Keeping Our Cars on the Road with Parts and Vendors

The aging of Crosley owners parallels the general classic-car ownership population nationwide. As our owners and of course our cars age, the future of our cars and our Crosley community weakens. Availability of parts is the single critical element of sustainability. When people see my Crosleys at a car show, among the first questions they ask is, “Hey, where do you get parts for this?” They never ask if there's a club; they never ask how you get repair information. It's always, “Where do you get parts?”

If you think objectively about our Crosleys, they are the lifeblood of friendships, keeping our cars running, sharing stories, mechanical tips, and even sharing work-arounds. But if we reflect on what sustains the Crosley owner more than anything, it is the ready availability of parts. Period!

In spring of 2023, I conducted an informal survey of “lower-volume” and other orphan cars — 1950s and older. The clubs and vendors contacted included:

• Hudson, Essex, Terraplane (HET)
• Willys
• Studebaker
• Kaiser-Fraser
• Packard

Most of the car clubs contacted are in the midst of experiencing similar issues, including:

• Aging of car owners.
• Interest in clubs is primarily for swap meets, get-togethers, and annual regional/national events.
• All clubs contacted acknowledged that the availability of parts was important, however, no clubs have specifically addressed the need to ensure future parts availability. Not because it isn't important, but simply because no one has undertaken the project. (Until there's a “parts crisis,” work-arounds are always available — look at Cuba.)

Other reasons parts availability hasn't been addressed include:

• No one has initiated a plan, although most contacts emphasized that ensuring parts availability was important and commendable.
• Multiple vendors (2–3) still provide parts, so there's no immediate need. (Studebaker)
• Single vendors still survive and provide most of the support. (e.g., Willys)
• Some parts and cars are no longer supported (e.g., Willys yes — but Whippet and other related pre-wars, no).

Current vendor and/or parts strategies

• Vendors have sought to reproduce certain parts that are widely needed for their “market.” The Crosley market is small.
• All contacts mentioned that drive-train parts (engine, transmission, etc.) were important to keep cars running.
• High-volume parts (rubbers, door molding, etc.) were frequently mentioned as reproducible. (High-volume need plus low-cost tooling and reproduction was critical.)

So, what do we do next to ensure parts are available to keep our Crosleys on the road? First and foremost: support our current vendors.

— Ed