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Guide To Finding The Right Restoration Parts For Your Mopar - Restoration Parts Buyers' GuideWe Show You What You Need And Where To Get It From the December, 2009 issue of Mopar Muscle By Dave Young Photography by Dave Young, Randy Bolig
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If you want your Mopar to... If you want your Mopar to have award-winning good looks, then you'll need to know where to get the right restoration parts. This month we'll show you how to find them. When it comes to restoring your Mopar, there are several distinctly different ways to get the job done. If you have more money than time, having the car completely refurbished by a professional restoration shop is a nice way to go. You simply drop the car off with a deposit, then the shop does all the work for you, and you pick the car up when it's finished (which usually involves writing a big check). At the other extreme, if you have the skills, knowledge, and tools you can perform all of the work yourself, replacing or rebuilding each part of the car until it's perfect, and saving money in the process. If you're like most of our readers, however, you fall between those two extremes, performing much of the work yourself, but farming out certain items like perhaps the engine, transmission, or bodywork and paint. But whether you do the job yourself or pay to have it done, and whether your car is being restored to stock specifications or highly modified, you'll need to know where to obtain quality parts to do the job properly. After the paint and bodywork,... After the paint and bodywork, you'll need to replace missing, abused, or deteriorated items on your Mopar. Knowing where to get new parts, and where not to get them, is the key. Having the right restoration parts for your Mopar really can make or break your project. No matter how much you spend on your car's paint job, it just won't look its best if the trim, chrome, emblems, and mirrors are worn, or pitted originals. Additionally, items like original marker lenses and taillights might look ok before your paint job, but can look faded and discolored when next to new paint. Seals, hood bumpers, window felts, and numerous interior items also need to be replaced during a restoration, and if your car is a specialty car like an A12 Road Runner or a convertible, there are many parts that may be specific only to your car, making them even harder to find. While we used to enjoy scrounging around the scrap yards and swap meets, or finding a donor car to obtain parts from, the fact is these original parts are just as old as the ones on our car, and they're getting harder to find. Luckily, there are more parts being reproduced for our Mopars now than ever before, so it's a great time to restore your car to new or even better-than-new condition. It takes a lot of work and... It takes a lot of work and a lot of parts to properly restore a Mopar, and warehouse suppliers like YearOne, The Paddock, and even Summit Racing are great sources for quality restoration and performance parts. With huge inventories, these companies are more likely to have the parts you need in stock, and often their volume buying power is passed along to you in the form of discounted prices. Back before muscle cars were considered classics, our choices were limited when it came to finding parts. We either had to clean up the original items on our cars and make the best of them, or try to find used items in better condition than the parts on our car. Alternatively, we could search the dealer networks for NOS pieces, but most of those have long since been purchased by savvy resellers, making NOS stuff expensive and hard to find. These days, Mopar enthusiasts have a different problem, as restoration parts are readily available from numerous sources, making it hard to decide where to get the parts we need, and whose parts are best for our project. This month, we'll discuss the pros and cons of purchasing restoration parts from a high-volume warehouse distributor, your local restoration shop, or straight from the manufacturer to help you decide which source is right for you. The Big Guys
As the automotive restoration hobby has grown over the past couple of decades, so has aftermarket support for those of us refurbishing our cars. Companies like YearOne, and The Paddock were quick to realize the scope of the muscle car restoration craze, opening up early-on to provide both NOS and aftermarket parts for our cars. Since then, these companies have grown dramatically and now nearly every available restoration part can be obtained through either of these sources.  If you need a part quickly,...  If you need a part quickly, your best chance of finding it in stock is usually with one of the larger suppliers of restoration parts.  Rather than specializing in...  Rather than specializing in one area, the big restoration parts suppliers usually can provide everything you need to complete your car, from small trim pieces to body panels, and even major engine and suspension components.  There's something to be said...  There's something to be said for the way a small business treats its customers, so if you want to keep your business local, or if you need hands-on advice during your restoration, you might try one of the numerous smaller suppliers as a source for your parts.  Most of the warehouse suppliers...  Most of the warehouse suppliers deal with multiple vendors so they stock parts for all different types of Mopar, giving you plenty of choices to fit your restoration, and your budget.  Restoring a Mopar presents...  