Mercedes supply parts for cars for a long long time, my current MB is now 19 years old and the dealer will supply every part that i could want, some seriously cheap (new pre programmed plipper was £60 some 11 years ago) or seriously expensive, but you can get the parts.

Toyota have models that were made in the late 70's that are still current but in military guise, eg 70 series Landcruiser still made as troop carrier.

Mainstream vehicles from the usual makers are made cheaply with a limited life expectancy, if you want to keep older cars going you have to look at things laterallyand buy from makers who tend to not fix things wot aint broke in the first place.

Course whether you'll be allowed to keep driving them when the apparatchiks of the day flex their muscles is another question entirely.

A toyota, lexus or Honda.

Kit car part suppliers do various shaped hoses which may be something like what you need.

Failing that you might be able to find NOS parts somewhere, What Vauxhall model and year is it?

Edited by Wackyracer on 04/09/2015 at 14:58

WHat you do NOT want to choose is:

Any car which has a reputation for electrical issues - as you will inevitably keep encountering them unless you rebuild it totally (or are lucky).

And cars with a reputation for water leaks - as it often gives rise to electircal problems (see above).

Any car with VERY expensive key parts. See Lexus GS hybrid inverters £2=£3k plus require the services of a Lexus electrician to repair. (OK up to 10 years but at 20 years old?).

Any cars made by a volume car maker with limited production runs - as spares WILL be in short supply. See Citroen C6 eventually.

Cars which rust due to design problems - because they will keep on doing so...

Yes, you do. But if two cars are in a similar class and price bracket, then chances are one fell to pieces earlier. My Ford Ka was scrapped after 10 years due to unrepairable rust. My neighbours 12 year old Toyota doodah has almost no rust.

You'd need to look at the reasons vehicles are scrapped - mundane cars are scrapped earlier because there's no passion in owning them so no longer any sale value - but they may be just the car to get as a keeper!

You've put your finger on it, whilst people only view their car purely by how much it's worth on the open market, then increasing neglect builds up as the cost-to-be-worth-repairing diminishes to almost nothing.

I don't hold that view, how much any of my cars is worth (very little) is of no importance, age and image are equally of no importance, if the car is othewise good and has potentially some years left before major (read terminal) work is likely then it will get the necessary funds spent to keep it in good order, if it costs me £1000 to fix and prolong the life of one of my cars only worth that amount, so be it.

Not saying my philosophy is right, but it's right for me because i like 80/90's designs and have little interest in modern cars, eventually they'll try to force the older cars off the road, that's OK, when they do that i'll ditch the cars and they'll lose lots of ved insurance etc taxes.

Edited by gordonbennet on 04/09/2015 at 13:38

My Nissan Primera is now 15 years old and my local indie has not reported problems in getting parts (he did have problems getting parts for our much newer Ibiza!). Some have been refurbished - but that's reflected in the price. My Primera was at the end of its production run when new, so is now a seriously old model.

I always thought MB were top of the list for supplying parts for older cars, with BMW close behind.

Rolls Royce were reputed to be able to supply spares for a 1911 Silver Ghost. Not sure if this applies under the current owners.

My Mazda Xedos, recently deceased, was almost 15.

The car was almost faultless in the 14 years I owned it BUT it started to consume brake calipers in the final couple of years - new parts from Mazda were typically £115 - after Mazda ran out only refurb units were available - £160 for the last one I bought.

I was at my local Indie for an MoT for the Honda - sitting there, having failed an MoT because of a handbrake efficiency was an Accord 6/7 years old - new handbrake cables were on backorder from japan - 3 Months !!! A poor show for a fairly new car.

Quantities of grease and some swearing had managed to release the cables as a temp measure and see it through to a pass.