Scion is a division of Toyota Motor Corporation. Intended solely for the North American market, Scion cars are models not previously sold in the U.S. The intended market is young and “hip.” The marketing hinges on Japanese youth culture, and is slanted toward exclusiveness and coolness by using so-called “viral” marketing techniques.

The cars, however, are just Toyotas. Toyota has invested a lot in tooling left-hand-drive versions of these cars. Intended to have a separate sales network, Scion is now an auxiliary brand at Toyota dealers. This is fortunate for Scion owners, because service is typical high-quality Toyota. Toyota dealers have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it brings in buyers who wouldn’t consider purchasing a Toyota. On the other hand, Toyota is popular with the American youth market and an additional line forces the dealers to pay for keeping more cars on their lot.

Scion models are simpler than the range of Toyota cars, and they are cheaper and easier to repair. To save on investment, Scion uses engines that are emissions-certified by Toyota. This means that parts and repairs are straightforward, and Toyota mechanics can do the work. Parts will mostly be bought at the dealer, because the cars haven’t been on sale long enough for the aftermarket or salvage industry to build up an inventory. Assuming that Scion survives the recession, parts supplies should increase with each passing year. Commonality of parts with Toyotas ensures that they will never be complete orphans.

Scions are offered with few options, so finding the correct part will not be a problem. Still, the VIN and under-hood engine code should accompany trips to the parts store or dealer. Being Toyota products, Scions should not be needing many repairs in the near future. The brand has only been sold in the U.S. since 2004, and only high-mileage cars will be needing more than routine service. It will be interesting to see how Scion’s foray into the world of unusual and entertaining cars turns out. It has certainly resulted in a more colorful stream of traffic on the streets.

Porsche is just another auto maker, or so some say. The truth is that Porsche uses processes and components that aren’t found on other cars. Even the Italian exotics lack the extreme precision found in Porsche’s products. This makes the parts issue a difficult one for mechanics and owners.

Mechanically, Porsche shares no parts or technology with any other maker. Parts can sometimes be swapped between different Porsche models, but not with other manufacturers. This has to do with the concept of excellence, a word frequently used with Porsche cars. The engineers at Porsche practice it religiously. They have designed and evolved the car and its philosophy for sixty years. The concept is simple: no part is included that doesn’t enhance the car’s performance. What owners call excellence is actually thoroughness, and closer to the practices of the aircraft industry than to the automotive world. This means there are no half-measures to be taken in the repair of these cars; dealer-sourced parts, or good used ones, are a must.

Porsche dealers are very good about carrying a complete supply of needed parts, and their network makes anything available within a day. These are complex cars, and have so much technology crammed under their sheet metal that a non-specialist mechanic is not going to be able to deal with it. An example is a good body shop that repaired a 911 rocker panel which had been squashed against a curb. They didn’t know that there is a large-diameter pipe behind the rocker panel that carries oil to the cooler, and it had been collapsed. A few miles down the road from the body shop the engine seized up, totally ruined because the owner had not taken it to a specialist.

So, when it comes to parts for a Porsche, the only source is Porsche or a reliable specialist salvage yard. The exception is high-performance parts, and we know that they are sold without warranty for a very good reason. Porsche ownership is not to be undertaken lightly or on the cheap, but it is hugely rewarding.

Plymouth was the bargain alternative to buying a Chrysler. Some say that was Dodge’s role, and today that is what it has become. But Chrysler couldn’t trust that their customers would go down the street to the Dodge dealer. There was too much danger that they would stop at a Chevrolet or Ford dealer on the way. So they had the Plymouth line, identical to the Dodge line, waiting on the lot with the high-dollar Chryslers.

Of course, now that Chrysler has been rationalized, there is no Plymouth. But there are millions of Plymouths plying the American highways, and they will all need repair. As expected, parts are very easy to find, both at the dealer and the local parts store. It’s still important to present the classic information when buying parts, though. Make, year, and model are usually all that is needed.

Plymouths, after years of co-production with Dodge, have fallen prey to the same problem as Chevys. Again, the buyers assume that “they’re all the same.” And, with Plymouth, they’ve an even chance of being right. Still, especially with engines, they are not all the same. In the early eighties they used three different four-cylinder engines. Many owners don’t have a clue and will just say “four cylinder” in answer to engine questions. Later mini-vans have three different six-cylinder engines, as well. For this reason it is important to have the VIN when shopping for parts. Every good counterman can read the VIN and determine which engine is under the hood.

Used parts for Plymouths, even some body parts, are frequently identical to those of Dodge. Here, though, one has to trust the salvage yard’s expertise. Given accurate information he can find the part from a Dodge that will do the job of a missing Plymouth part. It is never good for the parts shopper to assume that he knows more than the professional counterman. Salvage yards are full of used Plymouth parts, mostly because of their low intrinsic value, so it’s a good idea to consider any major repairs carefully before spending money on an old car.