Who's making our parts?

[cj750]

Interesting article about the problems with new replacement parts for classic cars.
https://classicmotorsports.com/articles/column-who-making-replacement-parts-we-rely/

[Royce Peterson]

That post is  from 2015 but it is still a problem. The American companies that buy their products from factories in Hong Kong or Vietnam or mainland China don't seem to be serious about quality control. Very often I get electrical parts that are failed right out of the box from big name vendors. I recently got a trio of reproduction steering wheels all with the horn ring assembled improperly so that they were shorted to ground. Temp sending units built with wildly improper thermistors so the gauge reads full hot with the engine barely warmed up.

It has increased my tendency to steer towards NOS parts whenever possible.

Interesting article about the problems with new replacement parts for classic cars.
https://classicmotorsports.com/articles/column-who-making-replacement-parts-we-rely/

[gt350hr]

   All of a sudden made in Mexico doesn't sound so bad LMAO BTW made in Japan is usually high quality. Taiwan , well you get what you pay for.

[FL SAAC]

   All of a sudden made in Mexico doesn't sound so bad LMAO BTW made in Japan is usually high quality. Taiwan , well you get what you pay for.

+ 1

[67 GT350]

Repro parts are simply put a "nightmare." I have many examples of this from my Boss 302 and 67 GT350.

I have had many many many parts that were bad from a BIG place that when you go to their website, you see that they sell stuff for other brand cars also, even trucks like Toyota.....That to me is a warning sign. Guys who do not wander and stay focused on Mustangs and Shelbys tend to be much better even when a part is defective. (nothing really bad about a Mustang and FORD place, buy TOYOTA, as Lie'n Biden would say, "Come on guy's")

I just do not see the argument that, 6 cyl. guys want to buy cheap parts vs. Shelby guys who "usually" want to buy the "Good" parts. That to me is like saying, I want to set myself up for a breakdown on the highway, or I want everyone to see how cheap I did my car over.

I like my guy who, does his best to "restore" a part or panel that is original. The problem also, these guys are getting old. I hate to see how future "projects' will be restored. Caring how a car is "done over" will be an issue.

[Coralsnake]

I made a similar comment about the lack of quality many years back on VMF and about 60% of the responses were in favor of having the cheap parts.

Most people don't  care, with few exceptions. They would rather flush $20 than pay $60 for something that is quality and US made.

[FL SAAC]

Shiiiiiiinaaaah

[2112]

I made a similar comment about the lack of quality many years back on VMF and about 60% of the responses were in favor of having the cheap parts.

Most people don't  care, with few exceptions. They would rather flush $20 than pay $60 for something that is quality and US made.

They feel that way about nearly every thing. The Chinafication of America.

[TOBKOB]

I made a similar comment about the lack of quality many years back on VMF and about 60% of the responses were in favor of having the cheap parts.

Most people don't  care, with few exceptions. They would rather flush $20 than pay $60 for something that is quality and US made.

They feel that way about nearly every thing. The Chinafication of America.

Not to get political but I call it the Walmart syndrome since they along with Bill Clinton's help were the ones who started importing everything from China...

TOB

[98SVT - was 06GT]

It's expensive to tool up to make 1,000 parts. The equipment is expensive. The machinist will make at least $60 an hour to make the tooling. The guy running the machine to produce the part $20+ an hour. The person who packs and sells it $10 an hour. Contrast that against offshore wage prices of a couple bucks a week. Would you pay $100 for a part vs the $15 offshore one that looks the same?

[corbins]

Agree with most all of these posts, but the thing that really gets me is when little things are made so shitty that they bend. break or just don't work when you go to use them. Thing like clips, w/o Moldings, hood moldings etc. Can it really be that much more expensive to make them out of better material? I mean if you can sell a hood molding for 28.00 that wont hold a clip or bends when you look at it, cant they just make it out of even slightly better metal and sell it for $32? Some of this stuff is just complete crap and could be produced at a better quality level for marginal costs increase.

[557]

My philosophy is to pay the price upfront so you only have to do it once....

[67 GT350]

It's expensive to tool up to make 1,000 parts. The equipment is expensive. The machinist will make at least $60 an hour to make the tooling. The guy running the machine to produce the part $20+ an hour. The person who packs and sells it $10 an hour. Contrast that against offshore wage prices of a couple bucks a week. Would you pay $100 for a part vs the $15 offshore one that looks the same?

I dont think the parts look the same. If one does not fit, it cannot look the same.