Are old parts worth anything? Or just junk?

[vlad_d]

Seems that Land Rover parts are only worth money to me...

...when I need them, some guy is charging a fortune.
...when I have an extra one, nobody wants it.

Here's a pattern I have seen in the last couple of projects I completed:

1) Seats. I was shopping for new seats. I saw on ebay that a few guys were selling their old, torn, "Genuine original" seats for like $400. I bought some new ExMoor seats for about that, thinking I might be able to also sell my old, torn, "Genuine original" seats to recoup some cash. No one cares.

2) Dash. Looking for a new dashboard, I saw that there were only 2 available in the world. Seriously, two. One was a "New Old Stock" dash that was pristine condition from P.A.Blanchards for about $600. The other was a Danish guy selling his refurbished one(sand-blasted, filled, painted and re-vinyl covered) dash for $1200. Seriously. I wanted the new dash, as it's the first thing anyone sees in the car. So I forked over $600 for the NOS one. I figured I could recondition mine and sell it for near what I paid.

Now, I'm in a bit of a pickle. I kind of want to pay an upholstery shop to cover my old dash and try to sell it on ebay. But, it would probably cost me $200 to re-upholster it and $150 to powder coat the dash. Okay, so I'd have $350 into this dash. Will it just sit there, unsold? Is it even worth it?

So, I'm asking the Land Rover community:
Do these parts have ANY value? Does ANYONE other than me actually buy this stuff?!

I don't want to throw good money out the window. I don't mind getting some nice parts for my ride. But I'm damned sure not going to spend hundreds of dollars refurbishing parts to have some jackhole low-ball me on ebay. What do you guys think? Is it even worth refurbishing these parts?

I have 2 Lucas Distributers, a Zenith Carb and a brake pedal tower that I see people selling for good money on ebay...but I have a feeling no one is buying. Is it worth rebuilding these spares?

Is it one of those things where - you have to sit on them for 10 years before you find one buyer? Should I just donate them or wait around for a club meet up and trade for something I actually need?

A guy walked up to me about a month ago and asked me about my Land Rover. He was all excited "IS it ALL ORIGINAL?" He was very excited. No. It actually runs. You need to change parts on a 50 year old car to make it run. The f@%# do people mean when they ask that?! Why do they ask that. No one wants old parts. My garage is full of the stuff.

what do you guys think?

[cedryck]

I agree with you on many different points,
First, I save everything, even broken parts,
Second, I save everything, I enjoy the aspect of trading things with people who need bits.
I avoid at all cost, overpriced used parts,
and I always consider the compromise of buying something new versus refurbishing an old bit, with time and effort I can use a 56 year old wiper motor and have the satisfaction of saying I did it myself.
People out there will want an old part, if they need it, and when they see and research the cost of replacing something, old is new.

[BCNorth]

I avoid paying for overpriced used. I hunt around local for old parts and refurb them myself. For me the point of the project is completing it and putting in the labour. I'm not going to pay someone to refurb parts I can myself. The reward is in the work and the hunt. The bargain.

[jp-]

This really depends on the part. But EVERYTHING has gone up cost wise for our older machines and I don't think it is going to stop anytime soon. I used to save it all, but it is just not possible. So save wisely. Basically, I save any part that I think is rebuildable (even if I don't want to take the effort to rebuild it myself). If it is rebuildable, it has value and will always have value to someone. Speaking of the dash, I sold a complete one (gauges and all) for $250 about 6 months ago. I didn't need it, but yes, they are getting harder to find, but $1200 is insane and even $600 would be too high for me. In cases like this, you can just put out a wanted ad on various boards and usually one will turn up, or just wait longer to find one on ebay. But remember, a part that you need "NOW" is always going to cost you more than one that you can wait for.

I save all bodywork too, even bent wing panels, because they're just getting too hard to find now. Some people used to save old wheel cylinders, and those have always been throwaways to me, but a lot of the new parts (brake parts specifically) are such low quality that people are having their old wheel cylinders refurbed with stainless liners.


Used seats aren't worth too much (to me). I put the Exmoor ones in mine. I have a few old ones laying around. Some people have them recovered if the bases are in good shape. But I imagine the cost on that would be as high as replacement seats, unless you do that kind of work yourself.

[jimrr]

It is likely all reading this have many spare parts around. people that do figure they may need it eventually if not just to get another one on the road again. (or) in my case owned a series for over 50 years with all the attendent compliments and cusses just won't toss it anytime.
further: as time passes ....... with Land Rover having built over a million of our cars we'll keep them on the road till our last days... AND
people of a mind like that probably are not motivated much by money but (in my case) and many others, horse trading is a bigger draw?
don't throw stuff away. !!