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9 replies

Parts have become too cheap...

noquarternoquarterMember
Vendors, did I get your attention? Wink

By cheap of course I also mean low quality. I see a risk to the classic car ownership, something that from time to time makes me consider selling all my old stuff and buy a new Porsche. Shocked? Well read on, just my $0.02

I noticed it first when I restored my 68 SS currently for sale. It took me 10 years from 87 to 97, meaning 2 years first, 5 year break due to lack of money, energy and a place to do it, 3 years to finish. In year 8 when I picked up the Classic Industries catalogue, I noticed things had gotten cheaper. Great I thought. But when I got the stuff home, it was so lousy quality I threw half of it in the trash, I wouldn't put those parts in my car.

The wife's Jeep, we're on the 4th set of rear drums. First replacement set became oval, local vendor sent new set, also became oval, third set was OK, until we sold it at least. Also got a new alternator. 6 mths later voltage flickered on and off. Took it off, dismantled, tighten the bolt that needed tightening, assembled, installed. 3 hour job because somebody couldn't be bothered to tighten the bolt correctly in the first place. And it could have left the wife stranded somewhere. Due to a brand new part.

My Jeep needed new brakes, got new discs and pads and calipers all around. Just in case. 3 months later one caliper seized. Had to drive home, got new caliper from local vendor, but the heat also ruined that disc and later found out the hub bearing as well, which I had to pay for and install myself.

My Longchamp is on its 4th starter. All have been cheap enough, but apparently not good enough. It's a miracle it hasn't left me stranded yet. But replacing the starter is quite a hassle on a LC.

I could go on and on.

My boating experience is quite different. I only buy original Mercruiser stuff. Right now I need a new sea water pump. Costs $650 locally, $350 on ebay (New Mercruiser, not refurbished) and will be sent via Mike, total probably $450. And of course I replace on both engines. But I'm pretty sure they'll last a decade. All the Mercruiser stuff I bought is expensive, but bolts right in and just works. You need that, being left stranded when at sea is not something you just walk away from.

Anybody have the same experience? What do you do to make you you don't buy too cheap? I could of course go to the Jeep Dealership and buy all my parts, but that would mean 4x as expensive.
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M marsredMember
Mikael,

I was right with you, up until the last sentence.
quote:
I could of course go to the Jeep Dealership and buy all my parts, but that would mean 4x as expensive.


Because in that last sentence you identified the main reason parts have gotten cheap (crappy), and why most vendors have been forced into vending cheap (crappy) products: Too many people choose the less expensive product, regardless of the quality (or are at least willing to accept the lower quality product) or service.

If every Jeep owner chose to buy cheaper parts elsewhere, the Jeep dealer suffers. Eventually even Jeep decides to start installing cheaper stuff.

My buddy is one of the top BMW mechanics in town, and he tells me that new BMWs are assembled with parts generally made in Germany. But when they do a warranty repair, the part/s they get are often from Mexico.

Aftermarket vendors are even more effected.

I'm not saying you're wrong, just that most of us are guilty of helping to cause the problem.

Patronize the good dealers. Last week I smoked a clutch on a 15' field mower at 7:10pm. When I called the dealer, someone in the office picked up, even though they were closed. By 7:30am the next day, I was walking out of their store with the parts I needed. I know who I will deal with in the future!!
R rrs1Member
Welcome to globalization! When the consumer is willing to spend more for quality that will end. (oh wait we can't spend more because we're poorer for offshoring wealth creating manufacturing jobs). Result? Crappy middle class jobs, and crappy cheap imports. America looses, China/Mexico wins. Solution? None. A permanent wealth shift has been created, so quit talking about a "recovery" economist's.

Sorry, some times I just have to go off. Smiler
markcharltonmarkcharltonOld enough to know better and still young enough not to care. My '71 Pantera
I think we all feel the same about the decline of quality parts and yet are also at least partly responsible for the problem by searching out lowest prices, wherever possible. What frustrates me is that more and more the ONLY option is a cheap, crappy one. Fewer people are making good quality parts and even when I AM willing to get off my wallet I can't buy a quality replacement.

And don't get ME started about what I think will happen when ALL North American manufacturing is gone to China and the Chinese eventually decide they don't have enough capacity to supply our needs anymore…

Mark (the reluctant pessimist)
joe1974l6656joe1974l6656Member
I refuse to shop at Walmart, mostly for personal reasons, they don't treat the people right IMHO.

The people that shop there really should look at what they are doing to the workers.

I work for a world wide company a lot of our products are made overseas because it is cheaper and people will buy cheaper I have been to our plants and the people are well treated and work hard (I put one back on line after a hurricane hit it).

