Cr@ppy Chinese Parts!!

[GranCuda1970]

Andy you are just voicing what a lot of us are thinking SPOT on!!

[joelson6]

and my comment wasn't directed at any one person. i meant "you" as the general public.


our government should be taxing the holy crap out of imported items and giving huge breaks

on American manufactured items. make it so damn expensive for imported items that it would

be, bottom line, cheaper to make it here in the us.

[GranCuda1970]

But! But!! They have the most favored trade nation status even though they ARE CURRENTLY EXPANDING THIER NUKE ARESENAL AND POINTING IT AT US!!! Imagine how screwed CHINA would be if we started war-ing , bullets flying with each other. I guess we would have to build it ourselves again that would not  be so bad. But it would suck at first. They would confiscate all of the US businesses over there!

[joelson6]

also,

why is O'Reilly's still selling these crappy chineese parts. here's the root of the problem.

stop purchasing and selling the junk. i mean, come on, O'Reilly's knows that the parts they

are selling are so bad that they are offering to fix it before they even give it to you. PLEASE !

[priderocks]

If you want to see a reason for America's fall from economic grace, look no further than the mopar parked in your garage.

I own five mopars made from 68-70. They are all noisy, poor handling, poorly made unreliable pieces of junk that I would not let my daughter drive across town in without a trunkload of tools and replacement electrical parts. A bit of hyperbole, but not much. And guess what? If it wasn't for the Japanese and German inroads into the US auto market, that would be the same quality of auto America would produce today. The principle is competition lifts all the boats on the water- i.e. everyone has to make a better product to remain competetive in the marketplace.

Making foreign-made products less desirable- "taxing the holy crap" out of them- does precisely the same thing. Facing less competition (fewer or economically disadvantaged foreign products) a domestic company has no incentives to "raise the bar"- either produce a higher-quality product or lower their operating costs- to remain competetive. The losers? You and me.

[GranCuda1970]

Doesn,t anybody believe in quality control, Stastistical process controls, and making a better widget anymore? I know a few companies that still do and most of them are in Japan. The Japanese know how to make good products that last most of the time.

[jimynick]

I think the bottom line, is just that, the bottom line. I buy and use white box parts and yes, they're not perfect sometimes, but they are also a quarter of the N.A. produced stuff. Now you can point the finger where you will, but it seems to me that the price of iron ore is the same around the world (give or take), so WHERE does the added cost come in? Could it be guys who demand $35/hr in a foundry in Pennsylvania versus Hop Sing in Taiwan who's making $1.00hr? And then there's the government regulations ad nauseum here versus- "throw it out the back door there Hop Sing"? One needs only look at Detroit, to see the death of American manufacturing and the scary part is, who knows where it'll end. I just read that the interest that the US pays on the treasury paper that China holds, is more than it takes to support the Chinese army. 

[Road_Runner]

Everytime I get hit with that "Buy American" crap, I just ask whoever's telling me that sh*t, "Where do YOU shop for Groceries?" and the answer is almost ALWAYS the same....

I can assure you I walk the walk, we've probably been in Walmart 2-3 times in the last 5 years.  We NEVER shop there when we have an option.  I picked up a set of battery powered shop tools at Home Depot a year ago, and I fussed at the sales person because there wasn't a single set made outside of China.  NOT ONE!  His response, the Rigid tools are 'designed' in the U.S.  Big whoop!  So although some complainers may be hypocrites, I'm not one of them.

Later, Jim

[Road_Runner]

we all are guilty and have allowed our government to do this .............

Totally agree.

[Road_Runner]

I think its ABC news which has been running a "Made in America" series and the more we talk about it, make our representatives in D.C. know our feelings, we could potentially reverse some of the manufacturing job losses over time.  No, its not going to happen overnight and no not all of the jobs are ever going to return, but as consumers we've told businesses that we care more about "Everyday Low Prices" or are OK with them padding their bottom line at the expense of quality and American jobs.  If we want them to act differently we have to demand it.  I noticed on the 440Source website they're stressing what few parts are made in the U.S. and that their CNC porting is done 100% in U.S. etc.  I've got to believe that 'awareness' is the result of people complaining about Chinese sourced parts and the likely lost sales that went along with that.  Why did I bring this up here?  Besides its dire impact on our country, I believe the lack of serviceable parts are a huge threat to the car hobby itself.  If as a community we can't organize a response, its only going to continue to get worse.

