New Old Stock

I am sure most of you have heard the acronym "NOS". To some folks it stands for the popular power adder Nitrous Oxide Systems while others know it as New Old Stock, as referenced in auto parts. The only difference is you say the letters individually instead of as a word. NOS parts are old, original parts that happen to still be new. New is a relative term here because with NOS, it just means that is was new back when it was originally made. In the case of, lets say a Pontiac, this means a GM badged part ( Delco, AC, PMD, Harrision, etc.) that has a GM part number on the box. In spite of being brand new and unused, a NOS part could be in any condition, due to shelf wear, age, weather damage, poor original quality, or other circumstances. As we all know, not all parts stay "new" with age. Some deteriorate and others are replaced with superior, and sometimes safer, designs. NOS also has a little brother named NORS, otherwise known as New Old Replacement Stock. This is a brand new, unused part made by (or boxed as) someone other than the vehicle's original manufacturer. For the Pontiac example, this would mean a non-GM part. Having worked as a parts store counterman for over 15 years back in the day, I am very familiar with aftermarket replacment parts. From time to time I would even find an OEM part in the box! This was because the aftermarket companies would buy their parts from the OEMs when they were unable to get it from their regular supplier. In some instances, the replacement part may be of higher quality than the original GM part due to more modern materials or a superior design. Old merchandise from the attic or back room of the local auto parts store (such as Moog, TRW, Fram, etc.) is considered NORS.

Imagine if you could buy your favorite classic car as NOS. Yeah, I know, you probably have a better chance of winning the lottery then finding an NOS vehicle. Sure, there have been "time capsule" cars go across the auction block with a few hundred miles on them, but how many of those rare finds would qualify as "new old stock"? Most of these cars have hundreds if not thousands of miles on them and obviously have been sitting a very long time in who knows what kind of conditions.

Here is an example of a "time capsule" car discovered recently by the auction house Gooding & Co. I think this would also qualify as a barn find, albeit probably the last all original, un-restored 1964 Shelby Cobra literally sitting in a barn!






Photo: Gooding & Co



Yes, I would have love to discovered that Cobra, even though it's not NOS. Although it is pretty darn close, with less then 1000 original miles purported to be on it. I'm leaning toward barn find on this one because when I think of a "time capsule", I feel that the object should be in a sealed container or sarcophagus or something. While on the subject, undoubtedly the most famous time capsule car was the '57 Plymouth Belvedere that was buried in a concrete tomb back in 1957 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Unfortunately, when the car was unearthed, it looked like the stearn section off of the Titanic. Apparently, the lid of the concrete tomb that was built for the Plymouth was porous concrete instead of structural concrete. This makes a big difference when it comes to keeping the inner contents dry. My guess is they were trying to save weight because the lid had to be hoisted into place. Gee, a couple 5 gallon buckets of Henry Roof Cement would have done a world of good here.

 
 
 
 
 
The same car.... only rustier!



(AP Photo)





 
 
 
 
 
See, what did I tell you? Titanicville! The only thing this boat is missing is coral.
 
 
 
 
(AP Photo)


It seems to me that time capsule vehicles don't exactly live up to their name, unless the final objective is dirt and rust! I doubt that I will ever find a true NOS vehicle, so I guess I'll have to settle for the next best thing. What's that you ask? Well, it's what I call "NOD", as in New Old Design. Currently, there are three NOD cars being made, and unless you have just landed on this planet, you have either heard of or seen all three.

First on the list of NOD vehicles is the 2011 Ford Mustang. Way cool retro styling combined with high horsepower and good gas mileage make for a great combination. I'm talking 19 city / 29 highway miles per gallon from a 3.7L V-6! 305 horsepower is nothing to sneeze at and the 6 speed automatic gives you the best of both an automatic and manual trans. Want a 5.0? It's back and meaner then ever with double overhead cams, 32 valves and 412 horsepower. When you sit in the drivers seat the view of the instrument panel is pure 1967. Totally classic.

NOD vehicle number two is the Chevrolet Camaro. Chevy started the horsepower war last year with their 300 horse V-6. Not to be outdone by Ford in 2011, Chevy upped the ante of their 3.6L V-6 to 312 horsepower. MPG is rated at 17 city and 28 highway. A 6.2L 16 valve V-8 is also available with 426 horsepower. Ironic horsepower number, isn't it? Unfortunately, when you sit in the drivers seat the first item that you seem to notice is the overly chunky steering wheel and then the squarish instrument pods that look somewhat like a 1969's dash, only throughly more modern. To me, the new Camaro looks only vaguely like the '69 model that inspired it.

NOD number three is none other then the Dodge Challenger. Dodge has done an incredible job designing (or should I say coping) the new Challenger. Out of all the NOD vehicles, the Challenger looks the most like the '70 model that it was designed after. This car is so close to the original that it could almost pass for a time capsule car. V-6 engine specs are almost identical to the Mustangs, but the claim to fame here is the legendary Hemi engine. None of the other production V-8's even come close to the optional 6.4L Hemi's 470 horsepower and 470 foot pounds of torque. Out of all three cars, the Challenger is the most expensive, but nobody said horsepower was cheap.

