Hot Rods Do you save your original parts?

So I bought a nice original car that is way nicer than any project car I looked at.
It was only a few dollars more and we knew it would money well spent.
After three years of thinking about it, I'm ready to start changing it slowly.
First step was TTO's and blackwall tires.



Next will be power brakes with dual master cylinder, then onto a Holley 4 bbl.

Would you save every piece or part that was removed?
Or sell the parts removed?
Stuff like wheels, tires, manifolds, seats and so on.

I already decided to sell off the tires.
Am unsure about the wheels, manifold, 2 bbl carb and so on.

 

You said seats. I would keep those if you are considering that. All the tri-five guys in the 60's-90's threw them out, and now they want them back. They are big bucks.

 

I do my best to find good homes for my original parts cast off's , usually for very little cash or bartering material. What come around go's around

 

Yes I do save them. I don't know why, but I do. They are usually worn out but I save them until I get rid of the car then throw them away or give them away.

 

Hell, I've got spare parts off cars I sold in 1970.

 

I love the new look and the upgrades will make it way better to drive. Now the "but" I would save all the stock stuff. If you decide to sell it later on it would be to your advantage to have the stock parts, the new owner might want to return it to stock and they may pay more it if has the original parts. That's just my take on it so do what you think is best. I always liked that two tone treatment on 56's, congrats on a nice car!!

 

I rarely throw anything away.I have parts from stuff I dont even remember.

 

There's enough stock tri-five chevies around, sell your parts to them. You most likely will never go back to stock parts so why clutter your life? IF you do want stock again sometime, the parts are not hard to find.

 

I have a set if anybody want them, make offer.

 

Yep... All of them.

 

My father taught me to save my old parts and I am still dragging around treasures from 30 years ago! I love my Dad, great car guy and even better father!


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

I do save a few things if they are in good condition, a fossilized '59 Ford master cylinder is not one of those things. I saved some of the front brake lines and brass block and the front drums in case someone needs them. I won't be giving away the front drums, stuff like that will be bartered or sold. I did-mounted the 14" x 4.5" wheels which are in great shape. Most of my other old car remnants went adios decades ago.

 

Some yes and some no.

 

I always found that I didn't need it until I got rid of it, no matter what it was!

 

I have always sold them, I figure that a restorer would love to have my take-offs.

 

I save some of the parts that I know are hard to come by, have thrown away some treasures in days past. I can remember putting a 53 Corvette exhaust manifold in the dumpster as I was moving and did not want to pack it.

 

I'm not good at throwing things away (or selling them).

~ Carl

 

It really depends on your plans and your desires. I don't ever plan to take and of my cars back to original, and I try to NOT horde anything. If I was to die tomorrow, I don't want my wife and daughter having to process through any more stuff than necessary. They are going to have enough trouble trying to get rid of all of my tools, and I really hope they sell them and don't just give them away for free. Plus, it turns dust gathering objects into money, which I can use for other purposes.

My dad however, keeps everything. Its not as bad of what you'd see on the American Pickers show, but it'll take me and my brother at least a year to get rid of all the tractor parts he has accumulated.

 

I'm pretty much the same way, I have stuff I saved I don't even have a clue what it is or what it came off of anymore.
My old man grew up during the depression, he never threw anything away, I guess that's where I get it from. No telling how many things I've cut up and repurposed in my lifetime. I've got old wheel bearings I've saved, never know, might need one one day when a parts store is closed, just wish I still knew what they came from. Every few years I'll do a scrap run, cull out the rusty, locked up junk that could never be used for anything other than a boat anchor. Steel is pretty much steel, I've robbed old riding mowers for linkage rods and choke cables. I've gotten by making what I need from junk so long it's just natural to go look in the scrap pile and see if I see a bracket I can cut and bend to fit what I need or a rod that I can use in a shift linkage or whatever.

 

How about the option:
Sell some Save some!

That's what I do.

 

You needed a third option.

I save original parts if they are usable. I have had a lot of trouble selling anything the last year or two so selling is not really an option. But I have lots saved bits 'n' pieces around that get used eventually on someone's car. Usually when they are broke down in my driveway and need to get to their next destination.

I am not a good businessman I am ashamed to mention. I have been known to repair things for a smile and a wave.

 

It's a balance that's tough to maintain if you have the hoarder gene. I threw away stuff that I just got tired of tripping over, "never need that" ... and a few years later... scouring eBay or whatever spending real time looking for you know what. Then, there's the stuff you KNOW you saved, is missing. I'm not at the level of labeling and catalog a drawer with "Pencils - too short to sharpen" but I understand it, somebody here said their Dad had a drawer for those. At least he could find the damn things.

 

This will give you a laugh. I had a friend (I guess we are no longer friends but it beyond me why) that bought a stock '60 Harley FLH. He was building a chopper so he stripped it down to the bare frame then eventually didn't use the original frame either. So everything he didn't use he wrapped in oil soaked burlap bags and buried for future use. in about '80 when old original dresser parts became valuable he said, "Far out man" and decided that he would just go dig the stuff up. To this day he has no idea where he buried the stuff.

 

Have never thrown anything away , nor sold much. Have collected “ stuff” for 50 years. Have over 60 cars, trucks and tractors. But don’t keep it around the house. That’s the good thing about living in the country with trees and having barns in several different locations. Can’t find nothing when I need it, but know I have it! Lol. Got some of this thinking from my father, but carried to a much larger degree than him, gave it to my son. So... don’t jump on to me about my family having to get rid of it when I die, my son will handle it, with fond memories about us gathering some of it. Just the way I am,, and problaly not likely to change. Hell, I’m trying to buy a T bucket now!

Bones

 

I don't think I'd keep an old set of tires around too long, they go bad with age, and an old master cylinder is not something I'd reuse anyway.

My concern is, what seats are you going to put in that '56 that are better than the stock ones? I've seen a lot of seat swaps into mid 50's Chevys and probably 90% or more looked like smashed dog shit.

 

Recently started cleaning out my shop so I could insulate & drywall.
I had stuff that I forgot I saved.
I placed everything that wasn't bolted to a car in the middle of the shop floor.
I had a keep pile & a throw away pile & a donate/sell pile.
Guess which pile was biggest?
I have a problem!

 

I'm looking for '55-56 15" stock wheels if you decide not to keep them. Looks like we're not too far apart so shipping would be feasible.

 

I do save parts., the bad news is I still keep buying them.

 

When I was a kid my uncle dropped by on his way home with a brand new '57 Corvette he'd just picked up from the dealer. The old man and he started to take the emblems, ignition shielding and hubcaps off and shit canned it.

In the 90's I sold a low mile, original '63 Avanti to an old boy (75+) and I told him the original carb and some other stuff was in the trunk. Him: "oh I just throw that old shit away".

Me, I have a problem parting with stuff, just ask my wife.

 

Sure, how do you expect to be called a pack rat if you get rid of old parts. HRP