Opinions wanted!

Re-use or re-pop?

  • Sure, it's OK to use repop items to save time and money

    Votes: 5 16.1%

  • No, use as many of the original parts on hand as possible for the sake of originality

    Votes: 10 32.3%

  • Doesn't matter-whatever works out best

    Votes: 16 51.6%

  • No opinion

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    31
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Captainkirk

Captainkirk

Old School Mopar Warrior
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OK, a little poll here...
When doing a resto on an original (340 Duster) do you prefer to clean up, repair and reuse as many original parts as possible, or for example, buy a rebuilt master cylinder and brake components from Classic Industries or one of the other resto houses rather than clean up and rebuild/recondition/reuse the old?
Understand this is not for a concourse restoration where the car would be judged, just a clean street project?
I have almost all the original parts but in many cases it's faster and cheaper to buy the repops and bolt them up.
What say you?
 
whatever is more cost efficient and...safe
I see no reason to hold on to 45 year old parts when you can get brand new ones which are often times made to much tighter specs then original (though we can argue difference in overall product quality)
 
I try to use original parts where I can as I've found they fit proper. On some parts it is hard to get by with used original parts as they don't always age well.
For example:
I would rebuild a master cylinder but would replace a rubber brake hose or replace a front drum for disc.
Recore a radiator, rebuild a waterpump but replace a
hose, heater core or overflow tank.
Some old parts are not worth rebuilding or searching out on all but a survivor type car in my opinion.
But to replace every part with new can be wasteful and cause problems also. I believe you have to look at the parts individually rather than make a blanket decision. Depends how original do you wish your car to remain and how much you are willing to do to make a non original part work in its place.
I find both original and modified cars interesting.
 
I need to be utterly and completely out of options..even terrible ones, before I consider using any sort of repop on any of my cars.
The original pieces were made right here, out of quality American materials.
Nearly everything in the aftermarket originates somewhere overseas.
I'm an old school isolationist, and I absolutely let my politics dictate my purchases
 
Depends. Time is money, so to say. If you value your time above your money then by all means buy the repops. It's fast and easy to bolt on and go.

If you value your money over your time, then, of course, you're going to re-use what's there and restore the individual parts.

It's a catch-22 situation, sometimes. That $100 master cylinder can be bleed, bolt on, and go. Saving you time to concentrate on some other part of the build. That $15 rebuild kit, though, can save you money, with the $85 difference being spent on another part to get the car ready.

For me, it depends on the build. I've done a few over the years where the car is rare enough, valuable enough to continue to wear it's original parts. Other times, not so much.
 
I like to see cars done as origional as REASONABLY possible. But that's just me. It all depends on cost, availability and your finances. In the end, it is your car, do it like YOU want. Whether I like it or not !!!
Yote
 
My only issue is with the "made in China" reproduction parts. A viewpoint that is one of very few.
 
I prefer original parts to new parts. I realize that in some cases it's not cost effective, but personally, I'd rather spend the extra bucks to refurbish the original part than replace it with some after market piece.
More over, I also realize that is many cases it's no longer safe to reuse, or even rebuild a 45 - 55 year old piece. In that case it's probably better to buy new or re-manufactured. IF there is an NOS piece available ( and I always check for that, first) I will use it.

The variables are your wallet, your skill level, and your ability.
 
It's a hard call to me also, since damn near everything is a china or India part anymore.
But on the other hand if you don't do the refurb yourself you could end up having it redone 3 times before someone got it right.
THEN on top of all that you're probably getting China or India referb parts anyway, so...

I see the trend in computers and electronics where everything barely works, and if it does then it's not going to last very long anyway. (a throw away and buy a new one world)
Unfortunately the market seems to be in how fast and how cheap it can be gotten out on the shelves over quality and quality control.
 
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Use as much original parts as you can. Stuff from China is just plain junk and most of it doesn't fit proper.
 
I don't mind resuscitation over restoration sometimes. New isn't always better. I'll never build a "points" car, so I'll see if the part matches what I'm looking for as an end result, and reuse where possible. As an example, on my '68 MM1 Dart, I found the original fender top mounted signal lights today. I'm looking at them, and thinking to myself "and why did I buy re-pops?". They are going back on because they are original and look good.
 
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