Do we need to hoard parts?

[charger_john]

Maybe this question is too broad. But I’m getting concerned about parts availability issues now that our Gen 2 trucks are all getting 30+ years old now. I think I’ll be driving this machine for a long time. Barring any tragic losses like an engine blowup or a collision, I wanna be able to keep this thing on the road.

Are there normal maintenance & replacement parts that people just can’t get any more? Things like heater cores, weber carb rebuild kits, multifunction switches, windows/windshields, or other normal stuff that can fail and leave you stuck. It might be worth stockpiling a few things like this just in case.

Cheers
charger_john

[Not a real meme]

Definitely get what you can afford, I think mostly major things like carb, engine, and transmission are likely to be around a bit more for 1st and 2nd gen potentially with machineing. I think one of my most annoying parts for me to figure out and install was a door lock rod clip; funny enough my old one snapped after about 38-40 years + oh yeah and prior owner snapped signal indicator of switches on steering wheel (got one a switch at junk yard for 50 bucks almost a decade ago). I would be mostly concerned with most plastic things on it, but of course most things are metal still and able to be rebuilt or refinished feasibly. My mirror is falling apart and I still haven't changed even though I got one on ebay already (the bloody screws are too short for the current one so I think I will just buy longer screws for it most likely.
-TLDR I think most plastic crap tends to snap somehow in my experience, therefore plastics + gasket sets are likely not a bad idea.
-Reference Images for 1st gen (and likely a 2nd gen truck)

[xboxrox]

Car Part .com, Pick N Pull, Amayama, ebay

Items of concern (30 & 40 years old):
Cylinder Head, Clearwater Cylinder Head in Florida
Carburetor
Clutch & Clutch cable
Wheel bearings
Brake parts
Exhaust parts

[smr1618]

Relatively new to my truck but from the digging I have done in the short time, seconded on plastics. Alternatively, you can learn CAD and get a 3D printer for some use cases, but that's harder to do for cosmetic plastics as theyre usually large and have gradual curves. Hard to print those and make them look good. If you look at rock auto you can see a pattern with other types of parts that are not being produced or sold anymore. You can find some aftermarket manufacturers selling parts out of Thailand on ebay, but if you want OEM then worth snagging what you can from parts cars or pick and pulls.

[Law Dog]

Trucks being parted out often so until that supply runs out we are good. We are a thrifty bunch often so selling parts is not often profitable selling good parts is about impossible rebuilt transmissions and engine not many folk willing to pony up for the big ticket items.

[xboxrox]

My truck has been steadily becoming a "Made in China" truck because most if not all the parts I bought from O'Reilly's & NAPA are all made in China parts

[claych]

My truck has been steadily becoming a "Made in China" truck because most if not all the parts I bought from O'Reilly's & NAPA are all made in China parts

+1 here.
The good, Mitsu pulled the plug on the N.America car market years ago & moved to China, lock, stock, designs and stampings LOL.
So lots of the hickups in repop parts have been Ironed out.

The bad, Mitsu has moved to china ...