**IMPORTANT** the lifecycle of parts for CB7!

[Shag Wagon]

I recall having to order parts for a 70 somethin Honda motorcycle and the parts were discontinued. Lets hope they dont start discontinuing some parts.

[F22-GURU]

Honda also knows the value of their parts division and protecting their vendors' identities is important to them. ...

And that my friend is the theory behind the "BUY GENUINE ONLY" campaigns by all the Manufacturers. If the masses were aware of this fact that they don't actually make the parts themselves, then the Manufacturer's Parts Empire's would go AWOL. So unless you know anyone with Inside Privvy Info then we're all stuffed.

-GEOFF-

[xaxis360]

It would be nice to just buy the parts directly from the manufacturer, but it is very hard to do being that a vast majority of parts for our cars are made in Japan minus Bose speakers and cigarette lighter sockets. Honda also knows the value of their parts division and protecting their vendors' identities is important to them. yeah, using "genuine" oil or coolant is rediculous and means nothing. but someone please let me know where I would buy "OEM manufacturer" body parts that fit like the factory ones, a mitsuboshi PS belt, a senkei muffler, and a TEK distributor and i will happily do it...

[sj960]

I have a Katzkin interior, and I love it... They give you all the panels for the doors and stuff, so basically an entire interior (armrest, backseats, etc..) for $850 shipped.. Its way too easy to do too, took me a day and a half to do all the seats (2 hours a day) But I am extremely lazy when it comes to finishing the rest...
BTW Mine is black leather with blue inserts

[F22-GURU]

hmmm, so '90/'91 models would theoretically already have a problem or is it more an issue once the '93 year hits 15 years as the last year of that model?

It doesn't mean once the 15 years is up they remove all old parts from existence, it's once the original stock of parts is sold they will not be replenished. It's the old 'First in Best Dressed' deal. Some parts for a 97 model car could be NLA. All depends on the part.

TNT
The Guru

[mrvinyl33]

hmmm, so '90/'91 models would theoretically already have a problem or is it more an issue once the '93 year hits 15 years as the last year of that model?

[F22-GURU]

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Motor Vehicle Industry.
Mate, I deal with this issue day in, day out with some of my customers cars.
Just last week I had to get a RHR Axle Hub & Bearing for 1986 Toyota Corona Avante. The Genuine Parts through Toyota are N.L.A. - NO LONGER AVAILABLE anywhere in the world.
Because this model had I.R.S with Disc Brake Rear, it is as rare as Rocking Horse Shit in Australia. Even trying to locate a Complete Second Hand Lower Control Arm & Hub from any Parts Dismantler is a mission in itself. They found one for me, I fitted it to the car and it was just as fucked as the one I took off. So now I have to locate another. Result - 1 very irate customer with no car to drive. Guess who cops the abuse, yours truly. I toss them 20c and tell them to ring the pricks who build the car and complain to them.

It would be virtually impossible to legislate that Car Companies keep a current supply of New Genuine Parts for every model built, because there is less than 2% of parts in a motor vehicle actually made by the Car Manufacturer themselves anyhow. Most parts are just branded and stamped by the Manufacturer as GENUINE. Over 98% of parts are outsourced from independant manufacturers at assembly. I'd say the only GENUINE items would be Body Panels and Engine Blocks. Most Car Makers source their parts from Reputable, High Quality OEM's.
The R & D departments work off the supply & demand principle from previous model's sold so they can calculate what volume of each item to stock for the next model. The Car makers do not have the parts manufactured on a 'REMAKE/RESTOCK AS YOU SELL' policy. Once the original stock is depleted that's it, All Original Stocked Parts will eventually become N.L.A.

So all this Buy GENUINE Only is actually a crock of shit if you can source the same part from the ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER. GENUINE & OEM Parts are not one in the same. Think about it, Since when did HONDA, TOYOTA, GM or FORD start making Genuine Engine Oils, Lubricants or Coolant? That's like Honda buying the SHELL, re-branded it as HONDA FUEL, then saying you should only fill your HONDA up with Genuine Honda fuel.

So in the end it all comes down to Supply & Demand!!

Just my AUD$0.0175 Worth

-GEOFF-

BTW: I vote for a sticky.

