New Parts for Old Cars May Keep Them Running, but Sink Their Value .

[_Happy boy]

   

 

Need a part for a 1964 Mustang? Online catalogs offer a heater knob, a complete unibody or anything in between. With easily found replica components, you could effectively build a new ’64 from the tires up.

But what if you had a 1917 Hupmobile? Or a Willys-Overland? Or a Peerless? For decades, a loose network of machinists and tradesmen would supply collectors and museums with cast bearings, a one-off radiator cap or a custom-milled crank, as needed.

Now those ranks are thinning, replaced by technology, so a scan of a single part can become a digital blueprint that anyone with a special machining tool or 3-D printer can use to churn out a replacement.

This shift is convenient if you need a semi-rare part to get your old car back on the road, but for collectors, it’s a headache.