Long time passing...

Some recent threads here have got me thinking. I've been spending a bit of time perusing the various venues in search of projects and have noticed quite a few nice old vintage, and some quite rare, machines that were missing the portafilter. A quick search for possible replacements usually comes up empty handed. Even early La Pavoni replacements are getting scarce, and they were cranked out by the tens of thousands.

Are they all being sacrificed to the Stripey Rat Tail gods?

i'm with you on this, am looking for an original Faemina PF with brown bakelite handle....
my guess is that PF gone missing, as they are a loose part and may not have been recognized for what they are and may have been thrown away at some point...
But maybe some day someone discovers the PF Bermuda triangle, it probably is located just next to the missing sock Bermuda Triangle.

Apart from been lost, or accidentally dumped in trash

they wings do wear out and will not fit even if and when you might find thicker gasket or spacers
the chrome chips off,
the handle bolt will rust
the handle will crack
the saveable ones,
....................some vendor might keep them around in resalable condition

AAAnd... It's very trendy in some parts for coffee shops/ cafe's to use old PF's as DOOR HANDLES !!

Yes, understand all that. My concern was prompted by a fairly recent thread by the new owner of a vintage machine that was produced in numbers well under a thousand. Due to attrition, 50 years or so later probably only a couple hundred left, on the planet, if that. There was mention of taking a hole saw to the PF... In fact, hole saws come up rather frequently here. Nothing wrong with that, in and of itself, just would like to see folks give serious consideration to an action that is irreversible.

Like hacking the fender wells out of a '63 split window Stingray to put 22" wheels with spinners on it.