NOS Week – Is It Cool To Use NOS Parts? Asking For A Friend.

Plug courtesy of The Syd’s Text Message Museum Collection

Let’s just say.. you find a NOS part, and well, you need to use it? Is that cool? Or stupid. Seems odd. But at some point in a NOS parts life, the box and the usefulness of it becomes more valuable that the use of the part?

On loan from Syds Text Message Museum

I know, I know. But it’s only N.O.S. one! And in here is the conundrum of it all.

Firestone made plugs? Radioactive Electroides?

So there is a possible yes it’s okay to use scenario, and that is if your boat is 100% original. As in every part of it is original. Wood, chrome, interior. ALL OF IT. No, Nada, nix part is a reproduction or restored part. Then your NOS part become part of the gestalt of the boats life.

On loan from the STMM. This plug will be touring the U.S. so it can be seen in parson.

And to add to the conundrum, now what do you do with these parts? A Text Message Museum? Can you put an New Old Stock Piston in your living room?

These sad plugs are missing their little boots. SYD! Really? Are they at least not on the same shelf together!

And this of course brings up the emotion associated with that part. IT’S A PART? As in a part of something bigger. A family of parts that all sing together. And your little NOS part is all alone. An orphan part that most likely will never be with the family they were born with. A SIT part. Stuck In Time? For gods sake use the part and give it the purpose in life it was conceived for. It has one mission in life. To generate a little spark. And you, you..you.. have locked that poor part in a drawer all its life. You make me sick!

Okay, I am exhausted.. I have used  “conundrum”, “scenario”, and “gestalt” got all emotional about your spark plugs.. All in one story.

15 replies
  1. Tommy
    Tommy says:

    I have used several nos parts but it was on my car. I did have it judged, 98.5%, and I drive it gently. Restorer said getting the right parts is hard part. You can restore them down the road once they wear out. Enjoy them and be a good care taker of them.

  2. Bilge Rat
    Bilge Rat says:

    Radioactive Polonium spark plugs? I guess that goes along with the benefits of Radium dial watches, clocks and aircraft instruments. Amazing that we once thought these were good things for the general public to have.

    Sometimes there is a reason these parts are no longer available.

  3. Kelly Wittenauer
    Kelly Wittenauer says:

    I see nothing wrong with collecting & displaying cool old parts, like Syd’s spark plug collection. And nothing wrong with using NOS parts, if they’re still functional & safe. That’s what I thought this would be about, when I saw the title – is it okay. as in is it safe, to use NOS parts.

  4. George Emmanuel
    George Emmanuel says:

    My 1917 Evinrude Rowboat Motor will not run on the modern replacement spark plug. Put in a used, period correct plug and it runs sweet. Something to be said about the old stuff!

    • Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P )
      Mark in Ohio (sometimes da U P ) says:

      I agree George. This old spark plug works quite well in my 1937 Elto Ace. It is a user motor.

  5. m-fine
    m-fine says:

    I think all of this stuff will only be collectible for so long, and only as long as there are old boats running and in use to keep the memories alive. So you might as well use them to keep an old boat running, where the part will ultimately have the most value.

  6. Chad
    Chad says:

    I put NOS Champion UJ-6 plugs on my K for a boat show back in 2009. I haven’t changed them since.

    As for my 327, I use NOS Mallory crab caps, rotors & condensers.

    Found this NOS oil filter last week on eBay.

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