DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am a 15-year-old boy working on restoring a small 1929 Model A pickup truck. I am looking for parts at a reasonable price, as I have a shoestring budget.

I am looking for a pickup bed, both rear fenders and both running boards. I am also looking for a windshield frame, brake rods and some 19-inch spoke wheels. Also, some smaller pieces, such as gauges, lights, distributor parts.

If you have any Model A parts or know of anyone who would want to sell them at a reasonable price, please contact me. — Garrett Haslett, Oxford, 207-743-5077

ANSWER: Sun Spots commends Garrett for taking on such a big project and wishes him luck. She assumes he has already checked out eBay, but is hoping for better prices.

He might also run a “looking for” ad in Uncle Henry’s, which many Mainers still peruse regularly. 

There is also Craigslist, although in Maine Sun Spots has head better luck with Uncle Henry’s, which is now online as well as printed.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have a motorized 7½-inch table saw and need half-inch arbor size blades.

Sears no longer carries them. I have looked elsewhere but cannot find any. Anyone have any to spare at a reasonable price? — Joe Elliott, Rumford, 207-364-8195

ANSWER: A quick Google search turned up several hits for those blades, including at Sears.com, but Sun Spots isn’t knowledgeable enough about the topic to be sure they are the ones you want. (It really is astonishing all the odd things you can find online, especially at eBay.)

She notes that your letter is handwritten. Do you have a friend or family member who could search for you? Or you could go to the library and buy them yourself if you have a credit card.

Alternatively, many of the eBay consignment sellers will also buy for you for a fee. These three seem most likely:

* Nola, Goin’ Postal, 9 North River Road, Auburn, 784-9900

* Laurie Whitmore, Oxford Depot eBay store, Oxford, 539-4884, ebay@oxford-depot.com

* Brad Johnson, 207-393-7645, partsguy89@yahoo.com

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Literacy Volunteers of Franklin and Somerset Counties is holding a free forum on improving literacy. The event is sponsored by a grant from ConnectME, whose goal is to bring high-speed Internet to every corner of Maine and provide information and training that can change and enhance lives.

Please join us from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 4, at the adult learning center on the Mount Blue Campus

With all the fierce competition among nonprofit organizations for funding, immediate needs for food, shelter and health care do have priority, but the question is: “Why do residents need to depend on charity for their basic needs?”

We need to educate ourselves and discuss the problems and solutions facing our communities. The ability to read is critical to being able to make a decent living. For many reasons, some adults missed the opportunity to learn to read. Reading is not something that can be easily self-taught; most people need a teacher.

At LVFSC we offer another chance for adults who missed the opportunity to learn to read. We are a volunteer organization, but it takes money to run the program. Most of our volunteers take time from their busy lives because they know how important it is to have basic reading skills.

Our future depends on involved citizens. Please come and share your ideas. For more information, call 778-3460, ext. 2023. — Becky Jasch, director, LVFSC

DEAR SUN SPOTS: If anyone has Shaw’s stamps they aren’t going to use, I’m saving them to buy the cookware as a wedding gift for my great-granddaughter. Thank you. — I.G., 783-3470

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.