Resto 101: PARTS: NOS, NORS/NOER, Reproduction, OEM, Used

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NOS
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New Original Stock:
New, Never-Used parts from the Original manufacturer's initial inventory of Stock parts.
Other definitions include New Old Stock and New Obsolete Stock, however New Original Stock more aptly describes these parts and is slowly becoming more accepted amongst auto enthusiasts and the restoration industry itself. NOS parts are considered "Correct" in restorations and during high-level judging at car shows. These parts also maintain /increase the value on highly-prized/rarer cars, like the Mecham MSE, Firebird S/E, Recaro Edition Trans Am S/E, Daytona 500 Edition Trans Am, 15th Anniversary Trans Am, GTA, 20th Anniversary Indy 500 Turbo Trans Am,

- "NOS" does not include reproduction parts or "mint"/ "nice condition"/"Like New" Parts removed from a car. -
Buyers Beware:
NOS Parts should be packaged in their original boxes or wrappings, in our case marked; "GM", "A/C Delco", "Delco", "Delco Electronics", and in some cases "PMD", "Harrison", or "Saginaw"
The packaging should have the correct GM Part Number, which can typically be cross-referenced via a GM-Pontiac Firebird Parts Manual or other GM information sources. If you know you need a part, look very closely and take pictures if you can, especially at car shows. If you are unsure about a specific part, look at existing examples and compare them to originals. If you are really in doubt, Ask here on this site, Don't be shy.... there are many of us here, who have a lot of NOS goodies in our secret stashes and Minty examples on our car(s).

Because the market for NOS parts has become so very profitable, there are plenty of scammers who've jumped into the game.
Amongst the scams are:
- using actual GM packaging/labeling to re-package/re-label Reproduction and/or Used Parts... a big scam right now is "NOS" Body Panels because they are worth so much. In this scam, Reproduction/Knock-Off panels get labeled with a "correct-looking" GM/Fisher sticker/decal, which are fairly simple to replicate by a decent printer, some research, and original materials to copy.
- making copies/forgeries of real GM packaging and repackaging Reproduction and Used Parts.
- "Bait and Switch"... you see the actual NOS part and packaging, but the seller switches it for a knock off.

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NORS/NOER
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New Original Replacement Stock/ New Original Equipment Replacement
Sightly Different from NOS: New, Never-Used parts from the Original manufacturer's Equipment Replacement Parts Stock.
NORS/NOER parts are not the same as NOS. NORS/NOER parts differ in that they are "second-run" parts made by the manufacturer as a replacement part, often with improvements in the design and sometimes having a different part number than the originals. These parts are often noted in the parts books as "Service Replacements". The parts books typically note that the old part number is "replaced by part number xxxxxxx". These parts usually look slightly different, but they function as good as or better than the original part... sometimes these parts were the result of a GM TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) or a Recall.

- "NORS" or "NOER" does not include reproduction parts or "mint"/ "nice condition"/"Like New" Parts removed from a car.
Buyer Beware:
NORS/NOER Parts should be packaged in their original boxes or wrappings, in our case marked; "GM", "A/C Delco", "Delco", "Delco Electronics", and in some cases "PMD", "Harrison", or "Saginaw"
The packaging should have the correct GM Part Number, which can typically be cross-referenced via a GM-Pontiac Firebird Parts Manual or other GM information sources.
These parts are rarely copied or faked, as their value is not very high in most cases.

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REPRODUCTION
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Reproduction
Reproduction Parts fall into 2 Main Catagories:
- OER - Original Equipment Reproductions: are usually licensed by the Original Manufacturer, (in our case, GM). These types of parts are typically made of high quality materials and to the original manufacturer's standards. Often, these are the same or better than the originals in quality and overall appearance, but not always. Some of these items can differ just slightly to noticably from the originals, so buyer beware.
(*see also OEM)
- Generic Reproductions: Sometimes refered to as "Knock Offs". These are always unlicensed/unauthorized reproductions. Because these are unlicensed, and to be sold legally, most must differ slightly from the originals or face potential Federal/International Copyright/Patent infringements... however, not all generic reproductions require this, but most do. The quality of Generic Reproductions varies greatly from "better-than-original" to "terrible".

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OEM
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Original Equipment Manufacturer
The manufacturers of products or components that were/are purchased by another company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name... (such as the Borg-Warner's T-5, which was bought and used by many maufacturers, in our case GM). OEM also designates a replacement part made by the manufacturer of the original part... which can also qualify as an "OER Licensed Reproduction Part.
(*see also OER)

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USED
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Used
Used Parts are ANY parts that have been removed from a car, at any point in time, regardless of their condition or age... "Mint" and "Like New" are fair assessments of used parts in very good condition, however, as noted above, this does NOT include NOS, NORS/NOER Parts...
Used parts should be amongst the cheapest parts in most cases, and typically are parts original to the manufacture of that car... in some cases, used parts may be the only existing pieces left, thus causing their price to rise in value exponentially... Fortunately, this is not a serious problem for the vast majority of parts found on our 3rd Gen Firebirds.