I am also a "Ford Guy" and Henry stated he needed to pay a decent wage so his cars could be bought by his workers ( ref Model T).

I am not against inexpensive.. I am against cheap.
I have a saying " I can teach the ignorant... I just can't help the stupid! just my 2 cents.

What worries me is... I would really like to update my Pantera and I have done mods that I have engineered myself which work great (with the help of this board BTW).
BUT... I have also replaced the factory carb that gave me no troubles,and since going to Holley('s an 800cfm a 550cfm and currently a 720 cfm) I have nothing but trouble, the latest issue I have is, I don't/can't drive the car much because of my job and the car sits for 2 months at a time. Every time I want to go out in it I have to pull the carb unfreeze the accelerator check balls and reassemble it. I have added "Staybil" (mis-spelled) to the gas. I am seriously thinking about going back to the stock unit, I never had trouble with it (except around a 270 sweep full throttle when it sloshes the fuel to the side of the bowl and runs out of gas in the turn, me bad - going to fast getting on the highway) Any help with the carb would be nice.
noquarternoquarterMember
Before we start a new political party (Wink), how do we battle this in the current world? How do you ensure that you get parts that are reasonable quality? Finding the cheapest on ebay is probably not the way. When it says OEM on ebay, is that a guarantee of anything? Or should you only buy from those vendors with 99% satisfied? Summit usually has good parts, their business is so depending on customers buying again, so in general I've been happier with Summit sourced parts. Or do you go to Ford for some parts? Which? Any online source? If I went to the local Ford dealer here in Denmark and asked for a starter for a Cleveland, he would for sure look at me as if I was drunk. If he would be willing to help, it would be a $1000 purchase. Are we happy with quality from Pantera vendors? In general I would say yes, a few exceptions.

A lot of questions... Confused
dave2811dave2811Member
quote:
Originally posted by Joe 1974 L #6656:
.......
I am not against inexpensive.. I am against cheap.
I have a saying " I can teach the ignorant... I just can't help the stupid! just my 2 cents.

What worries me is... I would really like to update my Pantera and I have done mods that I have engineered myself which work great .....Any help with the carb would be nice.


Here is a suggestion: Throttle body fuel injection. It solves all the problems that you complain about, and is worth it's higher price in tunability, resistance to heat (and cold) related problems, resistance to inertia problems, bolts to your existing Holly square bore manifold, and almost unlimited performance potential.

I have the FAST EZ EFI system that has a 1000 cfm throttle body and can support 500 HP. Need more? Just add a dual quad setup. No laptop required, it comes with a hand held controller that you use to set a few basic parameters. The wide band O2 sensor and the software do the tuning. It can be tricky at first, but a 21st century motorhead can figure it out.

I can get in my car, start it up instantly without pumping the gas pedal, and have fantastic throttle response, even at low speed. I can't imagine ever using a carb again ... ever.

http://www.fuelairspark.com/fa...uning-fuel-injection
R 1Rocketship (Guest)
quote:
Originally posted by MarsRed:
Mikael,

I was right with you, up until the last sentence.
quote:
I could of course go to the Jeep Dealership and buy all my parts, but that would mean 4x as expensive.


Because in that last sentence you identified the main reason parts have gotten cheap (crappy), and why most vendors have been forced into vending cheap (crappy) products: Too many people choose the less expensive product, regardless of the quality (or are at least willing to accept the lower quality product) or service.

If every Jeep owner chose to buy cheaper parts elsewhere, the Jeep dealer suffers. Eventually even Jeep decides to start installing cheaper stuff.

My buddy is one of the top BMW mechanics in town, and he tells me that new BMWs are assembled with parts generally made in Germany. But when they do a warranty repair, the part/s they get are often from Mexico.

Aftermarket vendors are even more effected.

I'm not saying you're wrong, just that most of us are guilty of helping to cause the problem.

Patronize the good dealers. Last week I smoked a clutch on a 15' field mower at 7:10pm. When I called the dealer, someone in the office picked up, even though they were closed. By 7:30am the next day, I was walking out of their store with the parts I needed. I know who I will deal with in the future!!
This might be true if in fact it IS a Jeep produced part & NOT another manufacturers part with "Jeep" stamped on it.
I will use this as an example. I own a 1991 Ferrari Testarossa, the injectors used on the testarossa flat 12 are the SAME as a Volkswagen Rabbit. The Volkswagen injectors are $99.00 apiece, the Ferrari in the yellow box with the black pony are OVER $200.00!!!...same bosch injector, just "1" comes in a Ferrari box!!!...Mark

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