With all these threads about cheap parts and chinese crap being imported and making there way onto our vettes, I would like to make a comment. No matter what you think or try to do, stuff is still going to get outsourced to other countries...there is nothing you can do about it; period. The only thing you can do is research your parts before you buy them. Bitching and complaining about vendors selling cheap parts is going to get you no where...they are producing them because people like to save money, not because they want to hurt or kill us. There will always be good parts out there - even if absolutely everything gets outsourced. Timken now produces bearings in Poland as well as the USA - and the quality of both are still really good. SKF bearings has a factory in Mexico - but they are still very good quality bearings. I am not looking to start a fight here - I am just trying to relieve the pressure off of all of these vendors who keep getting bashed. No doubt am I angry that I lost money because I have bought a few cheap parts and had to replace them with high quality stuff - but that's life...deal with it. Sorry if I sound rude to any of you folks, I am not trying to be. Ever since the ball joint news, I have researched every part on my car...I went over everything and even upgraded to Moog ball joints. The main point of this thread is as follows: from now on, research your parts, and put the past behind you. Ask several questions on the forum regarding quality of different brands and which vendors sell the good stuff.

 

Oh boy, it looks like I just opened up a can of worms. This thread should hit 10 pages by early morning tomorrow

 

Just had to ad my 2 euros worth...

 

I agree with your comments but the parts should be up to the job they are designed to do. Cheap or bad quality badges and interior parts I can live with but when I order grade 8 suspension bolts and they are junk with made in China stickers on them its bloody dangerous the same goes for ball joints. In a country like the US I would have thought that they could even face charges by selling sub grade suspension parts. If my rear view mirror falls off because I bought a cheap bracket then thats my bad luck for buying cheap parts, if my front wheel falls off at 160k because of cheap parts that could be fatal to me or other drivers. Venders need to be a bit more responsible with some of there suppliers.

 

 

You are 100% correct. Unfortunately the only thing which might actually start increasing the quality of these parts is several deaths due to faulty parts. Most people seem to realize that something is wrong or worn out before they actually break, and deaths do not occur all that often (I know I am going to get slammed for this comment I just made).

 

vendors will sell whatever they can make $$$ on. thats what they are in business for.there will be a couple that will still have quality parts and pieces.that we need or want ,we'll just have to research them and pay the price. jmho

 

You might get slammed but you are right! It's a shame that it may come to this. I order parts from the US in good faith that they are genuine well made US quality. I have been very disappointed with one vender in particular that I have used for 15 years, I now "shop around"! But with out this forum I would have no idea about these issues, I'm informed now, how many are not?

 

Another good comment, maybe starting this thread wasn't so bad after all. So far no fighting, so lets keep it that way

 

I can't imagine rebuilding my vette without the internet in general, nevermind just this forum (which has been like school for me).

 

Funny but if you talk to an american best parts are from USA, the italians bring up this very same iussues in the italian forums saying best quality parts are italian, at least for italian cars (which actually is true ), i'm sure if you go to a french forum you'll find the same thing...what about UK? Ohh wait, wasnt best steel of all coming from northern Europe countries? and isnt german the best technology? or that was japan? and so on, forever.

It makes me remember my old grandfather, who was a pro fisherman for all his (long) life, used to say that red breams caught offshore his place was of a better quality of the very same bream taken just a few miles away, off shore of another beach...

In all this talking about 'alien' parts there is only one reasonable iussue:

Chinese
They build cheap everything because their wages are crap and people is afraid to talk because there is no freedom, pollution is just a funny joke for them so they dont have to spend millions to waste their crap propely, dangerous contaminants they dont pay a $hit about because they're billions so if a few thousand died every year of some illness they have plenty of replacements, raw mats can be sourced without any workers safety control because 'who cares?' (check 'replacement' iussue above) there is plenty of disposable volunteers around. quality control? a western mith.

To stop this crap, as we cannot invade them because they're too many and too hungry, we should only fix a 50% import duty on all their items IF they dont agree to follow the same western processing procedures which would immediately put their prices on line with the rest of the civilized world, and from this very line would eventually start a fair and healthy competition, until then we are only cannon meat for their teeth. period.

 

 

I suppose that I'm quite sensitive to this issue because I go to considerable cost to get my parts sent to New Zealand and I am gutted when I get poor quality, I cannot return the parts because of costs so I really do have to "suck it up". I shop with larger venders because quite a few of the smaller ones will not ship overseas, and these smaller ones tend to have the "good" parts that I want.

