsmuhgeee@reddit

Gen1 Honda Insight

Never have I owned a car that broke so often and the parts were so hard to find. Granted, it has 275k on the odometer, but my god. There were some parts that were off the Honda shelf, but it’s always the Insight specific parts that decided to brake. The rear motor mount, for example. All of the Honda ones are gone. There is one guy that makes them with a CNC and sells them on eBay, otherwise your only option are to find some parting out a G1. Give it another 5-10 years and Gen1 Insights will only be driven by enthusiasts of that car. It will take 2-3 donor cars to keep one in decent condition. It’s just too much work to DD one these days. I was so happy to see that car go, and the guy I sold it to had it on marketplace within a year of buying it from me.

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z9vown@reddit

I'm the US manufacturers are required by law to supply parts for 10 after that you could be out of luck, but you can still but you can still buy new parts for Panhards, Marmon, Baker, Dusenberg, Sunbeam-Talbot and Hupmobile.

The question is can you afford said parts.

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jckipps@reddit

Classic pickups are a very consistent market, but the aftermarket industry has mostly aligned with the needs out there.

GM squarebody trucks have virtually every part available from the aftermarket, but the same 1980's vintage Ford and Dodge truck owners have to look long and hard for used parts. I'm thinking of interior trim pieces, knobs, and other non-mechanical bits.

Do you have a specific category of classic vehicle that you really enjoy, and have already owned one or two examples of? If so, then start building parts for those that aren't available elsewhere. The fact that you know that category of vehicle inside and out will give you an edge when it comes to making parts that fit and work correctly.

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mikkowus@reddit

Very true. I can never find parts for my b2500 Dodge Van

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jckipps@reddit

I'm running a 1992 Dodge b250 as a daily driver and mobile toolbox. I haven't had much problem yet finding parts. Everything so far has been available at a local classic-car salvage yard or from auto parts stores.

What year is your van? What parts are you finding in short supply?

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mikkowus@reddit

So far floor mats for the front. Some plastic trimming around the windows. I want to upgrade the air intake to a could air intake. The opening and screw holes in the metal are there. Just no plastic bus to attach it to the air filter. What else... I just got it so I don't remember everything yet lol.

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jckipps@reddit

My van is purely utilitarian, so I'm less picky about some of the cosmetic details.

My interior window trim is all holding up fine; I had the trim off from around the windshield recently when replacing the windshield, and got it all reinstalled without cracking any of it. All the trim around the rear windows is in good shape too.

I'm no help on the floor mats, other than I expect the floorboard on these dodge vans isn't greatly different from other vans of the same era. Try a floor mat for a Chevy G-series, and see if it fits. Express vans are configured quite differently, so I doubt that a mat would fit from one of those.

I would just rig up a cold air intake tube from aftermarket or junkyard parts, if it was me. There's plenty of options out there if you search for them. Google 'Universal fresh air intake hose', and find some combination of parts that fit.

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mikkowus@reddit

Thanks for the tips. For the air intake, there is one piece that attaches right above the radiator. I think a piece from letter years with Magnum engines would fit that but I can only find that small plastic part used for $50+. I could def rig something but I also have a 3d printer so printing out the real deal would be sweet

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sweedishcheeba@reddit

If you 3d printing. Things like cup holders for various European cars.

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anonymoususer-duh@reddit (OP)

I’ve heard BMW cup holders are prone to breaking.

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jckipps@reddit

I don't know if this would translate to car cupholders or not, but an idea I've had for my own daily-driver full-size van -- I'd like to make a new fiberglass cup holder to fit the dog-house, and glass it into the existing dog-house. The change would be to make the cup holder deeper, larger-diameter, and to incorporate a drain that goes down below the engine.

There's been enough times that I've driven off with a full coffee mug, and had the coffee or tea splashing out as I drove. That splashing wouldn't be a big deal, if it could be caught by the cupholder and drained down below the engine and onto the ground.

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mikkowus@reddit

A holder for a jet boil would be nice too. And some clips for holding a backpack or other bag into the front of the doghouse.

