Service Replacement

[69mach351w]

I hear the words service replacement parts and also assemblyline parts here quite often. So we all know we would rather restore our cars with assemblyline correct parts.  I'm no expert by no means of the imagination, but is a service replacement part considered NOS and/or OTC?

Sometimes I get confused as to what the real definition of "service replacement" is. I do know that when a person back in those days went to the Ford parts department, and received a part, that part IS a service replacement, but still is considered NOS??  That's where I have trouble on occasion.

I have a front bumper on my 69 that is a Ford replacement with a date code of 1980.  So, is it still considered NOS but also a service replacement?

[Dan Case]

I'll take a shot at a shortened version of what I send to Cobra owners and restorers. I have been around the "restoration" of old cars since 1961 and got my first training on 'this is original and that is not' during that summer at a national Antique Automobile Club of America meet (they were meets back then not shows).


Genuine parts pulled from production runs at the time the car was built for service needs. They were New Stock (NS) at that point in time and sometime later they were considered New Old Stock (NOS). As soon as some reason changed them such that the "original" design, revision level, or version is not made anymore NS becomes NOS. Prior to the 1960s up Corvette and Mustang owners getting into the business a New Old Stock (NOS) 1963 (pick a part) part was actually made in 1963 during production runs and it was just fate that directed it to miss an assembly line and get into a service part package. In industry, almost any large scale industry including automotive ones, between 5% and 20% of parts made during the original production period are set aside for normal service and warrantee work. The more likely the part will fail or be damaged or worn out the higher the percentage is often set aside and distributed through the service channel. Most big companies have engineers that determine risks and likelyhood of requirements. These are "assembly line" parts because they are what the car assembly lines used. In America, large numbers of "lunch pail" parts left the plants of part makers and car assemblers. What does one plan to do with dozens of new engine ground wires that accidently found their way back to your house? (I used that example because a few weeks ago on a trip to Michigan I came across a cache of engine ground wires that walked away circa 1964.)  Sometimes part over runs get left over at the assembly lines or the supplier's plant and the O.E.M. doesn't want them. These "assembly line" parts often end up in the hands of parts dealers. A friend of mine, at the end of each production year, use to buy at pennies on the dollar left over Corvette parts from the St. Louis assembly plant and their suppliers and then sold them through his parts business. Note: Because of design level changes, different suppliers for different assembly plants, and supplier changes all "assembly line" parts even within a given year are not automatically all the same.



An OEM service part made for an earlier application. This use to be the New Replacement Stock (NRS) designation. This was maybe a 1965 design/revision part being sold to service let's say a 1963 car. After these parts get a couple years old they are New Old Replacement Stock (NORS). These may or may not be the original supplier, tooling, manufacturing processes, and or materials. They "will work". The vast majority of old new parts you are likely to come across will probably fit into this category.  This is let's say Ford having runs of 1965 Mustang front bumpers made as required for many years after the last new 1965 Mustang left an assembly line. The day they were made they are NRS and after some period of time they become NORS.  Major car makers must supply something that works for in most cases ten years. The industry I worked in had to supply parts that would work for seven years. The important details were that the original specifications didn't have to be met unless it had safety or emissions requirements, that warrantee didn't have to be the same, didn't have to use the same tools or methods, didn't have to use the same materials, didn't have to use the same supplier / maker, and didn't even have to be made in the same country.  Replacement parts could be made just like "originals" but they didn't have to be. Said another way, same sales number between let's say a April 1965 made part and a April 1975 made part but other than fit the application and work they didn't have to legally be the same. I use an example: 1966 MUSTANG GT350 fuel caps. By the late 1970s they were obsolete from Ford's service organization. One person started a campaign to bring them back. He started ordering caps from at least one Ford dealer. He advertised in print for as many people were interested in new caps to do the same. It took a while but with enough back orders Ford commissioned runs of caps to be made. The "new" caps came in blue and white Ford service packaged and under casual inspection looked 'original'. Then people started comparing the NRS caps with originals still on cars and figured out that the NRS ones were not a 100% match to "assembly line" parts.  Today those replacement fuel caps made in the late 1970s and beyond are NORS parts.

[69mach351w]

Thanks Mr. Case.  Your description is appreciated.