Later, Jim

[GranCuda1970]

You are right we need to bring MADE in the USA!!! a Household term again and one that means top quality. I don,t care if the companies are foreign owned but use US labor and demand a quality part from thier U.S. workers.

[Cooter]

I own five mopars made from 68-70. They are all noisy, poor handling, poorly made unreliable pieces of junk that I would not let my daughter drive across town in without a trunkload of tools and replacement electrical parts. A bit of hyperbole, but not much. And guess what? If it wasn't for the Japanese and German inroads into the US auto market, that would be the same quality of auto America would produce today. The principle is competition lifts all the boats on the water- i.e. everyone has to make a better product to remain competetive in the marketplace.

Don't know bout you or anybody else here, but my own kid just got out of an old 1988 Honda with 350K miles on it...It WAS a "noisy, poor handling, poorly made unreliable piece of junk", that needed new axle bearings along with axles, a clutch, engine smoking/knocking, etc...He made it through it as I didn't want him becoming another one of these spoiled kids today that can't even drive a stick if their lives depended on it. most can't even drive a car period..Parents haven't taught them. If they do get to drive, it's usually on something that takes NO effort to drive...Now, with HIS OWN purchase of his second car, it too is a worn out 1993 Mustang LX 4cyl. that is a "noisy, poor handling, poorly made unreliable piece of junk"....Have you driven an early Mercedes, Toyota? They too are "noisy, poor handling, poorly made unreliable pieces of junk" Compared to todays versions. I don't buy that American cars would still be 50 years behind the curve on quality...

Competition for US markets was what started the "Starbuck's croud" and their New excellent handling, decently crafted and built, German Mercedes', Lexus', BMWs, And the like. Every time I see one of those owners have to pay a repair bill on one the universal theme seems to be "How F***in' Much??? GEESH!!!"

At least my kid can fix/repair his "noisy, poor handling, poorly made unreliable piece of junk" and the repairs/parts don't cost more than the car is worth....I can respect your opinion, but my kid and I will keep our "noisy, poor handling, poorly made unreliable pieces of junk"...I wonder if those Well made, quiet, Reliable, nice handling cars will be worth and coveted as much as my "noisy, poor handling, poorly made unreliable piece of junk"  old 1970 Dodge Challenger is in 30 years?

[GranCuda1970]

Would be hard to imagine since there is not a car that is completely manufactured in the US anymore, I bet it would be the best out there. But I know there are tons of cars being restored in garages and shops in America and the mechanics are getting sick of the Chinese / Mexican made paperweights. The parts coming out of Canada are still good!

[MOPAR FANATIC]

and my comment wasn't directed at any one person. i meant "you" as the general public.


our government should be taxing the holy crap out of imported items and giving huge breaks

on American manufactured items. make it so damn expensive for imported items that it would

be, bottom line, cheaper to make it here in the us.

   RIGHT ON DUDE!!!!!!!!!!

[dougs bs23]

WOw  this is quite the hot topic here this morning. As far as "buy in america well ,we are just  . Sure todays Detroit, Pittsburgh, and other cities across the country have seen the massive decline of our manufacturing base.  Theres alot of factors in it, The high cost of labor (unions)  Greed on the executives, Government crap (epa, d.o.l regs and so on.  Kind of reminds of of back in the mid 70's (and i dont know why i remember this ) when talking to a friend who worked for U.S. Steel, he was standing next to his yellow honda civic, and was complaining about a chevy costing so much and people getting layed off at the mill.  I told him to look at what he was driving.    and thats one reason why.
As far as the Chicoms go,  well they have the near perfect business model,  think about it,  they buy all of our raw materials, (coal, timber, iron ore, raw sugar)  to name a few) turn it into a product and sell it back to us.     
So yes we are all to blame somewhat.  Insofar as the european cars,  in order for them to escape some of the import tarriffs, they set up shops in this coutry in nonunion markets.  Have to say thats a smart move for them.
I personally believe that while we are in a poor economic state right now with high costs and a tru unemployment rate of greater than 15%  things wont change for at least 2 more years  (unless that democrat get reelected then itll be 6 years), im off my soapbox now