Quote:
Originally Posted by 30 Closed Cab PU
Arm chair mechanic here. Am not agreeing or dis-agreeing, just would like your comments on a different view I've heard a couple of times in the past.
There is a view that it is better to use good used parts, that the parts kinda of get tempered and if still are good are less likely to fail.
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I am aware there is a school of thought that original parts are better than new and the way Henry did it can't be bettered. There is
some merit in that but I don't subscribe to either as an absolute. The quality of part varies enormously so I'm not saying either is always better or worse than the other.
I have described a number of times here what I think of the RHS of the engine on a RHD car and how difficult it is to do some things that should be easy due to lack of forethought.
His design, while basically good is let down in some places by poor production. To support that, I point to the rear hubs where the hardening is OK at the end nearest to the diff but lousy at the end near the axle nut. You will likley have seen it yourself when inspecting a well used hub - the hardening is worn through down inside the recess.
There was a continuous process of improvement during the production years of the A (and the T). Even today, smart car buyers don't buy the first of a new model - they wait till the bugs have been ironed out. That means the earlier the car, the greater the number of components that are not as good as they could be. Over the years, the standard of those items improved and the later cars IMO, are were better than the early ones. The exhaust manifold is a good example of that.