Ford Motor Company close down Newford Parts!

[Groupcracer]

WHICH OTHER MANUFACTURERS?

Tell me the car manufacturers who cater for their 40 year old models please.

Why do you think there are a plethora of specialist classic car dealers out there filling the gap the major dealers left behind.

As for people paying £5.00 for a bolt - they are the ones who are nuts!

Porsche ferrari.....to name just two.

[rwdrs]

Yes, the Germans do seem to do things differently yet they are the ones doing the most to drive their classics off the road!
To answer your last question. Perhaps because they are car manufacturers and spend most of their time worrying about selling their current range of cars and selling the parts for current vehicles and not something they gave up on 20, 30, 40 and even 50 years ago.

If other manufacturers manage why can't Ford? If they were so clever devoting all their resources to their current models, why did they not manage to make the money from JLR that Tata seem to be at the moment, opening factories up all over the world, not closing them...

These 'individuals' you refer to are simply getting the Chinese to copy things made by Ford all those years ago, they are not made to any standards (BS /TuV) and their longevity is a matter for speculation. From what I've heard the quality is far from perfect too. I am guessing that Ford probably value space a lot more than a few obsolete parts. After all, they are not situated in back street industrial estates, they have prime high cost properties to pay for.

Even if these remanufactured parts aren't up to it, neither were Ford's panels always as good as they were cracked up to be for one thing and for another, that's even more reason to get "quality" parts onto the shelves at the Ford dealers.
Anyway, there's nothing wrong with sourcing parts from China, the factories where some of this gear comes from are the same factories that produce parts for the local (chinese) VW, Ford etc joint ventures.
As far as "making space" is concerned, Ford is doing nothing of the sort. It is simply reducing over capacity in an attempt to cut costs due to a drop in demand. Sensible you might think but they are completely closing sites and haemorraging a skilled workforce that could be put to use making said parts. If you believe that the Soton plant or the one in Oz is not going to be sold to pay off debts and disappear forever you're badly mistaken.

By far the best catered for group of classic car owners is the BMC/BL ones. British Motor Heritage have done wonders for the owners of the likes of Mini and MG and it is somewhat ironic that they survive yet the companys who made the cars originally have long gone. And remember, it was started in 1975, which iirc was well before any Ford owner thought of his car as a 'classic' - it was just an old Ford!

The date of manufacture is not the problem, it's the ceasing of parts provision, if Mercedes can provide parts for a 60s SL how can it be that Ford cannot for its products manufactured a decade later?

I guess at that time all the Mk1 Escort tooling would still have been available to buy from Ford had someone had the forsight to buy it and set up a company selling parts... Then again, who would have bought them? They were still available from the dealer!
It's no good turning up 35+ years too late and saying that we should have done this and Ford should have done that, Ford were too busy dealing with the unions and strikes to think about future classics. To be fair, even in the 90s the Escorts would NEVER have been perceved as a future classic commanding the prices they do nowadays - Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing?

You reckon, what did the RSOC get set up for in 1980 then, surely not because people recognised – even before the Mk2 had gone out of production mind – that these cars were classics? It's not unreasonable to expect the manufacturer to keep parts provision going, as said, if small companies can make a good living out of supplying remanufactured parts how can it be that the company that holds all the drawings and patents not manage?
Ford doesn't mind ripping the customer off for overpriced accessories and clothing, key rings etc with a Ford logo on, but not interested in supplying enthusiasts at probably "inflated" prices but at least genuine parts????

[ROOSTERRS]

Didn't Ford make a load of rally spares for Mk 2's available in the mid to late 90's. seem to remember a silver mk2 on the front of classic ford. I heard that the RS owners club had bought the inner wing press tooling but not sure how true this was.

[Duratec John]

In the late '80's we had some 146 lbs single leaf slipper springs made because we couldn't source any.

[graham John]

I heard that the RS owners club had bought the inner wing press tooling but not sure how true this was.

no truth in this what so ever


cheeRS

[Aaron P.]

so it seems NFPC was a bad place to buy stuff.....i remember one or 2 dealings on the phone....how could this place have stayed open so long if its got such a bad name???

i think its time to chill out guys.....enjoy the sun

[RS 1800]

This one?

http://www.newfordpartsonline.co.uk/