Anyone Remember Ford Parts Obsolete Inc.

[deuce_roadster]

I used to look forward to seeing Bill Norton when he came up to the Portland Swap Meet. What a character! He left LA and went to Texas and I think he came back to LA. I heard that he passed away. Does anyone know what happened to his stuff? He certainly was a one of kind guy! He had a store there in LA but I don't know what it was called.

[barnfind08]

Ford Parts Obsolete North Hollywood. He had a auction before going to Texas.

[blucar]

Hmmm.. If you enlarge the attached pix you will see A Ford Obsolete decal on the quarter window of my '36 Ford coupe.. The decal has been on the window since '63-64.
Keep thinking about scraping the decal off of the window, then I always stop short of doing that..
As I recall the guys from Ford Obsolete traveled all around the country buying up old parts room stock from dealers that had never got around to selling the parts, and Ford would not take the parts back.

[petehoovie]

blucar - the condition of you garage makes us kindred spirits....

[Darrell S]

Originally Posted by blucar

Hmmm.. If you enlarge the attached pix you will see A Ford Obsolete decal on the quarter window of my '36 Ford coupe.. The decal has been on the window since '63-64.
Keep thinking about scraping the decal off of the window, then I always stop short of doing that..
As I recall the guys from Ford Obsolete traveled all around the country buying up old parts room stock from dealers that had never got around to selling the parts, and Ford would not take the parts back.

Why is that 36 buried in the garage? Is that the one in your avatar?

[deuce_roadster]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Here in Washington, sometime in the late 50s the legislature started taxing businesses on what they had in inventory, about that same time, Ford stopped taking returns from dealerships parts departments. I know people who found NOS parts with tags still on them being dumped at wrecking yards via dump truck. It was a golden opportunity for those with good business sense to scoop up all they could find. One of my best friends bought out 3 dealerships old stock in the Seattle area.

[supereal]

They made many of their parts, which were usually low quality, when they were in Oklahoma. I have found their old catalogs in cars now and them. Quality parts are getting scarce, and pricey. We need to support the good places to preserve the source. When the only sources are "off shore", the hobby will wither and die.

[deucemac]

Originally Posted by supereal

They made many of their parts, which were usually low quality, when they were in Oklahoma. I have found their old catalogs in cars now and them. Quality parts are getting scarce, and pricey. We need to support the good places to preserve the source. When the only sources are "off shore", the hobby will wither and die.

Not the same people at all. Joe carried some Argentine parts like hole filler grilles, but most of the stuff was nos or nor and always good prices and friendly staff.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by supereal

They made many of their parts, which were usually low quality, when they were in Oklahoma. I have found their old catalogs in cars now and them. Quality parts are getting scarce, and pricey. We need to support the good places to preserve the source. When the only sources are "off shore", the hobby will wither and die.

True what deucemac says above....two TOTALLY DIFFERENT entities. That outfit in OKC cobbles-together some of the worst, ill-fashioned, shameful junk to come along since the Argentina crap that many of us remember from the '60s and '70s. DD

[blucar]

Originally Posted by Darrell S

Why is that 36 buried in the garage? Is that the one in your avatar?

I have to shamefully admit that the car in the garage and the one shown in my Avatar are one in the same.
I have a vary large oversized garage which very comfortably holds four cars, plus a work area. The '36 has it's own private corner, surrounded by my treasure trove of vintage Ford parts/accessories.
I am at a point in my life where I have come to the conclusion that I need to down size my fleet, to that end I have sold three cars this year, have three more for sale.
I had hoped to get enough clutter cleared out of my life that would allow me to get busy and get "Henry" back on the road.