Any Parts Availability Situations Sidelining A 60 Series for Good? (1 Viewer)

[Gretsch]

With the current state of parts availability between OEM outlets, used parts dealers, and aftermarket 60 series parts vendors, are there any situations which would sideline a 60 series for good due to lack of parts availability? Just curious if anyone has come across a situation where their truck couldn't get back on the road simply because needed parts are no longer available. OEM parts seem to be more and more NLA every year, and while many of the good folks here on mud are working hard to create and manufacture parts where there are OEM gaps, it still seems like there is a good number of parts unavailable. There are a ton of clever folks on here who come up with all sorts of inventive solutions for parts supply issues. Between the great vendors on here, help from this forum, etc. I have so far not seen a problem that couldn't be solved. I am admittedly not skilled enough or have the tooling to create unavailable parts, so for me parts availability is paramount towards owning a 60 series. Just wondering if anyone has yet encountered a parts availability gap significant enough to sideline a 60 series for good.

 

[mongoose2231]

All I can say to this is that it would probably be possible....in the not too distant future

 

[Prairie Swamp]

I own a 62 not a 60. Keep it off the road permanently? In a 100% original state maybe. But given the current state of powertrain swaps, axle and frame swaps, plus all the support from our vendors I believe they can be kept on the road indefinitely. (At least until fossil fuels are banned/gone) I always think of plastic parts when the vehicles get this age - but look what Jason and others are doing in terms of replacements for failed plastic parts. And a failed A/C trim bezel isn't going to sideline the vehicle.

Newer vehicles are the concern mostly related to electronics - ie. 62 distributor, ECU, fuel pressure regulator or pulsation damper whichever it is. But 60 and older I don't think anything is insurmountable. Just expensive.

 

[Gretsch]

I own a 62 not a 60. Keep it off the road permanently? In a 100% original state maybe. But given the current state of powertrain swaps, axle and frame swaps, plus all the support from our vendors I believe they can be kept on the road indefinitely. (At least until fossil fuels are banned/gone) I always think of plastic parts when the vehicles get this age - but look what Jason and others are doing in terms of replacements for failed plastic parts. And a failed A/C trim bezel isn't going to sideline the vehicle.

Newer vehicles are the concern mostly related to electronics - ie. 62 distributor, ECU, fuel pressure regulator or pulsation damper whichever it is. But 60 and older I don't think anything is insurmountable. Just expensive.

Yeah I didn't clarify, but was thinking more in terms of stock drivetrain setup: 2F/3FE/4-speed etc. But your point is well taken here. I guess with the drivetrain swap options available, there might not be anything that would stop you keeping these trucks on the road given enough cash. I really was not considering drive train swaps as a potential solution to parts availability, but that would certainly be an option. My nightmare is discovering one day my truck is down for good for lack of available OEM parts. It would be tough for me financially to think about swapping engines and whatnot because I could not get a replacement distributor cap and personally would force me to re-think 60 series ownership. But, again, lots of creative ways to keep these beasts on the road.

 

[HemiAlex]

With religious maintenence, procurement of solid used replacements for wear items and the willingness to substitute a few things to non oem items you can keep one going indefinitely.

 

[OSS]

Well....
If you wanted to keep everything stock, then there's LOTS of components that when they fail they'll keep a 60 off the road forever.
But nobody is doing that any more (keep it stock no matter what).

It's a fuzzy line between "original" and "aftermarket similar" and "something completely different that will work".

Technically the original tires are no longer available, so a purist wouldn't be able to drive the cruiser now cuz there's no more original tires. Technically, the original oil filter isn't available either - so no drivey too.

The list is long: worn out driver's seat? No longer available- so can't drive car.
But everyone makes due with what's available and what could be a working replacement.

The 60 series is a foundation upon which any power train and interior and electronics can be shoehorned in to keep the vehicle running.

So to answer your question, if someone wants to keep a 60 stock, they'll be replacing worn out parts with used worn out parts until the junkyards are empty. And if they don't care about that, there's plenty of engine & driveline & interior swaps that can keep a 60 rolling forever (but it won't be a 60 anymore).

 

[cruisermatt]

You know you don’t have to use OEM parts right?

 

[Gretsch]

You know you don’t have to use OEM parts right?

Yeah understood. I was more trying to determine if there are any situations (OEM, aftermarket, used)where you flat won't have any parts options causing a hard stop on using the truck. Really doesn't sound like it and prolly a poor topic for a forum dedicated to preserving these vehicles as we have so many creative folks coming up with excellent ways of doing just that. Its a blessing that any OEM parts are still available for these new so thanks Mr. T for that. I prefer OEM not so much for the purist in me, but because they last. Part of what I love about these vehicles. Real throwbacks to when folks gave a crap about building something with real value. My previous vehicle required 3 different water pumps in the time I owned it. Had less miles than my 60 series which still had its original pump ticking away. Only replaced the pump because I felt I should.

The message here is there is little that cannot be done to keep these on the road. Hard to keep one of these OEM original anymore but there are options to keep it going. Another value-add for the 60 series.

 

[g-man]

A more realistic question would be "what would side line a truck? or make it a parts truck" And the answer is usually rust/rot/cancer along with too much worn out stuff to even think about fixing the rust. There are extreme examples of rust repairs though but for me a rotten roof, pillars, floors and frame would be a parts truck. My rig has 309k miles on the original engine and if it went tomorrow my truck would still be valuable enough to find a donor engine or rebuild, same for the transmission, axles or any other mechanical parts.

 

[Prairie Swamp]

I guess the ultimate is those guys in Cuba that have kept their 50s and 60s American cars going with no OEM parts. It's my understanding that many get their power from a 4 cylinder Russian fork truck engine. You do what you have to. They also have a lot of hand fabbed body parts.

 

[FJ60Seth]

In about 1990 I sold my 1968 IH Scout 800, which I still regret. The last straw for me were the motor mounts. I bought the last one in N America. There was no after market part available and the WWW was in diapers.

 

[Racer65]

My 2 cents as a parts supplier. I think the carbureted cars have the best chance of staying on the road until the cows come home. The 3FE cars (U.S. spec FJ62) will have a harder time as fuel injection parts become discontinued. For example, I don't believe you can get a cold start injector anymore. Aftermarket support will likely be weak, due to the short production run of the vehicle.
As time goes on, owners will be tempted to swap out the entire powertrain for more ubiquitous units such as Vortec. The FJ40 went through a period where many got converted to Chevy V8. The trucks were kept on the road, but as the vehicle gained classic status, cars that retained the original powertrain are more sought after. The 60 Series came later but gained classic status sooner. As a result, most 60 Series cars still have the original drivetrain, which bodes well for parts support, with the caveat around fuel injection.