Just a rant

[captndan]

I really wish our suppliers would stop selling cheap Chinese junk. I understand the marketing aspect of it but why would anyone buy a part that is defective or will soon fail? Every cheap part means at least another week of down time.
Maybe if you think of your Model A as just junk then the junk parts are for you. I want the good stuff from the start so I can go driving. Rant over.

[tbirdtbird]

this topic has come up before.

We only have ourselves to blame, everyone wants everything for cheap, maybe even free if they could get it. Few end users understand the concept of quality. I submit the vast majority of Model A owners use their cars for ice cream runs only. The subset that tours (meaning they need the good parts) is small.

Ask Marshall about customers who are cheap cheap cheap

[Walt Ebie]

Remember the old saying......"You get what you pay for." It's true.

[Ray64]

I'm willing to pay top dollar for choice parts. I sympathize with you Guys.Be that as it may I understand the system.D'ont like it though. I try to find originals and rebuild

[C26Pinelake]

yes it seems like Fordbarn people are the cheApest on earth. They want quality for cheap or free and then complain when it fails. I have no sympathy for these people. If you want quality expect to pay quality price. If they can't afford the upkeep, sell the car! Wayne.

[mshmodela]

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I suppose anyone interested in making ampmeters surely would corner the market... Now the cost of getting that off the ground in the U.S.A. surely not cheap

[redmodelt]

Re ampmeters! Out of 4 that we got from one of the major parts suppliers (other(s) carry the same ones) 3 have had their needles fall off when installing them!!! Hoyt (sp?) still has all the drawings to make them, from what I have been told.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by captndan

I really wish our suppliers would stop selling cheap Chinese junk. I understand the marketing aspect of it but why would anyone buy a part that is defective or will soon fail? Every cheap part means at least another week of down time.
Maybe if you think of your Model A as just junk then the junk parts are for you. I want the good stuff from the start so I can go driving. Rant over.

Feel better?

[George Miller]

Originally Posted by Ray64

I'm willing to pay top dollar for choice parts. I sympathize with you Guys.Be that as it may I understand the system.D'ont like it though. I try to find originals and rebuild

That is the number 1 answer. I use every original part I can. knock on wood 24,000 trouble free miles.

[700rpm]

I posted this on another thread, but it bears repeating:

"There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person’s lawful prey. It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.” -John Ruskin

[J Franklin]

Henry Ford called these Gyp parts for a reason.

[Licensed to kill]

Originally Posted by Walt Ebie

Remember the old saying......"You get what you pay for." It's true.

While it's impossible to get good parts cheap, the problem is, you can end up paying premium price and getting substandard product. Paying lowest price will pretty much guarantee lower quality but paying high price does not guarantee high quality.

[Charlie Stephens]

I too wish the suppliers would stop selling cheap Chinese junk. I wish they would switch over to high quality Chinese parts. Yes they are available but the suppliers would have to pay a little more for them and this would reduce their profit margin. The only way we can push this issue as consumers is to return junk parts to the supplier and complain about their quality on the internet. That will reduce their profits and maybe they will get the message. Some suppliers screen the type of parts they sell and that is the ones I try to do business with. Other suppliers businessmen and only look at the numbers and it it our responsibility to change the numbers they see. The solution to the problem is in our hands. Return junk, make phone calls and post on the internet.


Charlie Stephens

[C26Pinelake]

[QUOTE=Charlie Stephens;1389315]I too wish the suppliers would stop selling cheap Chinese junk. I wish they would switch over to high quality Chinese parts. Yes they are available but the suppliers would have to pay a little more for them and this would reduce their profit margin. The only way we can push this issue as consumers is to return junk parts to the supplier and complain about their quality on the internet. That will reduce their profits and maybe they will get the message. Some suppliers screen the type of parts they sell and that is the ones I try to do business with. Other suppliers businessmen and only look at the numbers and it it our responsibility to change the numbers they see. The solution to the problem is in our hands. Return junk, make phone calls and post on the internet.


Charlie Stephens[/QUOT
I agree but before posting on the net give the supplier the opportunity to correct the problem. Wayne

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Guys, I can tell you that I have discussed this very problem with my suppliers on numerous occasion, and they tell me over and over that when they offer two levels of quality on the same type item, the cheaper (i.e.: inferior) one outsells the better quality one by huge margins. I have said this over and over how the typical Model-A hobbyist generally does more harm for the hobby than good. More times than not, a typical hobbyist will remove a worn item that could be repaired/restored only to replace it with the cheapest replacement item available. If folks would start restoring/repairing instead of replacing, think about how the quality level of the cars would improve.

[Cornishman]

In a free market those who sell second rate products will fail. Given that the suppliers are still in business suggests that a Made in China sticker does not necessarially mean second rate.

[California Travieso]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Guys, I can tell you that I have discussed this very problem with my suppliers on numerous occasion, and they tell me over and over that when they offer two levels of quality on the same type item, the cheaper (i.e.: inferior) one outsells the better quality one by huge margins. I have said this over and over how the typical Model-A hobbyist generally does more harm for the hobby than good. More times than not, a typical hobbyist will remove a worn item that could be repaired/restored only to replace it with the cheapest replacement item available. If folks would start restoring/repairing instead of replacing, think about how the quality level of the cars would improve.

Brent,

I don't care if cheap products out-sell more expensive well-made products. Just want the supplies to offer a choice so the buyer can make their own decision.

David Serrano

[Tom Wesenberg]

I know at least a few of the better suppliers will tell you the quality in the part listing. Pay attention to what they say, and if they offer a better quality be sure to pay the extra for it. As Brent said, try to restore the original parts when possible.

It is too bad that some parts aren't made right, such as the ammeter fitting too loose in the hole. Having it sized right shouldn't cost any more to make. Another one is placing the bottom instrument panel holes in the correct location wouldn't cost more than punching them in the wrong location.

[H. L. Chauvin]

FWIW:

In my opinion, first, the U. S. jobless rate and the unemployment rate in America is just one big journalistic false reported joke ...... each one of our alert both "senior" and "mature" generation experiences our U. S. Production sliding just a little further downhill each year with far less production.

America has slowly created a Modern Great Society where far too many are not working, not looking for work, and are getting Freebies of some sort ...... or ..... have engaged in non-productive Government created jobs at all levels, where too many of today's workers are sometimes studying "highly" important things like ..... why an American cockroach cannot scratch his behind with his two (2) hind legs!

Appears China, Mexico, and many others, on the other hand, don't care as much about handing out Freebies so citizens will vote for more Freebies; and furthermore, they "want" their foreign citizens to be productive to help their foreign economy.

And, as far as cockroaches, these foreign countries don't care whether or not cockroaches can scratch their behind with their hind legs ...... they just graciously allow them to use their front legs.

It is an enormous challenge, but I really think we are so fortunate to have Model A parts suppliers who are earnestly trying to offer the best products available.

Just so happens, with all of our ridiculous multitude of Government employees enforcing ridiculous U. S. Government Regulations, appears China, Mexico, and others are the only energetic productive manufacturers with "Production Freedom" who are interested in providing mass production today.

Let us not loose hope yet.

[31 Model A]

Correction warranted...........buy from Bert's, doesn't he have the most original parts available? If he doesn't have it, buy the best quality re-pops.


Stay as authentic as your wallet will allow it.