Parts are going to start getting scarce....

[hondacuraplanet]

I apologize in advance if this is posted in the wrong forum, I wanted to give everyone a heads up, whether they buy their parts from me, or someone else.

This week we're finally starting to feel the trickle down effect of the earthquake in Japan on parts supplies. I must have cancelled a half dozen orders in the last couple days because parts just aren't available. Now, I'm not talking things like your garden variety brake pads, more like specialty parts, such as interior, body, etc.

For example, many Legend parts that have been available for many years are just being discontinued after parts supply is out rather than put into production (even good sellers). I had to cancel an order on rear springs for a '93 Integra because one was all they had, and Acura just shut the supply valve off.

Just a quick overview from memory, body panels, lower ball joints for TSX, various switches and electronic components have suddenly backordered.

Please take it for what it's worth, I'm not trying to incite a panic or anything, nor am I trying to make sales on this post. What I am concerned about, is anyone that's going to need something for their vehicle fairly quickly that's vital to their ownership. I've been with Acura for 16 years, and I've never seen it like this. As well, parts prices continue to rise each month.

Of course, I can't say what the future holds, but in the here and now, we're in the squeeze....

 

[shawn110975]

thanks for the info Tim,

where have you been hiding? LOL

anyway I have been stocking up on parts from e-bay,

timing belt, water pump, coil packs, alternator, and main relay.

any other parts I have a spare NSX in my driveway I can strip LOL

its good to get a small stash of parts in your garage for the who knows
event.

 

[goldNSX]

Thanks for the info, I feared it.

What about service parts like gaskets, TB, WP, coolant hoses brake parts and so on? Many parts are made in the US. Which ones? Which ones come from Japan?

 

[Honcho]

Thanks for this info Tim. I can only hope that it is due to the earthquake and eventually will get back to normal. :frown:

 

[synergy004]

Tim

That's funny I was just on your website to order things for the car. Can I send you a list and receive an update if back order or not?

Thanks

Gil

 

[shawn110975]

yea TIM can you post a list of items that are still in stock.

so we can order them. or what items are on back order.

not every single part just the main ones to keep are cars running.

 

[butter78]

Water pump, timing belt seems to e available. They can also be bought from 3rd party sources...aftermarket should still be able to help out with most parts...just that it's aftermarket and likely will not be the same quality...but we knew this getting into rare cars like the NSX didn't we.

 

[robbiedawg]

tim, i know you can't predict the future but do you have a feel for whether parts supplies will start to get back to normal in,say, 3 or 6 months?

or should i get out the sled dog team and start learning how to mush? (actually only have one dog,but he's pretty energetic)

 

[Matt_337]

I find it hard to believe parts are going to be scarce for the NSX.
I was there in Japan in November for Fiesta and shoot, Honda had a refresh center for the NSX. They didn't have one for the Integra or Legend. So, what's the point of having a refresh center if you're not going to continue making parts for the car?

I understand with what's happened in Japan that there may be a delay in parts, but they've got to continue with NSX parts.......

 

[kookoo4nsx]

If you purchase a timing belt and don't use it for 7 years should you just throw it away?:biggrin:

 

[arista5]

I find it hard to believe parts are going to be scarce for the NSX.
I was there in Japan in November for Fiesta and shoot, Honda had a refresh center for the NSX. They didn't have one for the Integra or Legend. So, what's the point of having a refresh center if you're not going to continue making parts for the car?

I understand with what's happened in Japan that there may be a delay in parts, but they've got to continue with NSX parts.......

I think the root of his statement was that any current supply of items has dwindled down and anyone wanting something new will probably have to wait a few weeks or longer if the part isnt on a shelf at either Acura/Honda warehouse or an Acura Dealer.

 

[hondacuraplanet]

Well, yes and no. As of about 3 weeks ago, there were 22 plants that produce parts for Honda that are in Japan that are offline.

Mechanical parts I can pretty much guess will all be around, but if you think you'll need a hose kit within the next couple months, I wouldn't wait around. In the spring, when many of the NSXs emerge from a winter's sleep to get back on the road and people start to get work done, the one thing that seems to happen year in and year out is that a couple of the hoses will end up on backorder coming out of Japan. If there's no stock in Japan, or they can't meet demand, we may run into an issue.

Other parts that usually end up in short supply in summer are harmonic balancers and snap ring repair parts. Things that do end up being scarce will end up coming back to normal supply eventually, but that may end up taking us into fall. Or it might be a shorter or longer timeframe. I just have no way of knowing.

As I said, I'm not trying to start a panic on the stuff, just providing some words to the wise. As for me, I'm still here....you guys have sure kept me busy running VIN histories, I do about 10 a day .

 

[goldNSX]

Water pump, timing belt seems to e available. They can also be bought from 3rd party sources...aftermarket should still be able to help out with most parts...just that it's aftermarket and likely will not be the same quality...but we knew this getting into rare cars like the NSX didn't we.

I'm scared to install a non-Honda, 3rd party, most likely Chinese waterpump into a Japanese top-end-quality car.
The last owner who wanted to buy one off eB had five expensive cars and was cheap enough even to think about buying a non-Honda part.

 

[hondacuraplanet]

Interesting situation I ran into yesterday......

One of my customers orders a certain NSX part in quantities of 20 or 40. They've always been available, but not a common maintenance or replacement part. He called, and I checked availability of this part, looking to see how many I could get. Ran availability, and it came up with a code that I very rarely see: HLD.

I called in to AHM HQ to find out what was up. They had put them in a hold status for any quantity order over 4, as their yearly sales on the part were around 50 or 60. The analyst said I could safely order two, four might press it but would probably go. My customer needs 20. The analyst told me that American Honda was beginning to ration some parts that have production issues in Japan, and that he had no expected release date of any additional parts of this type (a headlight component).

Looks like my guess is becoming a reality.

 

[shawn110975]

well have the guy buy 2 at a time. LOL till he has his 20

 

[goldNSX]

Must have been 20 long oilfilters. :tongue:

 

[aluminiumdream]

Dont worry guys, everything will be fine. Japan just needs to pick and choose what to keep open and what to keep closed, temporarily that is.

Give it time everyone. Slowly everything will go back to normal. I can just imagine how much damage there is down there. Factories, machines, injection machines, molds, castings and what not. Yikes!!

I work for the auto Industry and FYI, every car company including Honda "MUST" provide parts for all their vehicles for a maximum of ten years. All tools will be stored and marked as "service." This includes dies and molds.