Gross NOS (new-old-stock) - Revcounter 427
When factory-correct leads to lunacy
Blame Angelo – that’s what I do. Our designer/production editor/feature-generator and life-support system for a T-bird has an alarming sixth sense for rooting out the truly weird and wonderful from the internet.
In fact, the rest of our allegedly highly-trained and intelligent staff are beginning to suspect there’s some sort of weird gravitational pull going. Stuff just magically transports itself across the interweb and finds him.
This started some time ago, when he pointed out an online ad where some gold-plated optimist was trying to flog a set of Ford Falcon Super Roo spotlamp covers for one thousand seven hundred and fifty bucks. Yep, 1750 earth dollars.
(Just as an aside, here’s a test: If you immediately started wondering ‘which Falcon?’, instead of the more critical ‘on what bloody planet?’, you are now officially diagnosed as a petrol-head and should seek counselling, immediately.)
Where were we? Oh yes, the $1750 spotlight hats. Were they encrusted with diamonds? No. Were they perhaps made from specially-tailored Upper Latvian Hooting Mink coats and signed by Salvador Dali? No. They were vinyl, and remarkably similar to any other hastily-made spotlamp cover of the era. I mean who made these things anyway? Probably some shower cap maker who was light on for business and suddenly had a bit of inspiration.
To be fair to the seller, they are period-correct and the right spec for a GT-HO – which, as we know, is these days is worth literally its weight in gold. Perhaps critically, the covers come in the factory wrapping, with the part number. Now here’s the thing: once you’ve forked over the ransom (presumably under a lamp, somewhere on the docks at midnight), can you actually afford to ruin them by breaking open the sealed package to use them? Or perhaps they are so precious you still have to go out and buy a replica set which, by the way, can be had for $70.
Of course your other option is to buy a fairly worn used genuine set – yes, they exist – for a mere $500. Seriously.
And just in case you think I’m rabbiting on about an isolated incident, try this on for size. Another world champion beacon of the entrepreneurial spirit has put what looks like a 20cm bit of 50-year-old rubber fuel hose up for sale at $60. Again, it’s a GT-HO part, with the original Ford label still attached. You do of course see the irony with this one. If you actually fitted it and ran the engine, your HO would quite possibly burn to the ground within minutes. Ancient hoses and fuel and several ignition sources are not a great mix, which is why most of us spend good money and time fitting new fuel lines. Stuff made this year.
Believe me, those two are by no means the only examples of the weird and entertaining world of NOS (new-old stock) parts. Ask me about the Honda ashtray liner that costs $1430 – go on, I dare you!
We reckon there’s a bit of a story in this and we’ll be bringing you the best of NOS news every issue from now on, lovingly curated by young Angelo. See the first instalment here.
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