Spares seeking session - an NOS hunt

[minolman]

Bit of spare time invested in what I thought was going to be the 50/50 chance of being on a wild goose chase today turned out to be one of those rather above the average with a mix of sort of autoshite mixed in Those who don't love the retro look of old packaging or autojumble rummaging move along now

 

Went to visit the premises of an old Skoda dealership that's been taken over by a small team of blokes doing a bit of car sales, MOT's and tyres in what the WW2 BBC would have called a "Northern Coastal Town" - now a rather grim and run down looking spot seemingly peopled by only retired people in their Motability cars driving round at 27 mph. Anyway enough of them, I was already worrying about being armed with the knowlege that the guys weren't all that approachable, but he who dares etc...

 

On arrival - I'd already phoned - the younger guy of the partnership showed me a few bits and pieces they'd winklled out of the racking. Promising was a decent 2nd hand carb and the sight of N.O.S. packaging. [That's "New Old Stock" to the autojumbleshite cognoscenti]. They guy had to 'ask permission' when I said how about having a look around if they had time, followed by a bit of banter about being a cash buyer and explaining my inserest in old chod. Given a gracious '20 minutes' we headed on through the back - and into the 1970's.

 

This garage must have been a BMC dealer at one point because I saw a couple of huge boxes of BL era stuff I simply didn't have time to delve into except to notice Austin/Morris 1800 on a bunch of things. There was also a wodge of Ford stuff too, probably from the late 80s or early 90s when they stopped being a sole Skoda dealer. Dust was everywhere and I was literally treading on stuff that was on the floor laid around. I tripped over a nos Estelle jack as I took in the long bay of wooden - yep wooden - racking. All nicely made 50's esque bays of pull out drawers about 18" square. It was like really going back in time.

[twosmoke300]

Lock me in there with a parts fiche / book and I would be in heaven

[minolman]

Knowing that my computer has a habit of losing data when you've been typing for ages it was a safe bet to go for a second post

 

So, where were we, ah yes, the dusty stock room. It was good to find that the guys were more helpful than I'd been led to believe, they took time out from what they were otherwise doing to help me out - hopefully because I'd shown a keen interest in what they'd got.

 

For someone wanting to make a nice job of finishing off a car, keepoing something not quite classic on the road or even tidying it up or 'scening' it there has to be a bit of a thrill at finding a neat horde of old spareshite. Maybe its just me? I certainly find it an amusing lottery not knowing whats going to be in the box when you open it. We discovered some great strategic spares like new dizzy, lights, ignition parts, gaskets, hoses and moved onto new old stock trim, bumpers, grills and the sort of stuff usually dumped long ago and repaired nowadays by people with a roll of gaffer tape

 

I was so suprised and interested an hour went by and I accumulated a pile of bits and bobs. I spent about £80 but came away with useful gear and some bits to give to others I know. Prize buys for the garage decorating was two old dealership door signs for Sales and Service with Skoda logos. LoL. Not able to resist for £2 apiece. I've got an invite to go back in a few weeks with my parts books to ID some stuff I wasn't sure what model it was for, winner! They even had some 80s Genuine Skoda Parts carrier bags to get my stuff to the car!

 

Second best part was the scenic drive back, taking a diversionthat led me back on some beautiful scenic roads seemingly almost empty of traffic allowing me to waft along, listening to the radio and take in the rolling vista. Epic parts-buying-trip-ness!

[Lankytim]

Hummm.... Any Allegro bits?

[minolman]

Sorry Tim I've no idea. I'll try to remember to ask next time I go, but they have to divert from their work to help me and are concious of their time is money, so to speak. If youo are in the north west you could go or ask them yourself, pm me for details.

cheers

M

[Rusty Pelican]

Back in the 80s I got to hear that Olds garages had some odd Imp parts , i arraged a visit to be told " its all gota go mate , i have to book each item out so make stupid offers on each and its yours , NOS front wings for a fiver each , a pair of rear wings for 40 notes and so it went on and on , i blew 150 notes and had at least a grands worth , Olds in Gillingham Dorset were contacted by them and a few weeks later i cleared them out as well.