Restoring a Mopar presents a challenge, especially if nearly everything needs to be replaced. If you're purchasing all of your parts at once, it makes sense to get them from a large supplier who carries a big inventory. Both The Paddock and YearOne also now carry factory style and high-performance drivetrain, suspension, and brake parts as well and are a great option if one-stop-shopping is your style. Since their facilities are large, these companies keep lots of parts in stock and likely have the parts you need on the shelf, ready to be shipped. They've also done their research well, generally know what fits and what doesn't, and which suppliers to avoid. The larger companies also buy in volume and because of that can often offer discounts, especially if you purchase a large number of parts at once. It would be nice to have someone... It would be nice to have someone else restore your Mopar for you, but it also costs a lot of money. If you're like us you save money, and gain satisfaction, by performing much of the work yourself. While one-stop-shopping is right for some enthusiasts restoring their Mopars, there are also those who take their time, only purchasing parts for the area of the car they're working on, and prefer to deal with smaller parts dealers or local restoration shops that also deal in parts. Businesses like P.G. Classic Restorations, Herb's Parts, Dante's Mopar Parts, Van's Auto, Stephens Performance, Tony's Mopar Parts, and even Mancini Racing and Glendora Dodge are among the plentiful suppliers of restoration parts for this type of customer. Even if one of these shops isn't located in your immediate area, don't think you can't get good customer service. Most of these sources have websites with internet ordering, and ship parts to customers worldwide. While they may not have the inventory that warehouse suppliers do, they often offer customized service, and can order the parts you need, even drop shipping them directly to you in some cases. There's also a good chance the employees at these shops have performed the same work you're doing, so they know what fits and what doesn't. And if you happen to get the wrong part, it's nice to be able to deal with the same person who sold it to you, not another sales person who may or may not remember your project. There just aren't as many... There just aren't as many Mopars in salvage yards anymore, and the ones there are likely in just as poor shape as the car you're working on. Fortunately, there are many companies producing quality restoration parts these days, so there's never been a better time to restore your Mopar. While not all manufacturers sell directly to the public, there are a good number of specialty parts manufacturers and suppliers that can provide quality parts for your Mopar, often at very reasonable prices. Businesses like Auto Body Specialties, Auto Metal Direct, Auto Rust Technicians, and Sherman and Associates manufacture and supply sheet metal for most Mopar body styles, and are a direct source for replacement panels. Just Suspension and Performance Suspension Technology deal specifically in suspension components, so when its time to perform that part of the restoration it can pay to call them directly. When it comes to the decals and graphics for your Mopar, either Graphic Express or Phoenix Graphix are good direct sources. Legendary Auto Interiors offers great upholstery for most Chrysler products, and JC Auto Restoration and Auto Instruments.com provides dash and instrument restoration services. When it comes to stopping your Mopar, either Stainless Steel Brakes or Master Power Brakes can supply not only new parts, but kits to upgrade your car to disc brakes. For all the brake and fuel lines, either Right Stuff or Inline Tube will have what your car needs. Wheels and tires are an important part of your car, and either Wheel Vintiques, or Stockton Wheels has all the popular Mopar styles, some even available in larger diameters or made from billet materials. Coker Tire can shoe the new wheels in the proper vintage tires to complete the classic look of your restoration, and if your Mopar is a convertible, Hydro-E-Lectric has tops, latches, and hydraulic components to make your top look and function its best.  Even if a smaller shop doesn't...  Even if a smaller shop doesn't stock the part you're looking for, chances are they can get it for you at a competitive price if you give them a chance.  One of the benefits of going...  One of the benefits of going through a small supplier is that they will likely work with you to get the parts you need rather than just telling you "we don't carry that" or, "it's not in stock."  These days there are plenty...  These days there are plenty of companies manufacturing quality aftermarket parts for your restoration, so it may make sense to go directly to the source for some of your parts.  Smaller parts suppliers often...  Smaller parts suppliers often perform restorations themselves, so chances are they're familiar with your project and know which parts fit and don't fit. They can also offer time saving advice to the do-it-yourselfer since they've likely performed the work themselves.  Smaller suppliers of restoration...  Smaller suppliers of restoration parts generally take pride in helping their customers achieve their restoration goals, and go the extra mile to make sure you get the right parts for your project.  If your car needs an interior...  If your car needs an interior makeover, you can save some time and money by ordering items such as door panels directly from the manufacturer.  The proper vinyl decals to...  The proper vinyl decals to accent your Mopar muscle car are available directly from several manufacturers, making it easy to accent your car with the proper style stripes.  If you need body panels (and...  If you need body panels (and what Mopar doesn't these days), there are several companies that will sell the pieces to you directly. Dealing directly with manufacturers has benefits including shipping directly to you, and sometimes lower prices.  Convertible Mopars present...  Convertible Mopars present specific problems during restoration. By dealing directly with a company that specializes in convertible cars, you can save time and money getting it right the first time.  Whether you consider your...  Whether you consider your Mopar a show car or a daily driver, you'll be proud of the way it looks when you use the proper parts to complete the restoration.  Companies that deal specifically...  Companies that deal specifically in suspension and brake components are an asset when restoring your Mopar, often offering upgraded kits like disc brakes and sway bars that can help your car handle and stop better than ever.  Instead of trying to locate...  Instead of trying to locate and restore an original set of wheels for your Mopar, you can now purchase a new set through several sources. Retro-tires are also available if you want an original look right down to the ground.
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