Topic: part difference
in Forum: C3 General Discussion
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NOS parts are new old stock,parts that were made by G.M. sent to dealers but never sold to the public they have sat on shelves at dealerships or warehouses and never sold,G.M.Parts were produced by G.M. or , under licence by other manufacturers to G.M. specs,then you have reproduction parts,that are either exact reproductions of originals,or close facsimilies made by other companies,maybe or maybe not licenced by G.M..does that help at all
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Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
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#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
"NOS" parts cost about 100%(or more) more than GM parts... 
NOS means New Old Stock...as Ron says, they are original GM parts, but they were never sold...sorta like overstocked items, you could say. They just sat somewhere on a shelf for years, until someone with an old Corvette needed them, and just had to have original parts. Most NOS parts will still be in the original boxes/packaging.
"GM" parts are simply parts you can buy from any GM dealer today. One day, these parts will be NOS, too.
Reproduction parts are normally parts made from the original tooling, by someone other than GM. When GM(or any auto mfg) stops producing parts for certain cars, they still have the tooling for them. Eventually, they will sell, or lease the tooling to an outside company, and that company will start producing the parts for the people with old cars....like US!
NOS means New Old Stock...as Ron says, they are original GM parts, but they were never sold...sorta like overstocked items, you could say. They just sat somewhere on a shelf for years, until someone with an old Corvette needed them, and just had to have original parts. Most NOS parts will still be in the original boxes/packaging.
"GM" parts are simply parts you can buy from any GM dealer today. One day, these parts will be NOS, too.
Reproduction parts are normally parts made from the original tooling, by someone other than GM. When GM(or any auto mfg) stops producing parts for certain cars, they still have the tooling for them. Eventually, they will sell, or lease the tooling to an outside company, and that company will start producing the parts for the people with old cars....like US!
Joel Adams
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And be careful, some folks not understanding the difference may unintentionally describe a part as NOS just because it comes from GM....
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Thanks for the feedback guy's.
So, I should be looking for nos parts for my project or does it really matter.
Can you actually tell the diff. after they are installed? This car isn't ever going to be a top show car worth a mint. That being said, I also want to do everything I can do to keep it stock and original while I am going through the effort of restoring (frame on). Also, as far as a potential buyer way down the road might be concerned, should I be overly concerned about this topic?.
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Duncanville, TX - USA
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Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
NOS parts are, for the most part, very expensive, compared to reproductions. The reproductions look and fit pretty much the same as original. Some of the "replacement" parts you may buy from GM, or even some of the Corvette parts vendors, will look totally different, but will still function the same. So, if you just want to stay as close as possible to original looking, I'd say go with repro parts. Save any parts you replace for the future owner.
The choice of NOS/repro/replacement will sometimes depend on individual parts, also. Sometimes, you may have only one option.
The choice of NOS/repro/replacement will sometimes depend on individual parts, also. Sometimes, you may have only one option.
Joel Adams
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Vette(s): 1979, Targa Blue (72 Color), Pace Car rear spoiler, L88 hood, Dark blue factory interior, 525HP 406, HD 700R4, 370 gears,Steeroids, composite rear spring, TT IIs wrapped in T/A Radials.
A non NOS part may get points deducted at a show. Sometimes, a judge won't even be able to tell because there may be no visual distinction between NOS and a repro part.
LukesVette 2007-03-31 05:15:53
If you're looking for functionally correct parts and the car is far from original, I agree with Koel - go the repro route.
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One more part "kind" to consider - Original. I do quite a bit of playing around on e-bay, and quite often, you can find original parts that someone has removed from their ride or has found at a junk yard, or has replaced with NOS, etc...
While I genuinely beleive that the majority of people on e-bay are honest, you need to keep in mind that some of them just don't know what they're talking about. I often see parts listed as correct for a "68-82" Corvette when it is known by many (but possibly not the seller) that the advertised part may fit, but is not correct for many of those years.
If you're wanting to show in NCRS or Bloomington type shows, then the more accurate the part, the better. Outside of that, I doubt that people will really know that when you put a 10" wide rear view mirror on a 73 Vette, that the mirror is not correct since they didn't expand to 10" until 74 (you get the idea).
There are books that will give you detailed descriptions of what part is "Correct" for what year and what years can interchange. If someone says that a part came off of a 72, you can see if that would be correct for your year or not.
Anyway, to get back to my original point (make a short story longer), know what you're looking for. If you choose the e-bay route, look for what "Completed Items" (Sold items) of what you want have sold for. Make sure you look at the ones with the prices in green. Ones in red did not sell. Use the "Watch This Item" feature to keep an eye on several auctions to see how you can get the best deal. Prices fluctuate quite a bit depending on who needs what when and when the auction ends. If an auction ends at 2 in the morning, bidders may not stay up to try to get it at the very end. I recently bought a part for $10.50, then re-sold it a few weeks later for $85.
There are at least four or five parts on my car that are "original" that I've bought off e-bay. I also have plenty of repro and other parts on it. Know what you want and what you're willing to spend. In the end, as long as you're happy, that's what's important.
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in Forum: C3 General Discussion
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