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What is the most difficult to find part for your project so far?


Marcel Backs

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For my D14 the top two toughest to locate parts were a wiper pivot and the correct pivot cover. They are really hard to find for a electric wiper equipped car. The pivot was found NOS with loads of searching. The pivot cover however, was a total no show after reams of phone calls. I finally had some machined by a friend who is very skilled. The original part is still in black paint, the prototype is the aluminum one and the brass ones will be mounted on the car. These covers are R & L interchangeable but still have a complex contour. What is everyone else’s toughest to obtain part so far in fixing up your ride? M

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1 hour ago, keithb7 said:

So far, the proper 1938 Trico vacuum wiper motor reseal parts. No luck yet. 

Check the same ford suppliers you got your steering stuff from. I found parts for my truck wipers at macks ford parts. 

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All four fender spears for my 52 four door.  Bought two either correct ones or so close it did not matter after someone here(sadly don’t remember who) went to his car and measured them for me.  The fronts were given to me in thanks for inspecting a car near me for a guy who posts on the AACA This all after ten+ years of looking.

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Probably two things stand out as being hard to find...........when I got the car in 1971 & rebuilt/hotrodded it from 1973 my wife always complained about trying to open the glove box door.......you'd press the buttoon & at the same time holdon to the button to open the door..very fiddly.....then about 8-10 yrs ago someone on this forum mentioned that they were looking for a "glove box door spring"................duh!!......what?.........and posted a pic of one.........I then realised what was missing from my car and made a "glove box door spring" from a piece of spring steel that was supposed to be used to hold a brake line on a car...........so after only 40 odd years the glove box door works perfectly and even "she who must be obeyed" agrees.........

....................and the 2nd hard to find part was the 1940 Dodge grille crank hole cover.............I'd never seen one, ever.....my car when purchased in 1971 had long lost its crank hole cover.....I'd reckon most would have been left and forgotten to be reattached after getting the car started with the crank handle............about 5 yrs ago I was just wandering thru US Ebay and there was a 1940 Dodge crank hole cover listed ........after deciding I wasn't going to spend the $30-40 for the part plus the same for postage to Oz I let it go.....................then rethought the idea when it was relisted.....it ended up costing me about $90 Australian BUT its the only one I've ever seen and it fits perfectly..............but I drilled a small hole in the inside of it and attached a piece of wire which is then attached to a bolt inside so even if it does come loose it will never get lost................it only took 45 yrs to get it..............lol.............you can just see it in the bottom of the grille in the centre................andyd

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And still looking for a US passenger side 1940 or 1941 Plymouth Running board......I got a NOS US Drivers side still in its box a few years ago but the US passenger side still eludes me.........1940 or 41 , it doesn't matter even tho' the rubber pattern maybe slightly different you can't see both sides at once so I'll live with it..............when I find one........see how nice this one is..........lol................andyd  

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When we first got our D24, it was surprisingly easy to find parts for it.  There were several donors in a salvage yard in NM that wasn't too far away, and some abandoned in the west Texas desert.  But, I still had a bugger of a time finding the passenger side front fender spear, the small beltline trim pieces on the cowl, and a straight rear gravel shield.  I initially had trouble finding the spark plug wire loom and an original oil filter...but once I figured out MoPar used basically the same engine for 30 years, I solved that one real quick.

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The two little cowel trim stainless trim pieces that fit between the hood and the front doors.  I had all the trim with the car when i  purchased it but always looking for spares.  The metal steel brakets was so thin it would rust away and the trim would then fall off the car.  i have found one on ebay but still looking for the other side.  Any part is hard for a 39 Desoto it was a one year car design some of the parts can be used froma 38 Desoto but not many.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

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the cowl trim clip was a bit light in the loafers in design and a constant annoyance or fear of loss.  I modified my mounts to allow pinch along the full upper and lower lip of the molding yet install with same said mounting clips...this also adds another layer of protection and this is in the form of galvanized metal...with this little mod one can even affix a retaining cable that will keep the trim attached even if it falls off...how deep do you want to go or how much insurance do you want to prevent loss....

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1 hour ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

the cowl trim clip was a bit light in the loafers in design and a constant annoyance or fear of loss.  I modified my mounts to allow pinch along the full upper and lower lip of the molding yet install with same said mounting clips...this also adds another layer of protection and this is in the form of galvanized metal...with this little mod one can even affix a retaining cable that will keep the trim attached even if it falls off...how deep do you want to go or how much insurance do you want to prevent loss....

When I replaced the trim belt molding I did away with the steel clips and used nylon clips that will not rust. Also made it easier to put the trim back on the car.  Use of modern thinhs like modern clips is much better that the old steel clips and noone can see the clips when installed also stops any rust stains on the body or rust lines on the body.

 

Rich Hartung

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A ‘36 Plymouth grill. I found one on eBay a few years ago but blinked at the last minute and lost it. Too spendy anyway. I’ve fabricated one but an original would be nice to find.

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The trim on the right fender of my '48 Desoto that some jamoke tried to pull off without removing all the backing nuts, leaving me with about 5" of a 3 foot piece. It's not that I haven't found any, but the ones I've found are cratered and pock-marked, and cost nearly as much as what I paid for the car. I'm toying with the idea of trying to fab a piece out of brass stock, and send it to the plater.  

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20 minutes ago, ratbailey said:

The trim on the right fender of my '48 Desoto that some jamoke tried to pull off without removing all the backing nuts, leaving me with about 5" of a 3 foot piece. It's not that I haven't found any, but the ones I've found are cratered and pock-marked, and cost nearly as much as what I paid for the car. I'm toying with the idea of trying to fab a piece out of brass stock, and send it to the plater.  

 

Have you talked to this guy?

 

http://www.fatfenderedrelics.com/

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