How do owners of very old or rare vehicles find replacement parts to keep it running?
In: R2 (Narrow/Personal)
My father collects and restores old motorcycles.
You have essentially 2 types of old vehicle restorers / owners. Those that want it “factory” where everything is as it was when it was manufactured, and those who want it to work.
My old man is a hybrid of those, basically depending on what he wants the bike for. If the bike is a showroom only bike, it ends up factory. This means sourcing parts from all over the world, buying old wrecks in boxes, and then finally making the parts yourself if needed. He has spent hundreds of hours hand shaping metal into petrol tanks or mud guards because there is no way you can buy them. He’s gone as far as making his own gearbox gears.
Then there are the ones he actually wants to ride. For these he will replace bits with modern options. Electronic ignition instead of points. Replacement magneto, rewiring to 12v (lots of old bikes were 6v). Non standard rims, modern master brake reservoirs, modern forks etc.
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