Actually, I believe this IS a requirement by the D.O.T. for
motor vehicles sold in the US. Since the DOT has to approve all
vehicles entering the counrty, or produced here for use on our (their)
roads, part of their agreement is that the manufacture must supply parts
for a minimum of 10 years past the end of that model year. Most choose
to go a little longer than that...
Rich
> ----------
> From: D.Leithauser[SMTP:dleit@mintcity.com]
> Reply To: D.Leithauser
> Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 1997 4:56 PM
> To: Dave McDermott; tigers@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: Chrysler Parts History
>
> It is my understanding that there is no minium time that a
> manufacturer is
> required to supply parts. The often quoted 10 year period has no basis
> in
> law. But then, try to sell a car to a guy who can't get parts for the
> one
> you sold him 5 years ago.
>
> Happy Motoring
>
> Doug Leithauser
>
> ----------
> > From: Dave McDermott <dave.mcdermott@cusys.edu>
> > To: tigers@autox.team.net
> > Subject: Chrysler Parts History
> > Date: Tuesday, November 04, 1997 2:51 PM
> >
> > Tiger history buffs,
> >
> > A couple of folks on the list challenged my statement that
> Tiger
> > parts were available through Chrysler until around the mid 80s. They
> thought
> > that they were only available through the mid to latter 70's. So to
> confirm
> > dates I pulled out some of my old paperwork and here as they say is
> the
> rest
> > of the story at least as it relates to my experiences.
> > By the mid 70s the Tiger I bought in 68 was needing a fairly
> > constant feeding of parts. Since the Tiger provided me the perfect
> blend
> of
> > fun, reliability, looks, power, comfort etc I knew that I would own
> at
> least
> > one for a very long time. I also realized that Chrysler might not be
> > supplying parts for too many years after their minimum legally
> required
> > period of 10 years. Therefore through my Chrysler dealer connection
> I
> > obtained a listing of parts that were canceled or superseded dated
> 4/3/78
> > and a price list also dated 4/3/78 showing the parts available. The
> > obsoleted list is about 2 1/2 pages of "X" parts marked "NS1" which
> I
> think
> > stood for no longer stocked. The price list is 9 pages long. Then
> from my
> > Alpine and Tiger supplement parts books and the Chrysler lists I
> sent in
> the
> > first of a number of orders to Chrysler on Oct. 78. Almost
> everything
> came
> > through just fine. After several orders during the period from 78
> through
> 79
> > a pattern was developing. Virtually all the parts were coming out of
> Newark,
> > NJ and with each order more parts were not available but most still
> were
> > available and Chrysler was raising their prices quickly. The parts
> were
> in
> > Chrysler packages or had Chrysler stickers with the X part number on
> them.
> > I then got a Chrysler price list dated 11/5/79 which by then
> had
> > shrunk to 4 1/2 pages and another dated 9/1/80 which was only 3
> pages
> long
> > but still included many wear out items like ball joints etc. I
> continued
> to
> > get parts through 1980 and early 81. Sensing the parts were going
> fast, I
> > then coordinated a rather large and final order of around $1,000 for
> members
> > of our local club and myself on 5/10/81 which were delivered on
> 5/21/81.
> In
> > those days $1,000 bought a lot of Tiger parts. For example the
> pentastar
> > which started this discussion was priced at list of $1.70 , upper
> ball
> > joints list at $17.13, headlight rims list at $9.70 etc. Dealer cost
> was
> > about 35% lower. I continued to get price lists with the latest one
> dated
> > 12/29/84 which was one page. It still included such items as slave
> cyl
> > repair kits, front brake hoses, upper ball joints, thermo elements
> etc.
> > Therefore based on the above documentation we can say that
> Chrysler
> > did supply at least some parts through the mid 80s. Also the slow
> decline
> of
> > parts shown on the price lists would indicate that the stock of
> spare
> parts
> > from Rootes for Tigers and Alpines was being slowly purchased and
> not
> dumped
> > in some land fill. Before anyone contacts me on all those OEM parts
> I
> got, I
> > only bought what at that time I thought would be my lifetime supply.
> However
> > since then I have restored 6 Tigers and used up most of the parts.
> You
> might
> > ask why did I hold onto all this old paperwork. I'm sure I must have
> known
> > then that there would be an internet someday and someone would ask
> this
> > question. Anyway I hope this adds a piece to the story on what
> happened
> to
> > the Rootes parts that Chrysler supplied here in the United States.
> >
> > Dave McDermott
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >Date: Mon, 03 Nov 1997 10:10:05 -0700
> > >To: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>, Anita Barrett
> > <anitabrt@mindspring.com>
> > >From: Dave McDermott <dave.mcdermott@cusys.edu>
> > >Subject: Re: Pentastar
> > >Cc: tigers@autox.team.net,
> > >
> > > Jim and Marc,
> > >
> > > I had a similar experience to Marc's. I had a friend who
> was a
> > Chrysler dealer in the beginning to mid 80s. I was able then to get
> a
> copy
> > of the Chrysler computer listings showing the Rootes parts that they
> had
> on
> > hand in a Newark NJ warehouse. The numbers were the original Rootes
> numbers
> > preceded by an X. I remember someone telling me at the time that
> there
> was
> > some kind of federal law which required a manufacturer to maintain
> parts
> for
> > something like 10 years after the end of production. Anyway Chrysler
> > maintained Rootes parts for long after the 10 year point. However,
> as
> time
> > went by after the mid 80s there was very little left that could be
> used
> on
> > Tigers. It is unfortunate Jim got such a bad impression of Chrysler
> because
> > of a local dealer in his area. I am not particularly a fan of
> Chrysler
> but
> > they didn't stop supplying all parts in 70-71 which was only 4 years
> after
> > production. Of more concern to me is that Chrysler's purchase of
> Rootes
> > ultimately led to the end of Tiger production.
> > >However I can see their point of view in selling a product with a
> > competitors engine, transmission etc.
> > >
> > >
> > > Dave McDermott
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >At 11:34 PM 10/31/97 -0500, Marc James Small wrote:
> > >>At 11:11 PM 10/31/97 -0500, Jim Barrett wrote:
> > >>>About 1970-71 I went to the local Chrysler dealer parts counter
> to get
> parts
> > >>>for my
> > >>>Tiger II. They told me they had been directed to trash all the
> parts
> as
> > >>>Chrysler
> > >>>would no longer support Sunbeam cars. I haven't liked Chrysler
> ever
> since.
> > >>>Any one try to get Simca parts? Chrysler did the same thing to
> them.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>Well, as late as '86 I was still buying Sunbeam parts through my
> local
> > >>Chrysler dealer. You just had to adjust the part number. I don't
> know
> if
> > >>anything is still available, but I would doubt it. But '71 is way
> too
> early.
> > >>
> > >>Marc
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>Marc James Small
> > >>Cha Robh Bas Fir, Gun Ghras Fir!
> > >>FAX: +540/343-7315
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> >
>
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