I know how you feel. The transport belt on one of my IWIIs snapped, and it's impossible to find a replacement (nobody seems to manufacture that type of belt anymore).
It's sad that most of these Apple printers will either be turned into parts units, or disposed of because replacement parts for some components are virtually non-existent.
Nevertheless, congrats with the 8500. Did the printer come with the original documentation as well (i.e, manual, etc.)?