Ford just one member of frustrating industry

[mrmike7189]

Most trucks near me are all rusted out in 10-13 years.....then they're in the scrapyard. The salt on the roads kills them. Almost zero options for old trucks here, unless they've been garaged every winter.
The new trucks don't excite me . I hate all the electronic tech,so i bought a Ranger XL and I turned off the tech that it comes with.(lane keeping assist,emergency braking )I dont want a computer driving my truck and the fact that they come 1 way/4 door/5ft. bed is crazy stupid. frustrated

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[IdahoRanger]

The problem with 80’s trucks is the plastic interior parts. Friend has a gorgeous mechanically perfect F250 diesel short bed. The sunglasses holder in the roof is busted. The little hinge pins broke clean off. New is NLA of course and all the salvage ones are cracked or broke due to age. So he has a gorgeous truck with this big ugly misshapen hole in the roof interior trim. He’s screwed. This is only going to get worse as the truck ages. Next it will be the AC vents, after that the… it never ends.

The only way around this is to go back before plastic parts unless you have machine tools and can make metal replacements for the aged out plastic parts. I very seriously considered looking for something like a clean ‘70 or ‘72 short bed and put a motor from a salvage Mustang GT in it. No interior plastic. That truck would run forever. When the plastic motor parts became NLA, just go get a newer Mustang motor. Or just run the original 289 or 302 or straight six. I may still do that.

Can he just print the part now?

 

[Grumpaw]

The problem with 80’s trucks is the plastic interior parts. Friend has a gorgeous mechanically perfect F250 diesel short bed. The sunglasses holder in the roof is busted. The little hinge pins broke clean off. New is NLA of course and all the salvage ones are cracked or broke due to age. So he has a gorgeous truck with this big ugly misshapen hole in the roof interior trim. He’s screwed. This is only going to get worse as the truck ages. Next it will be the AC vents, after that the… it never ends.

The only way around this is to go back before plastic parts unless you have machine tools and can make metal replacements for the aged out plastic parts. I very seriously considered looking for something like a clean ‘70 or ‘72 short bed and put a motor from a salvage Mustang GT in it. No interior plastic. That truck would run forever. When the plastic motor parts became NLA, just go get a newer Mustang motor. Or just run the original 289 or 302 or straight six. I may still do that.

Is it like this ????? 30 bucks on E-Bay....I just did a quick google for Ford truck sunglass holder. I'm sure there are many others out there.
There are parts for virtually every older truck out there....you just have to be willing to look....and that is made easier by just looking online, googling. asking other forum members.
Dozens and dozens of parts house dealers.
Pick up almost ANY pickup truck or classic truck magazine and you will find hundreds of vendors advertising almost any part for older pickups. From interior panels/parts to oil bath air cleaners for early vehicles....just have to spend the time and effort....

 

[73Elsinore]

Not exactly but similar. It's actually my BIL's truck. He's obtained replacements off ebay but they have the same problem: brittle plastic. I don't remember much from my materials science class but I do remember that Any plastic is born to die, on a self-destruct mission due to cross-linking. There is no avoiding it. So unless there is a reproduction part made, any old plastic part will be brittle. I didn't think of the classic truck catalog route though, I'll pass that on. Thank you sir.

 

[Grumpaw]

Not exactly but similar. It's actually my BIL's truck. He's obtained replacements off ebay but they have the same problem: brittle plastic. I don't remember much from my materials science class but I do remember that Any plastic is born to die, on a self-destruct mission due to cross-linking. There is no avoiding it. So unless there is a reproduction part made, any old plastic part will be brittle. I didn't think of the classic truck catalog route though, I'll pass that on. Thank you sir.

Many private parts companies purchased the original molds for the plastic injection and pressed parts. So while listed as re-productions just might be made on the original equipment
And, the same parts may be new/old stock....parts that manufacturers no longer want to keep in inventory...so parts are sold to aftermarket companies in bulk.

 

[73Elsinore]

Many private parts companies purchased the original molds for the plastic injection and pressed parts. So while listed as re-productions just might be made on the original equipment
And, the same parts may be new/old stock....parts that manufacturers no longer want to keep in inventory...so parts are sold to aftermarket companies in bulk.

10/4. Appreciate the info! I'll pass that on.

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