Finding Old Car Parts

September 30, 2007 6:18 PM

How does one effectively search for old auto parts?

I'm looking to replace the "brake proportioning value" on a 1985 Mercury Grand Marquis. Yes, I know the car is old. Yes, will be getting another car. I'd rather not have to make a hasty decision.

Apparently, this is not an oft-needed part. And, to make matters worse, the part is no longer made, according to the dealer. The numbers off of the part are 'KH055E0AC2B382GA," which seems incredibly long to me. Too long. I don't know how to pull off the part myself, so going to a junkyard is out. The mechanic has given up.

The car part stuff is something unknown to me. I'm told that there's a range of years which will fit, and that Ford parts will work. Hence, should I really be going through the menus to get a 1985 Mercury Grand Marquis part? I have no idea!

I've flailed through a few car parts sites already to no avail - is there a smarter way to go about this, or is this just something that involves going to one site after another?

posted by adipocere to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

Most auto parts yards are computerized and even linked to each other. Find a dealer who uses the http://www.automotix.net/ service. It is probably one of many similar services.
posted by Gungho at 6:42 PM on September 30, 2007

You might have some luck with http://www.junkyarddog.com/; they send your part request to over 5000 junk yards and if any of them has what you're looking for they mail you a price and shipping options. It doesn't get much easier than that.
posted by bizwank at 6:44 PM on September 30, 2007

Proportioning valves tend not to need replacing too often, even on 22 year old cars, so they're usually not carried in stock. Still, it surprises me Ford can't get one for you - here, they're usually pretty good at getting parts for older models.

Having said that, they're usually easily rebuilt by the right person with the right tools. Try talking to a decent brake shop rather than a mechanic. If all else fails, you can get adjustable proportioning valves, and they've be able to install and set it up for you.
posted by Pinback at 7:39 PM on September 30, 2007

Get on an enthusiasts forum - more than likely you'll be able to not only source the part, but get advice on how to install it, find people who can install it for you or at least someone that has it sitting on their garage bench.

Here's one I just found - there's stacks more.
posted by strawberryviagra at 8:25 PM on September 30, 2007

Is this the type of car that is likely to have any sort of following? Car clubs would be by far the best way to source parts that are no longer manufactured by the original maker.

Sometimes, companies will buy the tooling for parts that are no longer manufactured by the car makers to sell, but only where the car has retained sufficient following to ensure on-going sales.

If you can get the part off your car, you could try taking it in to the parts section of a dealer (or dealers) and asking the people who work there about it - they often know which parts are interchangeable even if the part number on yours is no longer available. The same part may have been used in a different car with a different part number.
posted by dg at 8:32 PM on September 30, 2007

You'll probably be a lot more successful if you mention Ford Crown Victoria instead of a Grand Marquis. The differences between the models seem to be largely cosmetic.
posted by 6550 at 10:23 PM on September 30, 2007

Hah, I had an 82 Crown Vic many years ago. For something like this there are a ton of them floating around yards all over the US. Here's how you remove it for your mechanic to install:
Bring a small cheap SAE socket set (10$ at wally world or whatever) and a hack saw. Cut the brake lines going into the valve. Unbolt it from wherever it's mounted with the socket set (if it's even mounted at all, some are just held up by the lines). That's it. Your mechanic can remove the remnants of the lines, bolt it in and bleed your brakes. Getting this part off is a cakewalk.
posted by IronLizard at 1:54 AM on October 1, 2007

Just in case you didn't already know: You can tell what year a vehicle is by looking at the door jamb stickers. For this particular car they're on the driver's side just above the lock mechanism.
posted by IronLizard at 1:55 AM on October 1, 2007

yellow pages.

the car junkyards really haven't moved on to the internet in large numbers yet (unfortunately, as it'd be a boon to both customer and vendor). If you want to get car parts, it's best to crack open the yellow pages and call a couple junkyards in your area. You won't have to remove yourself -- in fact, in my area, only Pick-n-Pull junkyards 'let' you pull the parts yourself. Everyone else will have it pre-pulled, and will charge you more than you feel it is worth.

you might also try ebay, although it skews towards the collector's market.
posted by fishfucker at 1:00 PM on October 2, 2007