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Your Unicorn?

4K views 35 replies 29 participants last post by  gt350sr 
#1 ·
Ever have that one part that you had to have, but couldn't find anywhere no matter how hard or long you searched?


Here's mine: Last summer I picked up a 67 console in pretty decent shape with ALL of the accessories for a steal. The only problem was it was for an automatic and I have a manual. I refused to buy a new manual shift plate, it would have been in much better shape than the rest of the console, and I set a budget and I wasn't going to go over it. So, I searched all over the east coast for that manual shift plate and couldn't find it anywhere for almost 11 months. Until two weeks ago. I decided I was going to find that plate come Hell or high water, so I started a craigslist search that lasted 6 hours and covered the east coast, north east, and the mid west all the way to the middle of Texas. I finally found one in Anne TX and the owner still had it for sale. When I called he quoted a price of $25! :grin2: BUT, when he found out I lived in VA he said he wouldn't ship it! :surprise:. So I doubled down and offered him $50 if he would ship it. So, I now have a manual shift plate for my 67 console, plus I stayed within budget and it is in the same shape as the rest of the console.


So, anybody else ever find that impossible to find part?
 
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#3 ·
Iowa 1972 motorcycle license plate for counties 2 and 99. Have every other one for every Iowa county for that year, just missing those 2.... for almost 30 years!! They either didn't have many cycles registered in those counties, or there was a guy in that area buying every single one of them- probably to patch holes in his barn!!
 
#5 ·
#7 ·
NOS C8OZ-9D612-A, '68 390 air cleaner motor.


Looked for years, finally found some a few years back to complete the setups on my S codes as well as two spares... now almost impossible to find. Don't want to remember what they cost me!:smile2:
 
#16 ·
I've been part of that search party before!! Glad you finally found one last year!
 
#9 ·
Its not for a Mustang.

My Sunbeam Tiger has LAT-70 (Los Angeles Tiger) aluminum wheels. They come with a three eared spinner. I lost one when the tire shop did not screw it on tightly enough.
Early cars are cast with a diameter of 2 9/16. Later cars have a 3 inch diameter. The later wheels have reproduction spinners. Early cars no. My car is an early one.
This part is truly made of unobtanium. I have been looking for over 10 freakin' years. Not one nibble.

Here is a link to a picture of the large size spinner and wheel.

DSC_0971.jpg Photo by vintagetreehouse | Photobucket
 
#10 ·
Just recently they started making this.
1969/70 deluxe interior map light.
 
#11 ·
8 years ago I bought a set of 15x7 TTD's. I took 1 out of a box and put it back in. Never checked the rest. Last summer I decided to finally use them and bought 4 tires. After mounting 3 tires, opened the 4th TTD box only to find a wrong rim! My TTD's are made in USA. The new ones are made in China. I was really concerned that a new wheel made in China may not quite match. Went on ebay and found a unused 15x7 TTD that was as a display. Not only was it made in the USA but the date code was 1 day off from mine. $150 to the door
 
#14 ·
For me it was the a the rear quarter vent boxes on a '67 Fastback. Couldn't even get them in reproduction. I finally found a pair for an almost reasonable price, and now it seems like I see new sets on ebay weekly.
 
#20 ·
I had the same issue with those vent boxes. Needed only passenger side box and took FOREVER to find one. Now for some strange reason they are everywhere. :shrug:
 
#17 ·
Fun topic, as I've always had at least one "unicorn" ongoing over the years. This past September I finally bagged a 20+ year unicorn, a complete set of optional "N93" wheels/covers/spinners for my 1965 Olds Starfire. The whole setup includes unique steel rims, and getting it all put together seemed an impossibility until I finally stumbled upon the right dude who had it all. 20+ years...

Now, my next seemingly impossible unicorn is an NOS dash pad for a 1971 Buick Riviera. This isn't likely the right forum to hunt for that.. ;)
 

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#18 · (Edited)
70 california gas tank either NOS or clean used one.

the old girl was boiled out and sealed back in 91 and she was on her last legs then. im on borrowed time

good news is i have a NOS regular 70 tank all wrapped up that i can use if i needed to,.
but then id have to change over the unique rubber nipple and trunk fittings as well which dont have :(
 
#22 ·
I spent two years trying to track down a hot-idle compensator for my '66 A/C system. Stupid little part that really isn't necessary, but I wanted everything "right". I was prepared to spend hundreds on one if I could ever find it. Suddenly, out of the blue, one showed up on ebay for $35! Good things come to those who wait, I guess! I've since seen a few more, I bought an extra just in case, although I'll probably never need it.
 
#32 ·
A fan shroud for a 65 with a 6 cyl.
When I first posted pics of my '65, I remember GT22 commenting on the rarity of a 6cyl fan shroud. I've since had a couple people at shows ask where I found one (fortunately, it came still mounted on the unrestored car when I bought it).

The unicorn I've been searching for is also a 6cyl part. I'm looking for a dealer supplied A/C bracket for the 6cyl. My understanding is- when A/C was added to a 6cyl by the dealer- they used a bracket that put the compressor on the DRIVER'S side of the engine. With the header and modified intake, it would certainly be nice to get that compressor over to the other side of the engine!

I'd also like to one day find one of the personalized name plates dealers put on some of the '65-66 dashboards.
 
#25 ·
F70-14 Wide Oval tires for early-mid 67 cars. The 2 ply tire with the thin whitewall outside of the bulge, not the currently repro'd narrower tire with whitewall inside the bulge which is for later '67 on cars .
When the original early style tires wore out prematurely, Ford pro-rated a replacement set on my car under warranty - and those replacements were the later narrower tires with whitewall on typical inside of the bulge. The early set wore out because my father ran them at the pressure Ford gave in the owners manual - 28 PSI for "high-speed design" tires for GT option cars. And the centers promptly wore out in 12 or 14 000 miles.
I don't think I'll ever find a new set of early ones as the guys at Coker told me the original molds were destroyed/lost many years ago so they can't repro them. But they sure looked cool back in the day!
 
#29 ·
My current unicorns are both for my 81 Fox Mustang:

First one is a rear bumper cover that is not warped or broken (they all are, you can find a lot but the molded plastics back then were really crap quality and didn´t stand the pass of time)

Second are the body side moldings, again not warped, complete with the metal backing, not shrunken. Same problem as above, poor quality of the materials used back then

I´m happy almost 100% of parts are being reproduced for the 66... quality varies but at least you can find tons of repro parts that are OK if you are not looking into a concours restoration.
 
#30 ·
vaccum operated cylinder for my 74 GTO's shaker hood. This was in the late 80's never did find one. Sure they make them now.

Mustang convertible inner structure. Took about a year to find but finally found something I could work with.

500xl emblems for my 62 Galaxie 500 XL Convertible. Never found them. Sold the car.

And about a thousand other things over the years.

Current one is convertible cylinder brackets. Still looking.
 
#31 ·
Current for me is an OEM 4 speed top-loader shifter, shifting mechanism and linkage arms for a 65/66.

Changing from C4 to top-loader and accruing parts now. Top-loader I bought, HEH-BT, (my friend says stole) has a "Western Auto" Mr. Gasket shifter in place now and that isn't going to cut it.

Shameless post in case anyone has this set-up they are interested in selling.
 
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