Funny, this thread has been read 85 times and nobody has answered but you!!!

And some wonder where this forum is heading!!!

[TOBKOB]

And some wonder where this forum is heading!!!

Huh?

TOB

[69mach351w]

Huh??? LOL.  Now, we start getting responses.

But, only from my #2 post.

[2112]

The odds of finding real, assembly line correct parts in new condition today are equal to winning the lottery.

I am happy when I find NORS parts.

For the parts that will never be made again, I hope that enough people who can restore the originals remain so that the hobby can continue.

[Bob Gaines]

Thanks Mr. Case.  Your description is appreciated.

Funny, this thread has been read 85 times and nobody has answered but you!!!

And some wonder where this forum is heading!!!

Huh??? LOL.  Now, we start getting responses.

But, only from my #2 post.

Here is one more response. Maybe you over reacted just a little with that bitter comment. I know we would all like instant responses to our questions but sometimes that doesn't happen . I don't think people were holding off answering because it was you in particular asking if that is what you think. I know I for one just saw it and the question was already answered. Trying to make forum members feel guilty because they didn't answer your question on a time table of your liking is not a good way to get someone to jump on answering you the next time. At least it is not incentive for me . Maybe others feel differently. 

[1109RWHP]

I have asked questions on here before on topics that I know for sure other people have experience with and no one answered. So I can relate to why he made that post. Might have been a little premature for it though. In my cases I just let it go. Sometimes it seems that if you are not with the "in crowd" you do not get an answer. I am not with the "in crowd". I try to answer other peoples questions when I can but that does not happen often because I usually don't have the correct answer to give.

[69mach351w]

Hey Bob, I knew you'd be here after post #2....


Again Thanks Mr. Case

[TOBKOB]

I have asked questions on here before on topics that I know for sure other people have experience with and no one answered. So I can relate to why he made that post. Might have been a little premature for it though. In my cases I just let it go. Sometimes it seems that if you are not with the "in crowd" you do not get an answer. I am not with the "in crowd". I try to answer other peoples questions when I can but that does not happen often because I usually don't have the correct answer to give.

I can only speak from my own experience but I have also asked a few questions and a day or two later I would ask "anyone?" and it usually would get a response...usually several. My take on this is everyone has a life. Sometimes life gets busy and folks may just have enough time to skim through the forum but not enough time to compose thorough answers and just assume someone with more time will answer. Thankfully Mr. Case took the time to respond with a very well thought out and thorough answer. If I had tried to respond in that way it would have taken me quite a while. Just my humble opinion...

TOB

[KR Convertible]

Interesting.  I had always thought NORS wasn't necessarily a Ford part and NOS was a Ford replacement part.  NOS wasn't necessarily assembly line correct, but bought from Ford back in "the day".

[69mach351w]

Thanks 2112 and KR Convt for your responses, very much appreciated.


Uhh,  And Thanks to the others for posting to #2 ??

[SHELB66]

I was one of the 85 that viewed your thread but, unfortunately, had nothing of any significance to contribute.  Many times I'm viewing threads to learn so that maybe I'll be able to contribute down the road.

Craig R

[Special Ed]

I call a (service replacement part) either used or nos as a part that was made by a ford backup vendor or the second vendor when the part made isnt exactly like what was used on the assembly line & some parts were never serviced by ford so to be concours correct you have to restore the used original parts. The best (assembly line) parts never came in boxes that are found in assembly line area swap meets or left over vendor parts orders. But some nos parts are concours correct when found in old autolite-ford or FOMOCO boxes as the older the part is made the better it was made as sometimes the ford tooling just started wearing out til it became obsolete. Some assembly line parts left over from assembly plant ended up at the parts depo & were serviced by ford parts department but to get those parts you would have to order them early on while car was still like new. Also (new take off )parts are good when a guy buys a muscle car & takes all the stock parts off and keeps them before making car into a race car or modifing car for whatever reason.

[CharlesTurner]

No matter what the parts are called, it's up to the buyer to know what they are buying.  Sellers are not always forthcoming on their descriptions or may now know all the different terms.  If the buyer is not sure, there are great resources like this forum or others to help.  When it comes down to it, parts sold over the counter at Ford very rarely match exact 100% to what was installed at the Ford assembly plant.