Yeah, the reality is that costs are going up, and the new owners have to figure out what is and is not feasible. While I hate to see legacy, pre-G parts discontinued, it becomes expensive to maintain inventory, much less continue to manufacture them. Since the G series goes back more than 30 years and parts are largely interchangeable between those models, G3 to Avalir, that keeps a large portion of the installed base covered. That said, the most economical source for replacement parts is donor machines. I recently bought a rough looking Gsix at a thrift shop for $20 to get a cord, a headlight bulb and a handle back panel to complete an otherwise pristine G4. I could easily have spent twice that, or more, for those replacement parts alone. Plus, at the end of the day, I have a whole mess of parts left over for future projects. I have to admit, though, it did feel weird buying a fully operational, albeit ugly, Kirby for the express purpose of raiding it for parts. Sometimes when I see its carcass sitting in my barn, I do consider the possibility of resurrecting it, but then I remind myself that wasn't what I bought it for.
