Aarrggghh!!

Joeverb said:
I have to ditto that dano, ive had my II since 85ish and ive done all the swap meets in the area and the parts have dried up. Ive come home with whole IIs when i needed just a few parts and got some fine deals doing it that way. But they are not out there anymore. For one the IIs are just disappearing and for seconds i live to close to Phil and that could be part of it too. My wife used to work at a crusher and she just depressed the hell out of me with tales of all the IIs that went to the crusher.

Only once have i ever seen personally a II in a yard and it was so darn rusted that it really needed to be there. More rust than metal. :nonono:
 
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1970impala said:
:nonono: sorry, can't agree. First, there are only a few true MII vendors out there. Second, how else are you going to find these people who only have a few parts remaining here and there? can't go around the country side to swap meets. quite frankly, i believe most vendors with parts that were remaining have already sold their itty bitty items already on ebay and they're gone. Even recently, i noticed a slacking off of MII NOS parts on ebay but that could be just for now. anyway, as for when i am working on a project, i want to find the part, buy it and get it on and then move on to another item...period. i can't wait for a year to happen have someone post an ad or send an email or two. if i did that now, i wouldn't have ANYTHING accomplished. These NOS panels in white and the coolant overfill bottle i need really have me going, more so than any other parts i needed. It kills me that i've waited 2 years for these 2 items and still don't have them.

Dano, your still a great guy! Just my view is a little different. :spot:

I agree 100%. I don't have the spare time to fart sideways, let alone search the country for swapmeets with II parts. Hell, I have a shelf full of NOS parts I haven't even gotten on the car yet, but at least I HAVE them. I'm not doing a 10 year restoration, I want my car done ASAP so I can enjoy it. In a way, ebay is a convienence, and the higher prices we pay is just the fee for that. But as I stated previously, ebay can be used for more than just a source for parts. It's vital for finding pictures of things you need, and also for finding things you didn't realize you needed until you saw it there. It's also a way for us MII owners who are not MII vendors, to sell some of our own stuff, and re-coop a little dough. Also, you can meet people who are great new sources for parts. I have met 3 new people who have lots of NOS MII parts on ebay. I never would have found them any other way.
 
CobraIILover said:
I agree 100%. I don't have the spare time to fart sideways, let alone search the country for swapmeets with II parts. Hell, I have a shelf full of NOS parts I haven't even gotten on the car yet, but at least I HAVE them. I'm not doing a 10 year restoration, I want my car done ASAP so I can enjoy it. In a way, ebay is a convienence, and the higher prices we pay is just the fee for that. But as I stated previously, ebay can be used for more than just a source for parts. It's vital for finding pictures of things you need, and also for finding things you didn't realize you needed until you saw it there. It's also a way for us MII owners who are not MII vendors, to sell some of our own stuff, and re-coop a little dough. Also, you can meet people who are great new sources for parts. I have met 3 new people who have lots of NOS MII parts on ebay. I never would have found them any other way.

AMEN! my friend, and also don't forget those part numbers not listed in those illustrated manuals. Its nice to see pics and record the part numbers when you see them. Example, just picked up a set of lug nuts that belong to the white lacy wheels. I only have one set for now but i'm on the lookout for the rest and they ARE noticibly differnent on the top.
 
Hey- Don't think that I'll think different of you because of your opinions! Believe me, I won't. We're all MII guys! :D I enjoy hearing other views/points on particular subjusts. Kindas let me know where everybody stands or what they;re having to deal with. :nice:

I see your points, and can understand. I grew up in a car restoration family where it use to be a thing to restore a car for re-sale. You have to have a certain mentality to be able to do that or you'll end up getting burried into the thing and never make a dime either that or you'll half-ass the thing together and try to pass it off as a silk purse.
But nowadays, I guess things are changing, and parts are getting harder to come by. Appearantly not too hard up here though. I still get parts and cars in, and I have noticed that i have to actually 'look' for them now rather than just show up at the tow auctions and bring home 1 or 2 like I have done in the past. Got my eyes on 2 Cobra V8 cars and a Cobra T-Top car that have been sitting on the streets for a couple of years now.
There is still a couple of key wrecking yards that bring in II's evey now and again. I've noticed that they are fewer, and far between these days. I know that i am 1 of 2 guys that was snapping up Mustang II's in the area at tow auctions and one of a handful that'd pull parts in the yards. The other guy (the 1 of 2) goes by the name "Pinto Dave" who as you'd guess does nothing but Pintos. We trade alot and swap cars aswell.
From looking at your locations according with your responses, I'd say it's possible the east coast is drying up. In the past it's shown that the west coast usually has the last of the good stuff. I wonder how the rest of the guys on the Left Coast fair with the parts/cars situations. :shrug:
I know for a fact, that the SW is pretty much dried up. At least in the Albuquerque area and within 50-60 miles thereof. I hear that Souther AZ still has some good stuff tho. :nice:

So haw do you fart sideways? Never seen that one. Does it smell any different? :D
 