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jckipps@reddit

Shoot, my van is always so stuffed full that hanging a bag on the doghouse wouldn't even accomplish much! Between the two front seats, I've got three coats, my church bible, several catalogs, a calendar, a gallon of drinking water, and an empty box of oreos. All the toolbags and tool totes go in the back of the van, and pretty much fill that as well.

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galacticjuggernaut@reddit

Well I need a weird shaped intake pipe for an E36 supercharger. Older car so they don't make the parts anymore. So Old E36 superchargers.

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sweedishcheeba@reddit

They all have a similar concept. Ones for a Volvo center console might a good idea since they span a decade and multiple models

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anonymoususer-duh@reddit (OP)

Good to know, thank you

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Alternative-Day6612@reddit

Chevy SS sedan windshield cowl. Noone makes them and only 13000 ever made in 4 years.

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Senior_Ad282@reddit

I’m in the same boat with my 2015 Z/28. Fender flares were only made for the 1500 or so cars they built.

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dbolx1800s@reddit

OEM FJ Cruiser grille guard

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Senior_Ad282@reddit

All of the Z/28 specific parts for the 2014-2015 such as the flares, splitters, spoiler, wicker bill… no longer produced. A quality 3d printed LS7 long block too.

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Devilsbullet@reddit

1968 datsun 510 wagon gas cap. They are year and wagon specific,. I haven't looked since like 2017 but the few you could find then were north of 300 bucks

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aquatone61@reddit

Lots of cars. Hell, I’ve been at Chevy stores and seen parts for an 8 year old vehicle be not available from GM anymore.

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jondes99@reddit

I thought Mercedes had a parts for life program where you could get anything for old models.

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AlwaysBagHolding@reddit

You can, but you pay for it. A buddy of mine has a 66 200d, door seals were like 2 grand, but they are technically available.

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aquatone61@reddit

MB and Porsche do support older models far longer than most other makes but you can’t get anything you want for older models. They will try and source what they can for you from somewhere in the world but if the part doesn’t exist and it’s not a super valuable model like a 300SL you’ll have to look elsewhere. The MB Classic Center is starting use to use 3D printing to make certain things though, same for Porsche. My Dad works for a guy that recently bought a 600 limo restoration business from a guy in Wisconsin. They have parts that don’t exist anywhere else on the planet, like the factory MB restoration center in Germany doesn’t have some of the parts that they have. I helped pack up some of the parts and at one point I was handed a foot by 18 inch plastic tote of hydraulic valves and my dad jokingly told me not to drop it as it was worth about 200k.

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mikkowus@reddit

Wish I had a scanner and could help you out a bit.

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Astrochef12@reddit

Post 1995 Saab 900 convertibles have tonneau cover flaps that break all the time. They would be easy to model/print.

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jondes99@reddit

I was going to suggest picking any Saab part, but especially the 2010-2011 9-5 led across the trunk.

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Astrochef12@reddit

Maybe we can convince him to do a whole Sonnet!

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mikkowus@reddit

Center console parts for XC90. The plastics in Cocoa are horrible. The door pockets in the 940 are also always broken.

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Affectionate-Chart-5@reddit

1993-1996 cadillac fleetwood Grilles, I could never find one, and if I could, it was used and over 500 dollars. I'm not sure there would be much demand for that part though

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davidwal83@reddit

The hardest Second gen CRX SI AC controls. I fixed the AC and cracked leaving a empty spot in the car

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Optimal-Giraffe-7168@reddit

B5 S4 wiper cowls. The cars are $20 years old and oem ones are impossible to find. People will pay $$$ for oem but I'm not sure they'd be eager for 3D printed parts. Won't know unless you try

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BonerDeploymentDude@reddit

Audi fam

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anonymoususer-duh@reddit (OP)

I would sand everything down and coat it too, depending on the part I might explore zinc plating. I’ll give it a try, thanks for the suggestion

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No-Valuable8453@reddit

I would buy a set from you lol

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Nippon-Gakki@reddit

C5 Corvette FRC and Z06 roof trim. They crack from agree. Replacements used to be cheap but once they went EOL they got super expensive, and that’s if you can find a set.

