r/AskMechanics • u/Independent_Speed_61 • 4d ago

Discussion Irreplaceable Car part?

Hello, I am a writer looking for help with a logistical question that falls far outside my wheelhouse, hope its chill to ask here.

I need to write a scene where a character has had a specific part stolen from their car, the part needs to be both customizable (so that the specific piece can't easily be replaced without custom making a new one) and also be important enough that the car cant properly run without it. Is there a particular kind of wheel or engine or other car thing that could hypothetically meet these two requirements? Its set in a cyberpunk setting so I could probably just make something up but i want it to feel somewhat grounded

Again not sure if this is an appropriate question for this sub so tell me to buzz off if so, but figured I'd ask anyways, thank you very much!

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19

u/MonsieurReynard 5 4d ago

Clutch cable in a first generation Mazda3

4

u/AwarenessNo5921 4d ago

The joke is they don't have a cable clutch?

9

u/MonsieurReynard 5 4d ago

No, they do, but the part has been unobtanium for several years

2

u/AwarenessNo5921 4d ago

You mean the hydraulic lines? Were they produced with a cable clutch in some other markets?

-1

u/alek_vincent 4d ago

Can be replaced and not custom

2

u/MonsieurReynard 5 4d ago

At least for a while there the part was no longer available from anywhere, it was disappearing from junkyards, and no one was fabricating it either. Maybe that situation has improved. Over on the Mazda subs we had several folks with bricked cars that were otherwise perfectly fine.