I am building a few 56 ford trucks and a 53. I have been trying to figure if buying NOS is worth the extra cost.
This would be tailgate/fenders/running boards.
The cost is 100 bucks or more at least above the jap stuff. I am building drivers and not show-trucks.
What do you guys think? Kevin Bigwin mentioned the nos running boards are unmistakable from the repops---and I have had fiberglass parts but like to buy steel. Does it make my truck higher-class or more valuable? thanks
Bill

 

Once a panel is mounted on the truck and is driven for awhile then its not NOS anymore. Trim pieces, badges, and the like are worth the extra money for NOS because they are never painted and you can always see how nice they are as opposed to repops or reconditioned OEM parts. Any sheetmetal, in my opinion, if prepped and painted correctly is good as long as it fits.

 

So the extra cost for nos is only regarded as for trim and the sheetmetal is not worth extra for the originallity. I have nos items coming out of my ears from guys and really just want lower prices. I build as cheap price wise as possible and cannot figure in the added cost for nos. If I was building a show or trailer queen yes--I would spend for the original parts. Heck--the wife won't go for 500 running boards....LOL

 

I am not an expert here as I do not do body work, but many guys have told me that the foreign stuff is of a thinner gauge and many times the parts do not fit right. I think it would be better to buy good used pieces that require a little body work but fit good and are of thicker steel.

abe

 

Thats what i have done! So far so good! Still have to work the front fenders. Will tell after they are done.

 

An old body man once told me, " get the cleanes sheat metal you can find, If it has a hole in it and has to be patched then its probably thin somewhere else"

I believe in "rust free parts" I also believe in "NOS parts"

My bigwindow is as nice as they come and its been painted since 1993 with NO signs of repairs as it was all NOS!

So you decide, patch now and patch later, or replace with known good and be done forever!

Kevin Bigwin

PS the NOS boards I had were brazilian imported for ford sold by ford as the replacement and the repops look exactly the same as the brazilian boards. Not even close to the originals IMO!

 

Patching a panel to use it is no big deal. But--yes I want as clean of a panel as I want to spend. I keep my costs down this way. NOS panels are real expensive and just brought a set of doors back from Fl. that were expensive.
The shipping is what kills the deal....and then the weather.(snow-belt)
Building a driver is not the same as building a show car. I must be able to justify the costs. Also if I have a vehicle for more than 5 yrs it is a miracle.
I have tried to buy on epay-some panels--but am worried they are a couple gauges thinner than the originals. Need mics to check the thickness--haha!!.....Bill

 

I built the bigwindow with the intent to keep forever! If you are just building to drive and then sell by all means get the repop stuff or patch up used stuff.

A side note, my brother bought his first car in Jan of 1971. It was a rusty 1958 ford fairlane 500 2 door hardtop. He still owns it today. It was painted in 1976 and has only been wet one time and that was the drive home from the body shop. the car is still beautiful, with a few spots that are reappearing. He has only put 5,000 miles on it since 71. Could you imagine what it would have looked like if it got wet 50 times? My brother made a promise to my dad when he was 13Yrs old at the time of purchase, If he let him buy it he would keep it forever and that is a true story!

Our family was brought up to keep what you got as it doesnt cost anything to keep if you have a place for it. Now before you jump all over me walford like my dad used to....... about the panel. I have enough to keep me happy for a long time and if it goes, it goes, and if it stays, it stays.

I know what my dad is saying right now about the panel, "let it sit till you are ready. it doesnt eat anything"

Kevin Bigwin

 

I patch what I have. Mine is a driver. Nothing fancy now and it won't be. That is all I can afford (not that I can afford it).

I intend to keep it as long as I am around, but who knows how long that will be with the weird health issues. It is in my will, but I would imagine it will be sold as soon as I am gone.

There is no one in my family that is interested in old trucks. My dad has driven it a couple of times, but only when I was too sick and wanted to go somewhere in it (like a cruise in or something).

If I could afford a new (repop) fender...I would get one instead of the mess I have to work with.

 

ain't no part like a "used" part...ya already know it works... & it's already

been "broken" in...within reason of course...

 

Keeping vehicles,especially indoors does cost money. Upkeep is an never-ending cycle.
Space is space used for something else that you could have. I like the story bigwin wrote about his brother. I have seen many times-guys building a truck to keep forever--and then sell it. I have an Avanti that is supercharged and a California car--it has been here for 9 yrs and almost a record for me. My wife will not sell it. It was her Dad's,and memories are all she has of him.
So most of you guys agree---buy repop panels because they are less hassle than welding and filling old rotted panels. I look for nice original panels,but hey these are not FORD GTs--we are building. I figure as long as my cost to build is low--I can recoup my expenses. If it does not sell---I keep it.
My question is answered-I think. Buy cheap used or repop panels -because I do not intend to keep the truck forever. thanks guys. oh yea--today I drove my 53 f100 and it is a blast!!! 3 speed on the column,and 223 6popper--and a real awesome time driving home.....that is the best part of having these old trucks,and meeting people like you guys that know what I mean!!!! Bigwin--we postponed our Mich trip because of my brother needing my help. Do you think you will be able to go at a later date? Bill

 

where can you find any nos for sale. i can not find squat.other than one here and one already gone.