 

If we would hold the companies that import it responsible for the faulty part i'm sure we could see an improvement.

 

Only issue I have is parts not identified as to origin...got hosed that way a few years ago on a C/B core...now I always ask...if they shrug their shoulders,I walk...in fact,certain mechanical parts I will not buy online...want to see part first...slows the process down,but once bitten,twice shy..

 

I feel for you pal - I always research my parts before buying them now because I hate paying fees for shipping due to crappy quality...it just isn't worth it. Shipping adds up - especially with the taxes to Canada and everything. THis is my first vette so you live and learn I guess.

 

The real issue is safety. The US. auto manufactures have to follow strict MVSS safety standards. If they infact found inferior balljoints, tie rods, which they have in the past. There would be a recall and the parts would be changed. Now that the Government has allowed this free trade crap into the country there are no controls set in place to monitor the quality of these parts.This was all done to help Big Buisness to get out from under high labor costs bottom line. And the vendors probably have no idea how to get in touch with, or deal with One Hung Low Suspensions. They have to be dealing with an importer here in the states. And I am surprised the vendor in question is not responding. I shouldn't have to take a few lives for sombody to take action. It would probably an army of lawyers to sift through and find partys involved.I guess we can thank Billary Clinton for the mess he created. Sorry if I offend anyone by the last statement but thats where it started. Not to get off the subject but it all relates. I worry about the toys I buy for my grandchilden. It is out of control.

 

Tough love, man, tough love.

 

The Chinese build crappy parts because that's what they are told to build. The Chinese are quite capable of making high quality parts and do make high quality parts. It is not their fault. They are not some how inherently incapable of producing quality. What happens is a foreign company comes to the Chinese looking to produce a part. They say I want part X. Here are the dimensions and specifications and all the info you need. Tell me what you can do for me. So the Chinese company turns around and says here's what we can do and here's what it'll cost. The foreign company asks how can you make this costs less. Then the Chinese company starts making is cost less. This in turn usually means it will be of lower quality. Finally, the Chinese company makes the part to all the specifications, including cost, that their customer(that would be the foreign company) requires. Both parties are happy as they both have gotten what they want.

The foreign company now sales their part to everyone in their country. The people in their country are obviously not foreign and the company is not foreign to them. Everything is going swimmingly until something does not go right. Either it doesn't fit or doesn't last or whatever. So the customer looks and sees it is a Chinese made part. Now the customer being patriotic gets disgusted at the horrible quality of these obviously inferior Chinese(foreign) made parts. But is it the Chinese fault for making the part to the specifications of their customer or is it the companies fault for allowing an inferior product to be made so they could ultimately make money off of you?

The answer is neither. It's you the end users fault. The company suppling you with the part had to find a way to make a profit or else they could not continue to stay in business and supply you with parts. You the end user were not willing to pay say $10 for a part, you were only willing to pay $8. The company can't supply you a part for $8 unless they do something about how much it costs them to have it made. So in order to satisfy the end user, who has the ultimate control and who everything is done for in order to satisfy, the company had to get the part made cheaper. It just so happens that the Chinese could make it cheaper(you can argue about how that's possible later).

My point is that we in this country and in many other countries around the world have a capitalistic economy for now. The end user is in control. If you do not want a crappy product do not buy a crappy product. It does nothing to show disgust for a crappy product as you buy it. You must demand quality parts be made by buying those quality parts. You may pay more for it in most cases. You have to continue to pay more for it if you want the quality parts to still be made. That way the quality parts company survives and the crappy part company does not because they can not sale their part and ultimately make money.

This idea transcends many other areas. Are you tired of bad customer service with a huge company? Then try a smaller company. It may cost you more monetarily but it's up to you to decide what you'll put up with. You must speak with your wallets and your feet. That is your power. That is the ultimate power. If a company does not make money, it can not stay in business. This goes for quality companies and crappy companies. You decide who you want to stay in business.

This is the reason capitalism is the greatest economy around. Recognize your power and use it or you will lose it. Don't believe me, look at the blue candidates and listen to their message. capitalism forever!

 

Your post makes good sense for the most part, and I mostly agree, except for the third paragraph. The problem is, if you buy cheap, expect cheap. Thats what autozone suspension, brake, and electrical parts are for. BUT, when you pay a premium price for a supposedly premium grade part and its substandard in the end, whats' the point of going that route?