Het Dano, you are right on the mark. I see that you noticed I just placed my location on here yesterday...thats because yesterday i realized what you said today, the NE coast is completely dried up here. Phil, I see, has got them all in the SE. By the way, there are NO and I mean NO MII's around here at all!!!!!!! never been for years till I showed up with mine from Texas. I love to see the reactions of people at the shows when they finally seen one. In fact, just yesterday morning, I was given a contact number for the parts to my everyday caddy. I called him and we discussed some car stuff and I asked him wether he has seen my cobra II yet in the shows. he said he gave up on shows but he couldn't believe I had a MII, even he said he hasn't seen one in MANY years and he goes to all the car auctions around here for parts. What does that tell you??????? :bang:
 
I can vouch for the no Mustang II's in PA, or the mid atlantic. I been sitting here on like $6K and I can't find a THING, NOTHING. Well, I can find things but they are in Georgia, or Texas, and I have the money just no means to get them. If you do find something in this area it's usually a rusted up mess. SO i watch Ebay, and traderonline, and local classifieds. As far as EBay goes...it makes it easy as far as getting parts, but i always liked swap meets and looking for the stuff, I guess it always gave me a sense of accomplishment knowing I found a part i needed. I restored a 74 AMC Hornet with a Ford 302 and a Dodge rear so I looked for parts for a long time. Then again, sitting on your a$$ on a cold winter day on ebay and finding what you need is nice too :D
 
Project 77 said:
Well, I can find things but they are in Georgia, or Texas, and I have the money just no means to get them. If you do find something in this area it's usually a rusted up mess. SO i watch Ebay, and traderonline, and local classifieds.

So, instead of spending 6K on a rusted-up local mess, spend 5K and have one shipped from a kinder climate. You can generally get a running car shipped from 1000 miles or so for under $900, less if it's in a major metro area, less still if the seller is willing to take the car to the shipper's terminal. I have had quotes as low as $475 from NYC to Okla.

This is so typical of car folks, everybody wants a nice rust-free car, but nobody wants to have to exert any effort to get one. And that's why the guys that do go get 'em and bring them back make good money at it. I'm not necessarily picking on just you, but I see this a lot. The ad is usually something like "Wanted: mustang II hatchback with NO RUST. Like to have one in (insert state, and MAYBE one adjoining state)."

I think there's enough of us spread out over the nation that we should be able to look at something for a fellow II guy (or gal). Plus most of us have the advantage of knowing the car's trouble areas, as opposed to an independant appraiser that most likely is not familiar with IIs.
 
Project 77 said:
I can vouch for the no Mustang II's in PA, or the mid atlantic. I been sitting here on like $6K and I can't find a THING, NOTHING.


That reminds me, I know where there is a virturally factory yellow T-Top car with 302 and automatic sitting in a garage. Guy wants $5,000 for it. Actual green would make that figure negotiable.

EDIT: Little if any rust.
 
Overall I would sayt he Web has been good for the II.

How many people would bother with such a PITA if they didn't have these resources? Places to get parts? Places to get tech support? Places to get the most important thing: Emotional support.


On one hand I know parts are hard to come by, on the other hand I see a new type of enthusiast who believes things ought to be easy, that it's not worth their time to put forth the effort.

Heres a news flash: Hobbies are rarely worth their time. That is, if you insist on putting a dollars and cents figure to it. Many people have restored cars only to find they can't even break even when they try selling them. This is common in the automotive world.

The Hunt: I have to wonder if anyone knows how to hunt anymore. In pre internet days the only way to find anything was to go scrounging. Flea markets, junk yards, garage sales, looking left and right when traveling a new road.

Don't want to put in the time and effort and preferring to buy your meat from the butchers case? Then you have to pay the price. Live someplace where there just aren't parts to be had? Sorry to hear about your geographic bad luck. But then, if you have this illusion that your time is more important doing whatever than looking so you havent looked, how do you know there aren't parts in your area.

It's called a hobby for a reason.
 
Funny reading all of this. It was less than a year ago that I could not hardly give away a NO RUST 74' fastback that was straight and only 39k to boot. All I wanted was $500 and eventually took way less since I lost my storage space. Sadly enough that car got scrapped cause nobody wanted it bad enough to get it from down here in Texas.

I can't blame Phil or anyone who has a product for not trying to get every penny possible or tapping every last resource including e-bay to create inventory. Especially when the parts are getting so uncommon. If this were my business I do the same thing. Every business out there does the same thing and I am sure he is not the only one to ever price gouge. This guy is just trying to make a living and I seriously doubt he is living much if any better than most of his customers. Maybe he should forget about profit, sell everything cheap, cut people slack on e-bay so he might not have a part when one of his customers call, and spend his retirement homeless pushing a shopping cart around. I don't know this guy, but it sounds like business to me.

As for e-bay, it's simply supply and demand. I have been selling stuff (Not II stuff) on e-bay since 97' and it's a beautiful thing especially when your the seller. If someone snipes you in the last second then you should have bid more. It's simple, bid what you would be willing to pay and if you get outbid then so be it. If your not willing to pay more and someone else is, why is it that the seller should settle for less than top dollar? I for one have no problem snipping an auction at the last second or selling an item at a premium. I guess that makes me a capitalist pig? Funny rich business people who do the same thing and make a fortune they could never spend do this and they are hero's.

