You have GOT to be kiddin' me!!

[evolve991]

So I'm putting my 'burb back together and the tag light assembly literally crumbles in my hand....then the brake/turn pigtail snaps a few minutes later....I go to the newly opened(and in walking distance) Advance Auto to grab both or either....not only does the HELP! section not have a universal tag light that will work but the parts guy looks up the tag light and tail light pigtail...."Nope we don't carry those...try a junkyard" You can't even special order a TAG LIGHT or TAIL LIGHT SOCKET?!?!?? For an 85?!?!? YYYOOOOUUUU MUST BE OUTTA YO GOTTDAYUM MIND!!! What is the world coming to? These aren't Model T's we're talking about. Guess I'm going junkyarding tomorrow in the rain

 

[Miller75]

Around here if its over 10 years old good luck finding parts in a junk yard.

typical conversation:

yard: what can i do for you?
me: blah blah blah 89
yard: I doubt we have anything that old but your welcome to look.

Seriously I think people who keep/repair their vehicles should get a kick back or some type of break after the vehicle is so many years old for not adding to the pile of wasted steel. Every classic that's scrapped a little bit of the American heritage dies with it. Just my opinion.

 

[anofzinger]

Around here if its over 10 years old good luck finding parts in a junk yard.

typical conversation:

yard: what can i do for you?
me: blah blah blah 89
yard: I doubt we have anything that old but your welcome to look.

Seriously I think people who keep/repair their vehicles should get a kick back or some type of break after the vehicle is so many years old for not adding to the pile of wasted steel. Every classic that's scrapped a little bit of the American heritage dies with it. Just my opinion.

Totally AGREE!!!

 

[diesel4me]

X3!..too many old vehicles get crushed too quickly,when the few left end up in junkyards...often I see them go right from the ramptruck to the crusher,and they wont even bother opening the hood to see if it has a good motor,etc...I have seen ore than one Suburban with a good 454 get crushed!..enough to make you cry!..

When you have an old truck,you have to snatch up any spare parts you can,like tail light lenses and other things you cant get easily any more...also,try to find an old parts jobber store thats been in biussness for decades,often they still have a dusty rack of those old electrical sockets and other goodies that have been there a long time...swap meets and craigslist can be good places to find many hard to get parts cheep too...

I would think a GOOD parts store still can odrer the tail lamp sockets ,brands like Standard Blue-Streak or Dorman still lists them--its getting harder to find a counterman who'll go the distance when it comes to special orders now--many stores balk at ordering parts for customers that might end up not fitting,then the hassles of giving refunds and having to deduct handling charges or "no returns on electrical parts" come into play--so most stores now say "we dont list it" and hope you go away,rather than risk losing you as a customer if the specially ordered parts dont end up being "right"...

Other GM cars from the 70's and 80's used the same tail lamp sockets,so try a junkyard--you might find a few cars that vintage still in the yards--trucks get cannibalized or crushed almost instantly,and sadly few yards keep any tail amps or other body/electrical parts now off anything "old"...an '85 IS 26 years old now,so technically,it IS "Antique"!..but I agree,its not a Model T,and you should still be able to get parts for it,its not like there isn't a lot still on the road!..(and I dont feel we should have to go to specialty parts catalog stores like LMC and pay a ransom for such trivial parts either!)...

 

[Blue85]

Just because the counter guy doesn't know about it doesn't necessarily mean they don't have it....

And try other chains - weird little items like that vary wildly by store.

If you mean the little light socket shaped like a "+" on the end - you can get them out of Ford, Chevy, Dodge, whatever.

 

[K85 Octane]

classicparts.com
lmc.com

 

[evolve991]

I did a search on Advance and Autozone websites,the parts are Dorman but both said "unavailable" rather than "special order". I plan on hitting Kunkel or NAPA later today and probably paying nearly twice the price for the same Dorman parts if they stock them. I'm out of time to order the stuff since this is my work truck,shame to be using the old classic for the daily grind but being in construction these days doesn't give me many other financial options,and the "loaner" I've been using goes back to toting my buddys boat around this weekend. I do save parts,I have about 6 tail light lenses,marker lights,etc but the pigtails and other odd parts were always abundant on the shelves as recently as last year. I agree on the junking of classics...its like watching old friends go to the crusher. I'm still finding Buick parts all thru my stuff and I sold my Skylark 5 years ago! But just my luck none of it is what I need for my 'burban.