As you can tell, I did a bit of research on today's modern muscle cars. Partially for fun but mainly because I was in the market for a new vehicle. With the kids now being young adults, I felt like it was time for a sportier car, and I managed to narrow my choices down to the three aformentioned vehicles. I guess I was a little burned out on SUVs and four doors. Like all of my vehicle purchases, I throughly investigated my potential acquisition, although this time I had to factor in that my better half would be driving this new car the majority of the time. So which NOD muscle car won out?

Behold the new 2011 Ford Mustang









This car totally reminds me of my red '67 Mustang fastback that I use to own many years ago...

My 1967 looked just like this one except mine was a 390, 4 speed car. It's total déjà vu when I drive the 2011 Mustang, maybe not so much on the torque side, but the horsepower is about the same! You gotta love technology.






Ford sure has done their homework on this one. My only complaint about the Mustang is that I don't get to drive it enough. If I'm lucky enough I will remedy that situation later this year with the addition of another Mustang. That's right, I am so impressed with the new Mustang that I would buy another one! Or maybe I'll buy a restored '67 fastback just like the one I use to have. Or maybe I can find an NOS Mustang that has been buried with a dehumidifier in a time capsule that was coated in roofing tar. Hey, you never know, it could happen. They found a Shelby Cobra buried in a barn, right? I better go check my lottery tickets...

Of Garages and Men

The best laid plans of garages and men often go awry. No, this is not some wierd adaptation of a John Steinbeck novel, but rather a personal prospective of what I call "garage nirvana". Buddha described nirvana as "the highest happiness" as well as "the perfect peace of the state of mind that is free from craving, anger and other afflictive states". I guess that about sums up the feeling I get when I stare into a treasure trove filled garage for the first time. I don't know about you, but I find garages full of automobilia pretty fascinating. Lets take a deeper look at this garage fixation that I have.

The way I see it, garages come in three flavors:

1) The Empty Garage.
This is the garage that is always kept spotless. It's plain, flat white walls stand out like beacons in the night. There has never been a vehicle behind it's doors. The polished cement floors have never seen a drop of anything petroleum based. It's vacant space will usually be home to a spare refrigerator and may even temporarly house a folding, portable game table, but mostly it remains empty. The empty garage is not to be confused with one that has been carpeted and has a TV, couch and games in it, for this is no longer considered a garage, it's a redneck living room.

2) The Faux Garage.
This is the garage that from all external appearances appears like a normal garage. Upon closer inspection, it is discovered that it's really a museum in disguise. The floor will usually be checkered tile or epoxy with a speckled pattern. The inside is cleaner then most hospitals and there is enough lighting to perform surgery. It's considerable interior acreage will be occupied by either a late model Corvette and/or an over restored muscle car that was an impulse purchase at a Barrett-Jackson auction. For all intensive purposes, the vehicles never move, hence the polished oil drip pans resting below them. A tool box may be present but it will be brand new, polished to a shine, and full of tools that will never be used.

3) The Used Garage.
This is the garage that is thoroughly used, both in storage capacity and utility. The owner will know every square inch of it, and there may even be pathways cut through all of it's "storage". There may or may not be room for a vehicle, depending on the owners needs or the quality of paint on said vehicle. It will house lots of cool parts and even cooler memories. Most items will be shelved and labeled. Rodents will fear entering this labyrinth for the simple reason that they might be categorizied and put away. You may even feel more at home in this garage then in your room. Some have even chosen to install a commode just to avoid having to use the one in the house. There will usually be an old refrigerator covered in vintage performance stickers strictly used for soda or beer. The used garage is not to be confused with one that is chuck loaded full of junk, for this is no longer considered a garage, it is simply a storage facility for a pack rat or an oversized trash dumpster owned by a hoarder.


The used garage is my favorite because it is the one that says the most about the owner. It is also the one that is the most fascinating. I remember growing up and venturing out in my dad's garage. The casual observer would have just seen a garage full of useless stuff, but I knew better. As I got to know that garage better and better, I discovered all the treasures that it held. Whatever I needed at the time, it seemed that I could find it in there. Nut? Bolt? Porcelain insulator? It was in there. I found everything from flat head parts to radio tubes. It was this very garage that served as my impetus for selling on eBay.

My Uncles garage was actually his auto body shop and outbuildings that I use to wander through. I spent a few summers there learning how to do body work. Back then it seemed like every week I would buy another car and almost everyone of them needed some form of body repair. He always told me he didn't like working on relative's cars, but he would always show me what to do and how to do it. I'll never forget all the stuff he had crammed in that shop of his. These are some of the items I remember:

A very early GM crate motor - 283 with factory dual quads, literally in a crate.

A GMC blower - I think it was a 6-71 on a vintage intake manifold.

A complete '40 Ford Coupe - It was stuffed in an outbuilding and was supposed to be the recipient of the 283 crate motor.

A NOS '57 Chevy front clip - This was completely assembled with chrome and everything.