The parts and cars are still out there although they are getting harder to find. Those who are the most resourceful and put the most time and effort into locating them will likely find the most. You get out what you put in. If you don't have the time or resourcefulness then you have to pay someone else who does or wait patiently until maybe you get lucky. Sorry, but finding something everyone else is looking for, finding a way to buy it at less than market value, and then reselling it for a profit is a skill. I have done this over the years with a certian collectible and hear the same thing from the collectors who I sell to. I am more resourceful and work harder to find the collectibles and they will just have to keep paying me profit until they can beat me at my own game. :D
 
HaveII said:
collectible and hear the same thing from the collectors who I sell to. I am more resourceful and work harder to find the collectibles and they will just have to keep paying me profit until they can beat me at my own game. :D

Hey, did you get my emails about the white cargo panels you were searching for?
 
THE COBRAMAN said:
So, instead of spending 6K on a rusted-up local mess, spend 5K and have one shipped from a kinder climate. You can generally get a running car shipped from 1000 miles or so for under $900, less if it's in a major metro area, less still if the seller is willing to take the car to the shipper's terminal. I have had quotes as low as $475 from NYC to Okla.

This is so typical of car folks, everybody wants a nice rust-free car, but nobody wants to have to exert any effort to get one. And that's why the guys that do go get 'em and bring them back make good money at it. I'm not necessarily picking on just you, but I see this a lot. The ad is usually something like "Wanted: mustang II hatchback with NO RUST. Like to have one in (insert state, and MAYBE one adjoining state)."

I think there's enough of us spread out over the nation that we should be able to look at something for a fellow II guy (or gal). Plus most of us have the advantage of knowing the car's trouble areas, as opposed to an independant appraiser that most likely is not familiar with IIs.

Just FYI for you Right Coast guys, my dad had his streetrod shipped from VA to WA for about $1400 (enclosed trailer) And he says it would be about 1K to ship it in an open carrier. BUT- it could have been cheaper if he looke more closely at open carriers or also depending on the shipper's schedule and load. His truck, a 76 Crew Cab F250, costed about $1200 to ship from FL to WA, open carrier. But- there was an oversize fee and the carriers schedule and load amount. There's alot of other factors and routes for getting cars shipped. there's also train aswell. Just thought I'd give ya some meat to compare with. :nice:

Sleeper... yeah that'd be too weird to me. Not seeing an II's on the street that is. I was one of 2 guys in Albuquerque, with only 1 parts car in 1 wrecking yard. That was weird. Up here I see II's on the street all the time. most are worn, and aged badly, but not buckets of rust or beyond resto. They are disappearing from the yards and getting scarse at auctions, but still seem to be scatter all around town. I know of at least 5 really nice II's in town and another 4 in Portland. (3 owned by the same guy) I can count of at least another 5 or 6 I've seen so far that are permanent fixtures in driveway or on the streets. And at least another 8-10 i pass on the road or see parked at businesses. Funny thing is, of the cars driven every day and age worn, none of them are Cobras. Most are Coupes and 1/2 of them are Ghias!?! Strange... the rest are plain fastbacks, not even Machs. Other than the one I use to drive every day, i have yet to see a daily driven Mach 1 or Stallion or Cobra. And most of the parked permanent fixture cars are Machs and Cobras. Must tell ya somethin. :shrug: Anyhow, that's really too bad for the Right coast... I just couldn't imagine. I'm sure the emissions and inspections laws out that way really contributed to the extinction as well. Out this way we've never had inspections and all the cars 25 years or older are 100% exempt from emissions. It seems as if a large percentage of the lawmakers are to a degree, car buffs around here. So I'm sure that helps out a bunch. :nice:

One thing I can definately coincide with, is that the internet itself sure has tightened up and expanded the II community a TON. :flag:
 
Wart said:
Depends where you are. Pa is a big state.

I know off the top of my head where a few are in this great state, but I wouldn't buy a stick of gum from Gary and the other one is a king that has a T5, screwed up bumpers and the wrong wheels and he wants $7K. Guess i ight bite the bullet and have Phil deliver one to me :owned:
 
Project 77 said:
I know off the top of my head where a few are in this great state, but I wouldn't buy a stick of gum from Gary and the other one is a king that has a T5, screwed up bumpers and the wrong wheels and he wants $7K. Guess i ight bite the bullet and have Phil deliver one to me :owned:

:rlaugh: :rlaugh: :rlaugh:
 
Project 77 said:
the other one is a king that has a T5, screwed up bumpers and the wrong wheels and he wants $7K.

Thought you were building a Handler replica. So any of this matters how?

"Wants" and "will get" are two totally different things.Make an offer you're comfortable with. Sometimes people wake up after a few months.

I have a RAD setup with 26K on it (last 14K put on by me, so I know it's good)I'd gladly trade for a T5 setup.