 

HI Walford,

These are great questions and good points. I thnk it's kind of subjective. Despite the fact that you are building drivers, we all know you still have high standards. So the question here isn't so much about the piece itsdelf, but "where is my line" that separates ultimate quality vs price. And only you can answer that. The basic factors are: Looks; fit; workability (how does the part fit) cost and authenticity. These are all somewhat interrelated except authenticity. If someone just wants a really great truck to drive, then authenticity isn't that big of a deal. Seriously, I didn't know a 55 bed from a 51 bed until I had rebuilt both. And we have had some members who bought really nice 51/52 trucks that had a 53-72 bed on it and didn't even know it. Ya have to do this alot to know the difference or have a "know-it-all" brother in law who after a year of ownership will ask you why you have a 53 grill on your 54.

All of the inputs here are good points, but let me add a few more: There are fairly significant differences in the older parts vs the newer, and they don't just have to do with shape or thickness. They have to do with metal quality. Steel fabric in the 50s was made to a different recipie than todays metals because of expense, automation, pollution, concerns, and standards. And metals made in othe countries are even worse. Example: have you ever bought a stainless steel kitchen knife that was made in Japan? They rust. Different Metalurgy. Same thing with parts made here today vs overseas, and things made today vs 50 years ago. When the four Iowas Class Battleships were recommissioned in the 1980, we had problems restoring some areas of them because did not even have (had actually lost) the technology left to work or weld the Class A armor used on those ships. Same happens today.

Where does that get you. Well, you have to consider the flexibility of the metal, or the stress it will absorb before it tears or will pull through a bolt. What is it's ability to with stand corrosion, will it react to stainless or galvanized (zinc) fasteners. There is maintainability - can I repair it, will paint stick to it (or peel off in hot sun) will the metal tend to soften more in heat because it has less carbon in it.

Just food for thought. Dogs.....If you have a $25 "pound puppy" someone will buy it and love it. And one reason is becasue it's is a the same as what they want and it isn't at the "Pure bread" price. If you have a bunch of "pound puppys" people will buy them for less. But you will still get folks who want that pedigree to be pure bread - and pay accordingly for it.

In my opinion if you are building a truck that is a replica or already has the newer parts, then a mut is a mut. But if you have one that only needs one fender and the rest is all original, then go NOS. Preserve the level of standards you have on each truck.


Julie

PS. I'm using the wrong terminology. Substitute "Original" for "NOS" in my answer above what I meant but didn't say. I got sucked into that one.

PSS AX you have to go first from now on - tee hee.

 

IMHO A NOS sheetmetal part is not worth any more than a solid used panel without damage that just needs stripping. Number Dummy may say something different, but my neighbor growing up in the 50-60s owned a body shop, and told me that the factory replacement panels were often "seconds" that were rejected from the assembly line when the vehicles were new or after production ended were stamped from the old dies Ford kept but didn't particularly repair or maintain very well. after 3 or 4 years old dies were shipped to third world countries where they became the "current year" model there. Excess production parts were shipped back to the US to sell as replacements. Again the standards were not very high and the dies would become quite worn. You really don't know for sure what generation NOS parts you might be buying, or how much abuse they may have endured over 50 years of storage.

 

Good points Julie and Ax!! and others!! I know what you are speaking of with steel-quality--as I owned and operated a steel mill and machine-tool rebuilding co.. I spoke of this before,but made ALL of the steel mill parts and equipment at our shops. Also rebuilt machine tools and sold machine tools and had machine shops with 150 employees in total. Sold out in 1990s and co. is still running.
It is true--I am like Ax--I like nice original take-off parts preferably. Even if there is some rot--I will fix it. I have only bought a few new panels-and was not as happy.
COOL JULIE brought up a good point--as YES , I will replace a single panel(all that it needs) with a nice nos panel. But building drivers from ground up---will still look for deals and the NOS parts are costly and unjustified.

How many times have I seen a truck for sale and did I ever worry that the panels were repops? NO---Just how nice do they fit and how does the end result look.
I have a few good NOS sources and these guys want a pretty penny for their parts--but they have them. I guess the cost involved is more of a concern,than how long will the part last. I also have no problem finishing a panel again if it rots or gets ugly....and have the time,unlike bigwin,and some others......thanks/Bill