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With every passing year, it becomes increasingly difficult to find parts for vintage cars. Whereas twenty years ago you might have gone to a dealership or parts store and found an old part left in overstock or buried in a warehouse, it is no longer that easy to find parts for any classic car, even ones built as recently as the late seventies. It makes owning a vintage car that much more of a challenge, especially if you are trying to keep the car completely original or "number matching".

Ironically, one of the best solutions for finding old stock parts lies in utilizing newer technology. With the advent of the internet and marketplace websites such as Ebay, the world market has made it possible to find parts that were considered impossible to find just a few years ago. A number of independently owned parts dealers have set up shop on the internet and are peddling their wares to anyone who has the time, interest and know how to search out these vintage parts.

It is important to remember that when attempting to search for a part, it is beneficial to know as much about what you are looking for as possible. One option that should be considered is locating and purchasing a parts/service catalog from the year your vehicle was manufactured. Ford, Chevy, Dodge (and most other automobile manufacturers) all had parts and service catalogs printed for every vehicle model that rolled off their assembly lines each year. These publications are readily found on the internet, at old book stores and swap meets, and they make an excellent reference tool when researching that obscure, hard to find part.

With the appropriate knowledge of the part you need, searching the internet should be pretty simple. When using an auction site, always type in key words that identify the make and model of your vehicle as well as a one or two word description of the part you are looking for. Another important keyword to use is NOS. NOS, or New Old Stock, are parts that were manufactured at the time your vehicle was manufactured but never sold. Using NOS as a keyword will ensure that the parts are genuine, OEM equipment, and not a knock off reproduction. Lastly, you might try using the part number associated with the part you're searching for. These numbers are sometimes stamped or casted into the side of the corresponding part and may be used as part of the website's description title.

While this type of search may not produce results in every case, it is a worthwhile exercise and a good way to

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