But X-Part (Caterpillar) does not make the parts. With spec changes there are tens of thousands of different parts in the defunct Rover range. For parts to continue to be available someone has to make them. No problem if it's a common part shared by other models by other car makers. But if it's a specific part for that particular Rover and if the car cannot run or pass its MOT without it, and it is not worth any manufacturer's while to run off a batch, then you are going to be stuck. This has been happening with Rover body and trim parts over the past 5 years already.
Say you wanted to manufacture or mould or stamp out certain parts for Rovers and did not have the equipment so needed a loan. Who is going to loan money to someone who wants to make something for a diminishing market? The only way you'll get that sort of loan is from someone who knows you won't be able to repay it and has his eyes on the rest of your assets.
HJ
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As HJ says, but it's not just a matter of having the tools, its often a matter of having the assembly line too. Simple things like switches have moulded parts, circuit boards, harnesses etc, that's a lot of parts to bring together!
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Some of you guys don't get involved much in repairing cars, do you? There are lots of problems in getting parts, even for 1990's parts. Try getting door handles for early-mid 1990's BMW's - they have a tendancy to break and you can only get secondhand. I have a car at the moment (1995 model) which needs a small metalastic bush on the gear selector. It is no longer available so I'm trying to source either a secondhand part or maybe machine one up from a standard size polyprop bush. Without it you can't change gear! There are lots and lots of parts in a car and, in contrast to the cars of 30 years ago, lots of the bits are 'special' - lots of wierd and wonderful clips, connectors, linkages etc etc unique to the particular model. Often it is difficult to 'improvise' The big parts (body panels, rotating electrics, gearboxes etc.) usually are no problem.
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>>Some of you guys don't get involved much in repairing cars, do you?
- an MG Roadster, which I do concede is a different beast.
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Aprila, quite agree, this is one of the problems we have with TR7s over the earlier TR models. A lot of the cars had moulded plastic parts and these are irreplacable without the tooling. Good example is convertible sun visors which have been unobtainable for years, we were quoted £50K to set some up for manufacture. Bearing in mind the total world wide need is 5000 tops that made them hugely expensive!
Jim
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Don't mention TR7s. I had one foisted on me as a company car in the late 1970s. Typically, it had cooked its head (they did not cool properly), and had lots of problems besides. But no one could get parts because they were moving factories (for the second time). Parts for TR7s are probably better now than they were in the late 1970s. And, of course, enthusiasts have long since overcome the cooling problems. But that's a bit much to expect for the entire MG Rover range. And if anyone knows where you will be able to obtain a new K Series engine in 6 months time, please tell me.
HJ
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China? as fitted in the "Lover 75"
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Some of you guys don't get involved much in repairing cars, do you?>>
Only as a hobby, but I worked for a few first tier suppliers in the automotive industry ;-)
As for repairing old cars, I've owned two Czech Tatras and the difference between getting parts for those versus something easy like an MGB or VW Beetle is a real eye opener. Adapting parts can be done, and almost anything mechanical can be made if you've got a milling machine but it's expensive and time consuming. Fine for a second car, but tricky when it's your main car.
The main difference is I wouldn't expect a warranty company to be interested for long as a business when the only options are find a second hand part or machine a new one from solid.
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