A late 60's Barracuda - A complete car stuffed in one of the corners of the shop. I remember it was black with flames. The story was he was holding it for a guy who was in prison...

A really old Ford tow truck (which my cousin managed to get), various hood ornaments hanging around, and tons of other cool stuff.


Garages full of cool stuff is nothing new, but few folks have ventured into this foray of the automobile world. I thought it would be a great idea to do a series of articles on garages and all the neat stuff that some of them contain. I can just imagine how much history is stashed away in some folk's garages. So far I haven't been able to find any site or publications dedicated to the humble garage, so I guess I'll just have to settle for blogging about it here. If there are any fellow garage lovers out there I hope that this article has peaked your "garagosity" or maybe provided a little "garage nirvana" for you.

Parts is Parts

All parts are the same, right? If you believe this then I have a some beach front property in Arizona to sell you. I sold auto parts for over 15 years so I have seen my share of parts. I'm not talking Autozone either. Back in the day there were professional parts stores, where the guys that sold parts were seasoned professionals. The counterman that I know is a salesman, parts identifier, problem solver, diagnostic technician, machinist, inventory control person, and a mechanic's right hand man, all in one.

I worked during what I consider was the "hay day" of the parts era. The most popular muscle cars of the sixties were just 15 years old, so the majority of the parts sold were for cars with name plates such as: Chevelle, Camaro, Corvette, Mustang, Cuda, Charger, Challenger, 442, and GTO. And who could forget the British invasion - Triumph Spitfires, MG Midgets, Austin Healeys, and Jaguars. I pushed parts for more cars then I can remember. It was at the parts store that I also bought and sold most of my cars.

Finding them was the easy part. The typical scenario would involve a customer coming in with a huge parts list for their car. After seeing what it would cost to fix their ride, and factoring in all the labor involved, the prospect of selling it seemed more appealing. I bought some sweet rides across that parts counter, like a '69 Hugger Orange Camaro, a '69 Chevelle SS, numerous '57 Chevys, and more then a few El Caminos. Yes, I was heavy into Chevys, but I wasn't very brand loyal when it came to getting a deal.

Getting back to the subject of parts, the store usually carried two "levels" of parts, good and better. We usually referred to them as cheap and expensive. The cheap parts were generic, usually imported, and budget priced. The expensive parts were name brand, heavy duty, and priced accordingly. The saying use to be, You Get What You Pay For, but that's not necessarily true today. Let me explain. On a recent trip to a "chain type" parts store, I found quite the opposite to be true. I needed upper ball joints for my '71 Cutlass. This store had them in stock and was one of the least expensive. They offered two choices. One ball joint was a generic brand, 90 day warranty, and cost $9.99 each. The other ball joint was their name brand, life time warranty, and cost $19.99 each. With such a big difference in price you would expect a major difference in the parts. That turned out to be true - sort of.

The expensive ball joint ended up being made in China, had a rough cast body, and the rubber boot was thin and held in place with wire ties. The attaching bolts didn't even have any grade marks on them. It reminded me of an import ball joint, like you would find on a Toyota. The less expensive ball joint was made in Japan, had a machined cast body, OEM style thick rubber boot and clamp, and the hardware had grade 8 markings. This was clearly the superior part, both in looks, quality, and price. It may not have had a lifetime warranty, but at this point it looked as though I was just purchasing an insurance policy with the expensive part.

.

.

Another example is the W-30 hood that I bought for my '72 Cutlass. I searched far and wide for a functional ram air hood, and discovered that no company made one on the West coast. I had no choice but to ship one in from the East coast, so that meant that I had to choose carefully. The factory W-30 Ram Air hoods were very unique. They were steel on the bottom and fiberglass on the top. I actually found an NOS GM W-30 hood on eBay but the bidding was already over two thousand dollars on the second day, a little rich for my blood. I also found a company that reproduces the OEM ram air hood using your old steel hood as a "core". The price was around $800 dollars and I should have ordered it, but I didn't. I decided to save a few dollars (I'm on a budget, remember?) and order a hood from a large and reputable fiberglass company. I shouldn't have anything to worry about, right? Wrong.

Behold the wonderful W-30 hood that I paid $500 dollars too much for...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I lined the edges of the scoops with tape so you can see what the problem was with the hood.

.

.

The really sad part was when I called the manager of the fiberglass company to tell him about the problem. Guess what? He said he already knew about it! "So you have been selling these without telling people about the defect?" I asked. He told me flatly he didn't consider it a defect and that all fiberglass hoods had "imperfections". I told him that if I had known about this so called imperfection before hand, I never would have bought the hood. Needless to say all of my complaining did no good, and the hood is now collecting dust in the corner of my garage. Anybody know a good fiberglass guy?

.

.

So that's the way the parts business goes. Sometimes you get what you pay for, other times you get more then you bargained for. The bottom line is that when ever possible, look before you buy. On an eBay purchase, I would say ask for more pictures or at least ask a lot of questions. I personally have bought a crap load of parts off of eBay and 99% of my purchases have been more then satisfactory. A little due diligence when buying parts will go a long way towards getting the most for your money, and saving you from storing defective parts in your garage.