History What's Your Unobtainium Car Accessory?

I am not going to type my list, I will just depress myself.

 

Mine used to be a swamp cooler to hang on the outside of our '40 Chevrolet, but then I found one.
And an under-dash 45 record player, then I found one.
Now I'm looking for a vacuum operated fan for the steering column on our '41 Pontiac and an original round radio for my '56 Ford panel truck.

 

Not terribly rare, but I can't seem to find one of these (the frame).
The lettering is cast. The newer ones just use stickers.
I had one on the back of my car in about 1988 that someone deliberately broke off.

 

An affordable set of Fenton small block Chevy valve covers with staggered bolt pattern and a Crestliner steering wheel. I swear I’ve been good all year!

 

intelligent life forms...

 

Magnesium wheels that don't have crotch rot.

But I did have a hunk of unobtainium fall into my lap when I wasn't looking for it and didn't even know I wanted it.
I bought a Chevy A/D panel truck that turned out to be a train wreck so I sold it to a party with the skills and ambition to fix it. But it had this sideways jumpseat in it that I kept for my next panel truck. The seat is broken down and sandblasted but not reupholstered yet. So all I have to show at this time is the "as found" photos. It folds up when not in use, with a single jumper seat right behind the driver, and a longer, fold-down bench over the wheel bump. I'm guessing it was some kind of add-on for a tradesman to do a portion of the job in the truck. There were some crude, parts hoppers mounted on the opposite side of the "cargo area" that I didn't save.





I'm thinking of a small hinged, fold-down table top on the opposite wall, maybe. Can you say, "party-time in the truck"!

...

 

As mentioned, these days it would be gas. I already have my unobtainium, a pair of Trico vacuum horns. Like air horns only reversed. Patent date 1918. Can not find any information on these, even from Trico.
I have the high note one on my '42 Ford. It works great.

 

Long way off from needing it but a CUNNINGHAM intake for a 354 HEMI is on the list. Bob

 

Had two in my Mysterion reproduction project. First was an EELCO 6-hole aluminum dash. Didn't have a clue what Ed used then found this when searching on ebaY for vintage S&W gauges for the car. Have only seen two of these ever and both on ebaY. Prior to this find I was going to fabricate a dash.


Second was finding a set of never used, original recap Inglewood Pos-A-Traction drag slicks. Had to have them for authenticity but never thought in a million years I would find a brand 'new' pair!

 

a running 241 Hemi and R10 overdrive transmission to go with ...
1953-54 specific

 

That would have to be a 427 SOHC that would be installed in the fenderless 32 Ford that I've yet to purchase.

 

Original grill bars for a '32 Ford grill insert. I need bars for 1/2 the grill to repair/restore an insert I have. Have not had any luck.
Andy

 

Do you care if it rains or freezes?

 

Get in line BEHIND me, Barlow!

 

I had an OT 4 X 4 pickup that the PO had installed an airhorn on, and I LOVED it!! Sure got people's attention!

 

Twins is nice, but triples is cool too





Sounds like a locomotive horn... enough to make my aged mother tell me to quit making that racket (I flashed back a few decades to being a young man again )

I've got the original TRICO dash switch somewhere too. Funky bit of kit... constantly bleeds vacuum, then cover the bleed hole with your finger to fire the horns.

Cheers,
Harv

 

A fully decked out 8 car garage (including 8 finished hot rods ) in San Diego and maybe a house to . Ahhh warm weather.

 

A Marr's car watch would be neat.

 

With the supply chain problems, everything I have ordered!

 

Z11 top end for my 409

 

Man, someone needs to clean those white walls. They look kind of dirty.

 

Not an accessory , but a Fordomatic column like this thats not worn all to Hell out

 

Still looking for an original Blairs Speed Shop, Pasadena, license frame like the Ewing roadster had some years ago. True unobtainium!

 

Finally found one at Hershey. Unique to 1940 Chevy back up light. And no I won't tell you what I paid for it.

 

Thanks to the internet, there isn't much that's "unobtainium" any more. It's out there. And relatively easy to track down. Whether that be original Ardun heads, rare tail lights, etc., you no longer have to scour swap meets and junkyards for years in hopes of finding certain parts. And it has been this way for a while now. However, whether or not I or someone else want to pay the price for what said item may cost is a different story. But that's not unobtainium, that's simply a cost-benefit analysis.

 

I'd like to find a fined, cast oil pan for my Chevy stovebolt 235 build. I don't know if anybody even made one.