Realizing that “the future of our mutual hobby is also depending on the availability of good quality replacement parts,” the Federation Internationale Vehicules Anciens has worked with ClassicParts4You.com to create an online FIVA Parts Catalog where owners of collector cars can search for suppliers without pressure to purchase.
“As the number of classic and modern classic cars rises, the search for parts becomes increasingly problematic,” FIVA reports. “Demand exceeds supply, prices rise, supply sources dry up. It is often unclear which parts are still available, where and at what price.
“Only about 20% of all parts are developed and produced by the vehicle manufacturer, primarily engine and body assemblies. OEMs contribute the other components. All of these original parts, in other words, original equipment, are held by the manufacturers beyond the production time: however, not for an indefinite period.
“The second industrial source is the replacement market, i.e. parts that have been produced specifically for this purpose. Here, too, supply becomes incomplete when falling demand no longer permits profitable production.
“The gaps are to some extent bridged by smaller companies that specialize in the reproduction of vintage parts.”
FIVA launches online source for parts for vintage vehicles
And thus the new online catalog, but with a twist.
The catalog “does not sell you any parts,” FIVA noted in its announcement. “Hence, there is no incentive to push certain products or suppliers, making CP4Y the leading independent source for this kind of information.”
Instead, ‘The FIVA Parts Catalog provides you with a very complete cross reference between (original) part numbers and suppliers… Using this information, you can select who is near to you, offers the best price or other conditions.”
According to the classicparts4you.com website, it lists more than 6 million parts for more than 17,000 historic vehicles with information and prices for original equipment and aftermarket parts and qualified experts.
The website offers free access through January 31, 2020 if you visit a special FIVA/ClassicParts website.
FIVA adds, “If you are in the restoration business, this tool helps you to find quality parts quickly so you can spend your time working on the vehicle rather than spending endless time on the phone or behind your computer to locate that correct and therefore safe exchange part.”
This article, written by Larry Edsall, was originally published on ClassicCars.com, an editorial partner of Motor Authority.