HEAVEN .

[Squire_Dawson]

Considering how rare many parts are now, and the waste and throwing-away of perfectly good stock that went on when nobody really wanted it, doesn't bear thinking about.

 

I was given a quantity of NOS spares from a gent whose father worked for BL in engines disposal or something. Apparently if an engine came off the production line and wouldn't start, it just went to scrap. When the Rover P6 ended production and there were hundreds of leftover front-wings, a forklift was ran through them and off they went to be signed off as scrap. Bloody criminal and hard to believe, but true.

 

The garage wasn't in St. Helen's by any chance?

[Guest Tony Hayers]

Maestro/Monty hinge pins would come in bloody handy, especially as my drivers door is suffering from brewers droop. Should you happen to find some PM me with your price. Thanks.

[minolman]

I think the Maestro might qualify as too modern for this stuff!

[charlie2555]

Back in the 80s I got to hear that Olds garages had some odd Imp parts , i arraged a visit to be told " its all gota go mate , i have to book each item out so make stupid offers on each and its yours , NOS front wings for a fiver each , a pair of rear wings for 40 notes and so it went on and on , i blew 150 notes and had at least a grands worth , Olds in Gillingham Dorset were contacted by them and a few weeks later i cleared them out as well.

HEAVEN .

Hey, I live 3 miles from Gillingham- are Olds still about?

[mat_the_cat]

Nearest I've come to this sort of find is "You should have come last week mate, we had a skipfull in the yard"...

[minolman]

I've done that too, almost makes you weep. It was when I had a few Hillmans and found out about a spares shop with a load of Rootes stuff. I put off going for a couple of weeks, to find the bin men had it.

 

Slightly worse is the other end of the sprectrum where someone goes and tells them ooh this is rare, that is rare, then they think everything is worth mega bucks, put a high price on, fail to shift then get arsey and scrap it cos none of those enfuze i arst bar stewards wanted to pay top dollar for it.

[vulgalour]

I have no money but.... Princess/Ambassador/Renault 6?

[Rusty Pelican]

Hey, I live 3 miles from Gillingham- are Olds still about?

I think its F J Chalk now , they chopped Station road in half with a bypass as you know so some of the old Olds buildings got demolished . Chalks are Peugeot dealers.

[sheffcortinacentre]

any Cortina/sierra stuff?

[Skoze]

Likewise any Capri/ early Escort bits could be very handy! 

I'm more than a little jealous, would love to be able to mooch about in a place like that. 

[dugong]

I have no money but.... Princess/Ambassador/Renault 6?

 

I got you pretty close. I can't see that happening again locally unless the banger lads somehow dredge up another Prinn from somewhere. 

 

 

I managed to buy the last commercially available rear 400-series bump stop. I'm using that as my claim to fame. I'm going places, me. 

[minolman]

Sorry guys but I wasn't allowed near any of the non Skoda stuff, I was just told there was some there. I did notice some boxes of OEM consumables like track rod ends, filters and the like mixed in one large rummage box that contained all different makes. I'll try and have a better shufti next time.

cheers

M

[dugong]

Sorry guys but I wasn't allowed near any of the non Skoda stuff, I was just told there was some there. I did notice some boxes of OEM consumables like track rod ends, filters and the like mixed in one large rummage box that contained all different makes. I'll try and have a better shufti next time.

cheers

M

You need to get some pictures of this place, but not ones that give its location away. 

[minolman]

You know, I thought of that after I was on my way home, but I thought the production of a camera might make them wonder what the heck I was up to.

 

I sort of imagined being hustled out of the door because they thought I was taking pics of their security cameras or something, waiting to go and do the place over.

[plasticvandan]

Ive cleared out 3 former Reliant dealers in exactly the same way,got tipped off,went up in a Reliant (shows genuineness) and took the lot,no cherry picking.

The first one was a dealer that started in the early 60s,i got every parts list and manual in Reliant binders from there as well. A lot of what i got hadnt been available new since the mid 70s.

after cataloguing all the bits up there was around 8k worth of bits for £200.Was great fun fitting loads of new bits to my pigs just because i had them lol