Where have all the distributor vacuum diaphragms g

depleting ageing inventory and dropping little-used (and therefore, non-revenue generating) parts is the maker's answer. I also credit them with the back-handed method of denying us wear-and-tear parts that will put our cars in the garage permanently sooner or later. Elsewhere a thread asked about the tension springs in Trico wiper blade arms; not what many people might think a critical part, but try to get your car inspected (and therefore, road legal) without wipers. Sealed beam headlights have been a constant target for elimination for a dozen years or more.... if not for the muscle cars, we might not even have those. Points ignition parts are dwindling as well. Now, one might think that keeping these parts available is in the best interest of the parts companies, but as I stated, they're generally loss leaders in sales. Holding obsolete parts costs the suppliers and retailers in space and money. The mail order and online discounters may be our last hope for a long time. I seldom even BOTHER to hit one of the local parts places for anything other than filters or oil, for several reasons. One; they don't stock parts for old cars UNLESS those parts happen to be used on MODERN cars. Two; the greater portion of what they DO carry is offshore crap. Three; the staff is simply not learned in older vehicles and I wouldn't expect them to be, really, since there's so many newer vehicles to keep track of. It's not quite that we're "on our own", so to speak, since so many of us carry a great deal of knowledge around in our little gray cells; it's just that we need to acknowledge that the modern era parts store isn't the same place as it once was.....