If you have a vintage or a classic car, you’ll certainly want to look after it. Your original equipment manufacturer is probably that little bit harder to find– but don’t be put off buying such a gem – it is very possible to find those older car parts online. There are sites where you can search for the manufacturer and type of car – vintage/classic or not – and you’ll find lots of parts across the UK still available.
There are many old-timer cars that you can go for – obviously the classic Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, Silver Cloud and Silver Spirit are many a dream car to own. OEM parts (original manufacturer parts) for Rolls Royce, Bentley and Ford Mustangs are easily obtainable, if you know what you are doing and where to look.
It’s not just vintage cars where you can look for your OEM parts. Classic cars – Minis and Mini Metros, Capris, Ford Escort Mark I, II, and III and Morris Minors all retain their place in the hall of fame. Taking a Ford Escort Mark 1 Saloon 1.6L Petrol (1969) as an example, we can find parts for the brake system, filters, the engine, ignition and glowplug system, suspension and arms, shock absorbers, coil springs and leaf springs, body parts, lights and mirrors, windscreen cleaning system and electrics. This was a very popular car and therefore the OEM parts are that much more easily obtainable.
You’ll find nearly every car you can think of. The Cadillac XLR 4.6L is a classic example of a car with punch and with its punch you may well need your new parts more regularly! A quick search for an oil filter for this car throws up a host of options – you can have an Ashika Oil Filter for £8.98, a Blue Print Oil Filter for £9.98, a Japanparts Oil Filter for £9.98, K & N Filters Oil Filter for £11.98. The four choices of oil filters are brand new and come with warrantees of up to 24 months.
And what about the old classic the Fiat 126 (from 1972)? It came in just a 0.6L engine size! If you wanted to replace an engine that small you’d be hard pressed to find anything in other ranges. If you want to replace the head gasket, you are offered a choice of original (OEM) manufacturers – Ajusa, Glaser, Goetze, Victor Reinz, Cortico, Triscan, and Payen – all at varying prices to suit your purse. There’s plenty of choice.
Oldtimer cars are a must for many over-50’s. Much as we prefer to listen to the music we grew up with, we like to have our old favourites when it comes to cars. We go through all the motions and buy into all differing types of cars as we earn more, improve our life and grow older – but it’s the classics that stay with us in our later years. We often go back to them. If you had a trusty, reliable Mini Metro as your first car, what say you to buying one again in your later years where you’re not so bothered about size of car or engine size and just want a little run-around? Sounds enticing? That’s because it is. Many older drivers opt for little cars to get them from A to B. The Ford KA will become a classic in its own right in the next thirty years, even though it might not be now.
Remember the old Cortina? The Triumph Dolomite? The Mini Cooper? And the kudos of owning a VW Campervan, Beetle, Transporter, Caddy or Crafter… you can really mix it up with one of these. Even schoolkids aged 16 understand the value of a VW Campervan. You and your classic car are not alone in the world. Eighties’ retro is just cool. It’s just a bit scary if you are from the 80s and remember it like it was yesterday. Or even the 70s .. or 60s or even before that? But your classic car defines you, and you should be somewhat proud from whence you came.
These days, rocking up to a parking space with a Beetle will attract looks. Nearly as many looks as if you rocked up with a Lamborghini. That’s because you can be part of ‘the club’. To be part of a retro motor vehicle club means you’ve done it right. All the would-be VW Beetle fans secretly want to be a part of that club. Look at Delboy and the Robin Reliant. He was definitely in a club, meaning he wasn’t just a geeky fool with a cheesy car. In the UK, you can be in the ‘Robin Reliant Owners Club’, there’s something amazingly attractive about the Britishness of belonging to a club and Delboy championed the cause.
So – there’s simply no reason to avoid buying yourself a classic or vintage car. You can find all your OEM car parts still and start turning heads as you and your newest car-enthusiast buddies hit the town in a convoy.
