Supra Restoration/ Reproduction Parts - Has anyone thought about this?

[Chambers]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone has thought about contacting companies that make resto parts for other cars and see if they would play with the idea of making resto parts for the Supra. It would probably take many of us contacting companies to get the ball rolling, to show there is interest. I know any MK3 owner I meet would love to be able to order a new set of mud flaps or new window trim. Yes, as of now we can still order some things from Toyota, but what happens when that is gone? We will be left with next to nothing but dropping a lot of money on a clean parts car to get three things off of it... Personally I would rather have the option to buy repo parts.

Does anyone know how the repo companies make the parts that they do? Do they buy molds from the manufactures or make their own?

The idea of making resto parts for just the Supra would probably be difficult to do on its own, so getting other Toyota groups involved may be what we have to do to get the ball rolling, like the MR2 or the 86 crowds.

Thoughts?

I have found this:

http://toyotageek.com/links_vendors.html

 

[gp-7mgte]

I would be soo down for this

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[Silver MK3]

I think it's a good idea as well. I often wonder what is going to happen in 5, 10, maybe 15 years when parts become no longer available from Toyota. There are already more and more parts that are being discontinued. You have to think about it too that the youngest mk3 is 22 years old and the oldest is 28 years old. Soon it will no longer make sense for Toyota to stock parts for such a small market unless the parts overlap onto other cars.

My dad has a 69 Torino that we have been restoring for a while now and there are all sorts of companies that reproduce things for those cars, like arm rests, buttons, wiper blades, interior kick panels, etc. I feel like something like this will be needed once all the parts cars have been exhausted and at some point the parts cars are going to have parts that aren't in any better shape than whatever part it is that is already in your car.

I think it's a great idea, but have no clue how one would get it started.

 

[JDMMA70]

There is a small restoration community building with the AE86 guys. As well as the older Celicas, and Starlets. I would be down for restoration pieces as I think now is a good time, that more and more MK3 owners are willing to pay for parts they once thought weren't worth it. Like Dashes for example. If we can get enough interest and support to buy in I am sure companies would be willing reproduce parts. They will need good existing pieces however. If we could get the older Celica groups, MR2, Starlet, MK1 and Mk2 Supras, we could definitely get something rolling. The S30Z guys have plenty of reproduction parts.

 

[hvyman]

The only issue is everyone will want to get parts but who will actually.

But it is a good idea. Especially on interior parts and moldings.

 

[Backlash2032]

I'm going to school to be a precision machinist and after I graduate I want to start up my own tuning / performance shop with a buddy of mine.. I would definitely be able to make dies to stamp out replacement quarter skins, inner fenders, blah blah blah. It would turn rust repair into a simple cut and weld situation. Who would be interested in something like that? Shit, I could even make some say, S2 replica widebody replicas out of steel and replace the whole quarter and inner fender and such. That way it really is a complete wide body.. that's what I always hated about the wide bodies, they just don't fit right in the wheel wells..

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[Chambers]

Yea, I think we need to try to coordinate with other Toyota owners to create a valid "need" for repo parts for the older cars. A friend of mine just got done restoring a 77 Celica lift back last year, he gobbled up many of the last OEM Toyota parts available for the car. I'm guessing that there are others out there who would love to have access to the parts he got, even ones that are repo. I feel like we will be in the same boat in the coming years.

I imagine there were many people in the same position with the domestic cars years ago, many had a valid "need" for repo parts and the aftermarket started to meet those "needs". With today's technology (3d scanning/printing) I would think it would be a bit easier to reproduce parts, its all just a matter of finding the right manufacturer with the capabilities to create what we need in parts.

There is a local cars and coffee meet every Saturday, I think I will stop in and try to chat with some of the domestic guys and see where they get their parts and who makes them. Although its a long shot that a company who produces parts for domestics would try producing parts for imports I think thats where we need to start. If we all look around and chat with other car communities we will get closer to something tangible.

 

[hvyman]

classic industries is big with chevys

 

[scottiedawg66]

i think its is a viable business proposition at this point. If you look at the prices that classic toyotas are fetching now there is obviously strong demand.

 

[Chambers]

I just sent them an email (classic industries), I'm also going to talk to Club4AG on facebook and see if I can muster up some interest there.

 

[4U2QUIK]

Just saw this. Definitely a good idea. I'm starting to get into aluminum casting and plastic molding and 3d printing lately so I figure this will help a lot. if anyone makes a model, or any model I come up with, can be rapid prototyped and then once completed to satisfaction it can be sent to production.

 

[Chambers]

Awesome, I really do think the time is now to start discussing this. Especially with the capabilities we have with 3d scanning and printing, repo parts should be on table along side performance parts.

I think we should all decide on a handful of simple parts that we all need, something to get the ball rolling and pilot the whole process.

 

[scottiedawg66]

Window trim, if possible a black / shadow grey interior would be amazing.

 

[JDMMA70]

start with exterior trim, like windshield cowl, b pillers, etc.

Replacement AC buttons, door lock bezels.

 

[Silver MK3]

Window trim, if possible a black / shadow grey interior would be amazing.

A lot of times when they make reproduction interior parts they come in black only and if you want a different color you have to paint them to match. At least that's how it was with my dad's Torino, and that's why we converted the interior to black instead of the dark green that it was from the factory.

start with exterior trim, like windshield cowl, b pillers, etc.

Replacement AC buttons, door lock bezels.

These are all great. Even people like myself that have low-mileage survivor cars need little parts like this every now and then.


I also think the TOYOTA badge on the grille would be a good part to have reproduced. It's simple enough, and I don't think it is available from Toyota any more. I would assume that most peoples are torn up from rocks and road dirt like mine is.

 

[steveyblack]

Rear quarter/spare wheel-well sheet metal replacements would be a good starting point. +1 on window trim, iirc its 1300 for the window trim all around, if it goes to the 400-600 range I would highly consider buying.

 

[Backlash2032]

Honestly.. if I can afford the mold steel and such.. you'll see it haha

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[lithium14]

Do it. I need new trim all around. haha. I was mentally prepared to dish out over $2k for that shit.

 

[IchibanEye]

This would be a dream come true of it ever happens.

 

[IchibanEye]

Another great idea and I'm going to try is track down the machine that actually produced the exterior trim pieces and what materials are needed and the process. Then pool some money together and buy that damn window trim machine. It'll just end up wasting away someplace most likely. It actually saddens me to think about this happening.