[Chaos_CB7]

I used to work at a Honda dealership there electronic parts catalogs don't even go back that far like maybe to 85. We had on old civic come in and we had to find parts at advance auto to fix it.

If you where going to get the leather replaced for that price i would just take it to an upholstery shop. If you make sure they know your picky they will mimic the seat exactly. I work at an upholstery shop we do it all the time. We even take new cars and put leather interior in them for dealerships.

Id like to get my hands on the SE back panel where the 3rd break light sits on the other models. I took my 3rd break light out because i have a OEM wing and now i have a hole there with fabric stretched across it.

[wed3k]

with the amount of cb7's out there i highly doubt that there will be a need of common replacement parts.

unless you are looking for leather seats or jdm parts.

[papychulo82]

Sometimes these junkyards be on that bullshit by jackin up their prices because they know cats dont wanna go to the dealer aswell.

i agree with that...i went to a few places that sell used car parts and they wanted $25 for the coupe door handles but couldn't tell me what color...shit the dealer cost only $30 and knew exactly what i was getting

[xaxis360]

What?

As far as leather...look into companies like Katzkin and comparable. Some of the 90-93 Accords have leather in them that wasn't factory (the elusive grey/blue/maroon leather). These were most likely kits sold by companies like that that fit in the car. There's a member on here with a black leather coupe interior. I think that'd be your best bet to replace the parts.

I had heard about that rule, though I didn't know it was 15 years. It's interesting though...they have their parts made, and can make spoilers (93 SE style) but the flushmount/armrest/fogs are long gone.

oh yeah, I asked about the flushmounts. The guy told me that the demand for accessories are estimated at production time. When the "Trunk Lip Spoiler" was first offered in 1990, sales were dissapointing. The wing spoiler clearly took the crown for trunk options, so they cut shipments way back for the US and dropped it in 1992 for the "Gold Finish Kit." The flushmounts then went into a "clearance" liquidation price and were subsequently bought up by dealers. But it is easy to understand why Honda chose to make what they did accessories because of the federal law. I'm sure their pissed by now that they have to screw around with spoilers from the SE being it was the only Honda that I know of that came with one from the factory. Making fog lights standard on some models like in Japan would mean more junk to inventory and produce for the US. but i'm not so much worried about the leather tho. I have never seen the factory stiching from the sedans copied correctly. Most aftermarkets didn't use piping nor the bunched leather look on seatbacks. its just wierd to think that our cars are going to be officially obsolete in Honda's eyes real soon. some parts for 86-89's are already discontinued or being sold to Vintage Parts in Wisconsin.

[starchland]

interesting info there...nice sig too.

[FuriousJDMLBM]

Sometimes these junkyards be on that bullshit by jackin up their prices because they know cats dont wanna go to the dealer aswell.

What?

As far as leather...look into companies like Katzkin and comparable. Some of the 90-93 Accords have leather in them that wasn't factory (the elusive grey/blue/maroon leather). These were most likely kits sold by companies like that that fit in the car. There's a member on here with a black leather coupe interior. I think that'd be your best bet to replace the parts.

I had heard about that rule, though I didn't know it was 15 years. It's interesting though...they have their parts made, and can make spoilers (93 SE style) but the flushmount/armrest/fogs are long gone.

[h22sparkle]

You should go to another dealership. If they still charge the same, search junkyards or just rewrap the seats as mentioned.

Sometimes these junkyards be on that bullshit by jackin up their prices because they know cats dont wanna go to the dealer aswell.

[H.M.]

on writing a nice letter that actually got a response. Most people would have just gone postal and not bothered looking for an explanation.

I just did a major overhaul (new top end, timing chain/gears, exhaust system, radiator, clutch cyl and many, many small parts) on an 1981 Toyota truck. Try finding parts for that. Even the junkyards have been picked clean.

I needed one valve/sensor that looked like a $10 part. Truck wouldn't run right without it. There was no aftermarket replacement anywhere for it since it was kinda unique to a CA smogged model of the series I had from 25 years ago. Stealership wanted $250 for it. After months of searching, finally found some guy on a Toy forumn that had it and got it for $15.

Better start making a list of unique sensors/valves and doohickeys that don't have aftermarket replacements and will be scarce in the next 5 years.