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John_B_Clarke@reddit

Just about any body part for a Cadillac XLR.

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TX-Pete@reddit

Man. There’s a million of these things. You’re best off looking for models with really short runs and motorcycle stuff (fyi. More margin in vintage bikes and cars)

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anonymoususer-duh@reddit (OP)

I’ll look into that, I wonder how the purist community would feel about non-oem “homemade” parts. That being said, I’d think about learning how to send designs off for CNC

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TX-Pete@reddit

There’s a huge community that maybe isn’t doing full concourse restos but trying to keep things as original as possible - trim parts and rubber mounts are impossible to find. Like in my Honda CX bike - there’s this tiny little plastic plate that covers the rivets on the rim. Straight up unobtanium. If you can find someone selling them it’s $19. There’s 20 of them on one bike.

The other thing would be dash plates for restomod cars to make stuff like aftermarket head units look less janky, pretty much any kind of adapters, gauge mounts that don’t look like AliExpress bullshit.

Shit. Right now I had to send one of my kids my “caveman” sketch to translate to CAD so I can adapt a 40 year old wheel to modern rotors. There’s a ton of stuff out there that there’s a market need for.

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anonymoususer-duh@reddit (OP)

I’d be interested in recreating the plastic plate, do you have any media you can send me for that? Thank you for your response, this is awesome

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TX-Pete@reddit

Here’s a link to one for sale. I’ve actually got a few that I haven’t installed yet. https://www.nospartsnow.com/nos-honda-1978-cb400-t-hawk-1978-79-cx500-front-wheel-spoke-plate-emblem-44703-413-780/

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benmarvin@reddit

Any interior parts for swedish cars 20+ years old. Some are available, but many are not.

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Novel_Fuel1899@reddit

BMW adaptive headlights. My 2008 has them and they cost almost a grand a piece for replacements

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jeepsies@reddit

Im curious how 3d printed parts would hold up to wear, elements, etc.. the fitment has to be on point if you dont want rattles.

What is one part you printed that worked out?

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Monst3r_Live@reddit

there was a subaru with a manual transmission. i think it was a legacy. customer needed a tranny. 2 were available in the entire country.

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Muttonboat@reddit

The Lotus Elise had a monocoque fiberglass body and the factory that originally made it is now closed.

Bodys are really hard to come by and a simple fenderbender can total the car.

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scbiker21@reddit

Onside door pulls for BMW Z3s. They are prone to breaking, hard to source and expensive when you do find them.

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Elitepikachu@reddit

Pontiac solstice parts.

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Ok-Communication1149@reddit

Front wheel drive Toranados and El Dorados from the late 60s

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Independent-Crab-914@reddit

Any and all is300 wagon parts from the front doors back

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jojowasher@reddit

if you are in NA the popularity of KEI trucks has exploded, I have printed parts for both the Subaru Sambar (bumper mounts) and the Suzuki Carry (switch knobs)

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MTL_Bob@reddit

If you're looking at printing then jacking pad covers for the Saab 93 Viggen, if you can manage something larger, then the front bumper / air dam also for the Viggen is basically impossible to find now.

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TurkishSwag@reddit

From personal experience. W211 E55 AMG rear bumper tow hook cover, no longer in production. There are a few sellers in China and Latvia but they want too much for what looks like a poor quality replacement, most of them unpainted. Eventually got one online from a junkyard for $50. Bonus points if you can paint match them. I’ve met a few people who shared the same difficulties finding one.

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anonymoususer-duh@reddit (OP)

If you have a picture I could reference of yours that would be great, thanks for the comment!

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scorp00@reddit

Firebird honeycomb tail light housings $900 refurbed, t-tops same price. Non sealed slim headlight bulb housings to give room for replacement bulb heatsink that clear the pop up headlight frame.

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anonymoususer-duh@reddit (OP)

Thanks!