What do you immediately replace with your preferred part because you know it won't ever go bad?
For me, vacuum lines and caps get swapped with slicone as soon as possible. I've got a cap on my Mustang that has been there for literally twenty years with no damage. Compare that with this rubber one on Rosie that likely went on when they changed the carb in 2014.
Replaced with a new silicone one from Amazon. Solved my idle issue.
Nothing unless it's broke or needs a repair.
When I was younger my buds and I laughed at factory parts and pulled parts to get brand names on them instead. Koni, Holley, aftermarket rims.....you get the idea.
I had such great service out of my 2011 Honda Accord that i changed my view and tried hard to only put on Honda parts. My brake pads were finally worn at 125,000 that I bought new Honda pads for replacements. Forty years ago I would've never done that.
Datsun240ZGuy said:When I was younger my buds and I laughed at factory parts and pulled parts to get brand names on them instead. Koni, Holley, aftermarket rims.....you get the idea.
I had such great service out of my 2011 Honda Accord that i changed my view and tried hard to only put on Honda parts. My brake pads were finally worn at 125,000 that I bought new Honda pads for replacements. Forty years ago I would've never done that.
That's kind of a dangerous game to play, often replacement parts aren't necessarily exactly the same as factory parts. Especially once the vehicle is out of active production all bets are really off as to the quality of replacement parts.
I have the opposite problem. When I finally had a bit of money to spend in my early 20s, I bought parts and assumed that was kinda it... Got new wheels, those are "done", etc. Eventually got into HPDE, then TT, then w2w. Somewhere along the way had the realization that now basically everything is a wear item. Wheels bend, radiators take a beating, electronics die, all at a pace I wasn't really expecting when the car was a street car!
Air filters. Non-oil, cloth, washable, with a pre-filter sock.
Stainless or Ni-Cu brake lines when the factory ones turn into corn flakes
Ranger50 said:Nothing unless it's broke or needs a repair.
QFT
spedracer said:Somewhere along the way had the realization that now basically everything is a wear item.
yeah, that ^
Even more frequent maintenance only delays the inevitable.
Water pumps and alternators , water pumps because they are normally a pain to replace and alternators because they can leave you at the side of road and the cheap "rebuilt" ones seem to just be junkyard parts spray painted !
In reply to spedracer :
What are you racing that wears out stuff that fast?
The aluminum radiator has been in my car for 10 years.
I use street wheels on the Datsun; they are heavier but aren't the wear item the ultra light wheels are.
I have a pre any emissions Holley 600cfm vacuum secondary carb that has been on so many different vehicles since I was 16 and rebuilt 5-6 times. I have a new kit for it so it can go back onto my 54 Belair after having been used on several vehicles while the Chevy sits waiting for another go. I will never get rid of it.
Steel wheels.
In reply to Tom1200 :
...a stock powered Miata, lol. Am I doing it wrong? Using quality parts, but rads die to rocks here in the Southwest, along with windshields and sometimes random trim, lights, etc. I shouldn't follow the out of class cars so closely in vein attempts to pass, but I paid my money and I wanna race. Shocks and safety items need rebuilt and/or replaced. Mechanical stuff dies from the southwest heat, vibration, or general abuse I guess. I do a race weeekend a month plus some open lapping days, which can really bump up the hours quickly on things.
In reply to spedracer :
I am on Vegas so I understand about the rocks........I lost a windshield to one while pressing a competitor.
Knock wood I've never holed a radiator. You might be able to make a guard.
I ran a Showroom Stock Miata in the 90s. It was the most hassle free car I've ever run.
Braided brake lines.
Air compressor.
One size fits all, 1,001 uses, handier than WD-40, lasts longer than any of my cars.
With how long I've kept cars over the last 15 years everything is a "my ownership lifetime" purchase. 
Being as I have had vehicles long enough to replace forever parts more than one, I would have to say there are none.
Multiple exhausts on the same vehicle, yep. (F250, Sentra, Jetta)
Multiple heater cores on the same vehicle, yep. (F250, Jetta)
Multiple rebuilt transmission (F250)
Meh.
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