I think the main point here is that not all NOS parts are good, nor are
they all bad. One must consider the type of material, availability,
condition, price, etc. Parts stored 10 years will likely be in far
better shape than parts stored 30-40 years, but much of what is sold now
is from 10-20 years old, from what I have seen. The storage conditions
have a very big influence on the condition of the parts; many are good,
many are not.
The original question was how to tell the difference, and the answer is;
ask first, and also get to know what parts are available new, which are
not, and go from there. If a buyer doesn't know much about how to
discern condition of an NOS part either OEM or reproduction, they should
consider buying new repros, or buy from a reputable seller. By the way,
most of the parts in our cars ARE old, which is why we buy our cars!
Cheers, and happy motoring.
Greg Tatarian
Randall wrote:
>> That's a good point, particularly with rubber parts, but not really
>> applicable with metal parts such as clutch covers, or lenses, cables, etc.
>> that were stored properly and not damaged as you describe below.
>>
>
> I disagree. Springs such as those found in clutch covers sometimes "take a
> set" when stored under tension. Pivot points inside the cover were
> originally lubricated, but the lube has dried up by now.
>
> Glass lenses are usually OK, as long as they were not coated or colored; but
> plastic ones frequently degrade with time, turning both cloudy and brittle.
> Somewhere, I have an original amber lens where the amber coloring flaked off
> before it was removed from the box. US-spec windshields have plastic inside
> them that can degrade with time.
>
> Cables were frequently pre-lubricated by the factory, and the lubrication
> dries out over time, so at the very least they need to be disassembled,
> cleaned of the old dried lubrication, and relubricated. Many of them also
> have plastic components (outer jackets, inner stops) that can degrade over
> time.
>
> Bearings or any other moving part can also have issues with lubrication
> drying up; sometimes it even turns to a sandy grit! In some cases, it's not
> practical to disassemble and clean them; but leaving the grit behind will
> shorten the life.
>
>
>> If you are buying NOS hydraulics, pay a price that
>> makes it worthwhile to rebuild the unit, but don't rely on old seals!
>> Also make sure the unit does not have a rusty bore or piston before
>> purchasing, or get a guarantee from the seller.
>>
>
> That I agree with!
>
> I'm not saying NOS parts are bad, only that one should not assume they are
> good. Even the factory made bad parts sometimes.
>
> Randall
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