92tealZconv

Hello All. I wouldlike my fellow third-gen History/ Originality buff’s opinion here. I am detailing my engine bay & chassisthese days on my 92 Convertible, and in the process I have been replacing someworn parts. I have never been afraid ofdriving my car because I have always been good about keeping it clean &nicely maintained. In doing that though,we all know that nothing lasts forever. So when my axle started to vibrate & howl, I had to have new axles,bearings, & seals installed. While Iwas in there I also put in new brake drum cylinders, hardware, pads, &drums. I have also changed out some oldsensors on the engine as well.


I still have the original parts. My question for all here is, should I hold onto these worn original parts or do I just have a bunch of boat anchors? The main stamped original castings (engineblock, trans, rear axle) are all still in the car of course, but not sure ifany of these original pieces like the axles & brake drums matter. Thanks in advance for your help.

t/aws61985

iTrader: (2)

Might as well. I do at least. I think they are kinda cool. I have a ignition coil that says a date from 1986(i own a 86). Which was close to the car's build date. so ya, go for it.

mmadden55

No. Those parts do not contribute to the value of the car.

F-body-fan

I would agree with that. But I would add that if they are small parts I would box them up & keep them anyway. It's like maintenance paperwork for the "do it yourselfer" I have many parts from my 2nd gen cars including original spark plug wires, etc.that I removed many years ago. I have no regrets keeping all that stuff.

28 years ago a previous owner installed a rebuilt carburetor on a 78 trans am that I currently own. I still have not located the correct carb with the right date code. I keep looking though...... I keep picturing it getting turned in at the local parts store for the $50 core in 1988. But, the car was a driver back then & who would have known.

I know brake cylinders are not the same as a carburetor, but I am still a fan of keeping everything that comes off an original car otherwise.

amfornal

I would keep only if you are a hoarder.... Those parts are ware items and were meant to be replaced after they wore out. That would be like keeping the original oil filter from the first oil change because " that's what it came with originally."

F-body-fan

Come on now, that's not the same comparison whatsoever.
A small box of parts on the shelf hardly classifies a person as a hoarder. too funny.

Every moving part on a car wears out at some point. The big things are obviously keeping the original engine & transmission. But if a car is a very original survivor with few things ever changed (beside the oil) I would keep those changed parts.

If its a driver quality car, repainted with no history, etc, by all means throw the old parts out. They would serve no purpose whatsoever. At that point original drivetrains probably don't even matter that all that much.

The OP never said how original the car is now, so I guess it could be taken either way. I was making the assumption the car is in near original condition.

eseibel67

Brakes, bearings, steering, suspension - recycle them - they are heavy and are of no use because they cannot be repaired or reused.


Other items such as electrical items or pumps I keep because they can be seen visually and they could possibly be reused with a little effort.

eseibel67

For example, when the water pump crapped out I just bought a cheapo Chinese one at the auto parts store just to get going right away and kept the core under the bench. Years later, when I was bored and had time, I had it rebuilt for future use.


Relays are also good to keep. You can keep the OE look by reusing the cover and replacing the guts.

92tealZconv

Thanks for all of your input guys. I appreciate the feedback. I'll keep some parts, and probably toss the others. And for the record, yes, the car is a very original "survivor." Thanks again!

scottmoyer

If the replaced parts are in good visual condition, I would hold onto them for future reference details, however, brake components that are not seen, have no value even in a frame off restoration. Certain original items may be good for reference, but if they are just standard fare items, I'd toss 'em.

Pictures are always good. If you do toss something that you're not sure about, take pics of it. I still have the spark plug wires that came on my care when I got the car, but I don't know if the original owner replaced them before i got the car. There was only 6k miles, but 13 years had passed.

eseibel67

I have an OE wire set that I removed when the car was less than a year old and I kept them. I do remember they were numbered per cylinder, aftermarket wires are not. That should give you an indicator.