[bayindirh]

Japanese companies don't give you a good service because of future revenue prospects.

They give a good service because they respect the thing they built and the person who cares for it. They want their products to live and bring joy to people who guards and cares for them.

This is a completely different and much deeper philosophy.

This is not limited to Japanese companies though. A Lamy representative told me that the factory in Germany restored an out of production fountain pen to mint condition, for free.

[ErroneousBosh]

Want a bit for your early 80s Mercedes? Your local dealer probably has it, or knows where to get it.

Want a bit for your early 50s Mercedes? Your local dealer knows a guy in Stuttgart who will send it over.

Want a bit for your early 30s Mercedes? Your local dealer knows a guy in Stuttgart who knows a guy who will *just go and make you one*, albeit it will be priced accordingly.

[Wistar]

In the early 80s, a friend restored a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 170V Saloon that he found in pieces in the attic of an old downtown Seattle body shop. It took five pickup truck loads to get the entire car to his shop and about three years to completely restore it to original condition. He had almost every part except for the steel wheel that was for the spare tire, the instrument dial backgrounds, and the rubber window surround moldings.

Despite combing the Earth for that fifth wheel for the spare, he was never able to find one but, since the spare tire was kept underneath a trimmed cover on the back of the car, it wasn't missed. The instrument dials he faked by carefully photographing, and printing on photographic paper, a set of dial faces.

Those rubber window moldings?

He was able to have a well-connected German friend contact Mercedes in Germany where they responded by breaking out the original molds and producing two complete sets for the car.

The year after the car was complete, it won a local Mercedes-Benz of America concours show by 4/100ths of one point over a Gullwing that had just gone through a $200,000 restoration.

[Projectiboga]

I think both them and BMW have all the tools to make any part they used on production models. Not sure exactly how far back either catalog goes, but from what I've heard it is total for even 60s & 70s and maybe 50s models. Of course the way out of date stuff will cost but they could make something for you if your really want it.

[ErroneousBosh]

Dealing with BMW is hilarious because you will end up speaking to some guy either looks about 14 or like God's older brother, and he will say either "Ja so this part, I will show you how you take the beer can and you cut a piece like this, oder so, and it will fit over this and it is ready, ja? Ausgezeichnett, ja?" or he will say "Ja so this part, it is a special order from Munich and it will be four thousand euros but we will have it tomorrow" and the customer being German will just pay it and pick the car up after work tomorrow, and that's it, end of the story, done.

Or the customer will be Austrian and there is nothing for it but assassinating archdukes and bloody warfare over a 1.50EUR gasket.

[realityking]

BMW’s online catalogue indeed reaches back to the 60s: https://www.bmwgroup-classic.com/en/services/spare-parts/bmw...

[jimnotgym]

It is not true for all Japanese companies, unfortunately. Some would sell their grandmother. Growth quarter after quarter is what matters

[singingfish]

Both Yamaha and Roland keep a long back catalogue of reasonably priced parts for at least their mid-range pianos and up as well. I should check Korg too I guess.