Here's Where To Buy Parts for Old Pickups

Here's Where to Buy Parts for Old Pickups FARM SHOP Parts 13-6-3 Randy Rundle had a hard time finding parts for a 1951 Chevrolet pickup he restored in 1970's. After a long search he found the parts and before he knew it people were calling him to help them find parts to fix up their own vehicles. "There are a lot of old farm trucks around that farmers would like to use at harvest time, and for errands, if they just had the parts to fix them," says Rundle. "They started calling me to help. It was just a hobby at first but it grew into a business." He advertises in national antique car and truck magazines and does about 70% of his business by mail order. But he also has many customers who stop in at his business which is operated out of his home and garage in Clay Center, Kan. Although pans for old pickups usually aren't available in auto parts stores or dealerships, new parts for nearly every pickup ever made are being remanufactured. "I buy the parts new from manufacturers, and also sometimes I buy out the parts stock when an old dealership closes down," says Rundle, who also buys old pickups at farm sales and strips them down for parts. Specializing in Chevys built in the late 40's and 50's, Rundle also offers a wide variety of parts for GMC's, flathead Fords, and other models from 1930 to 1962. However, the widest variety of parts he has in stock are for Chevrolets. "I pretty much have a complete line of common Chevrolet truck parts from 1947 through 1959 in stock," he says. The most widely requested parts are brakes, starters, generators, door latches, and other interior parts, as well as owners manuals and shop manuals. He also sells technical bullitens that tell how to change electrical systems from 6-volt to 12-volt. One popular part is a short-shaft water pump that lets owners install a later model 6-cyl. engine with a full pressure oil system from 1955 through 1962 in a 1937 through `54 pickup without having to cut the latch panel and move the radiator forward, as in the past. Rundle has done considerable research on old pickups and the bookcase in his home is full of manuals for old vehicles including old dealership's parts and accessories catalogs for Chevrolet nickuns from 1929 through 1956. To better communicate the technical information he's learned about older parts, he put together a parts catalog listing some of the parts he stocks and information on installation and utilization. "After explaining the same things over the phone a couple thousand times, I decided it would be easier to write and print something that the customer could refer back to," Rundle says. Although he does rebuild waterpumps, fuel pumps, carburetors, starters and generators, Rundle generally doesn't do repair work on vehicles. "It's a full-time job locating parts and mailing them out. Parts orders are processed the day they arrive, and customers usually receive them within two weeks. He sells his parts catalogue and gives free price quotes. One popular new product is a 6-volt alternator with an output rating of 50 amps, which is nearly 60% greater than most original equipment type generating systems. It allows recharging at idle and low rpm. Other most popular parts listed in his catalog are Fenton dual exhaust headers, Offenhauser two- and three-carb manifolds, cast aluminum Ford and Mercury cylinder heads, Wayne polished aluminum rocker and pushrod covers, and Howard cams. "Many of the parts are made from original castings acquired from the companies that produced them," Rundle points out. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Randy Rundle, Fifth Avenue Antique Auto Parts, 502 Arthur Avenue, Clay Center, Kan. 67432 (ph 913 632-3450). Reprinted with permission from Grass & Grain, Manhattan, Kansas.

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