When you know no better....

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'68cuda416

'68cuda416

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That cheap parts "may" work fine on a average to lower power level build but you also want to insist that they are still good enough for power levels that said person never has even owned. Bottom line is cheap parts are just that.....but to blissfully believe that they will work fine past average power levels in aspect of performance and reliability is just being naive. This also is the same reason that many guys experience issues with their cars that they can't figure out and or understand why.......it more times than not comes down to buying better parts than your local O'Rielly's can provide.
 
'68cuda416 said:
That cheap parts "may" work fine on a average to lower power level build but you also want to insist that they are still good enough for power levels that said person never has even owned. Bottom line is cheap parts are just that.....but to blissfully believe that they will work fine past average power levels in aspect of performance and reliability is just being naive. This also is the same reason that many guys experience issues with their cars that they can't figure out and or understand why.......it more times than not comes down to buying better parts than your local O'Rielly's can provide.
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....and it's getting worse and worse. Parts from all the local big box stores are getting cheaper and cheaper. All I do now is buy supplies from them such as brake cleaner, penetrating oil and so on. All else I hawk ebay and elsewhere for good older used parts or older NOS made in USA.
 
RustyRatRod said:
....and it's getting worse and worse. Parts from all the local big box stores are getting cheaper and cheaper. All I do now is buy supplies from them such as brake cleaner, penetrating oil and so on. All else I hawk ebay and elsewhere for good older used parts or older NOS made in USA.
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Couldn't agree more.....I buy everything pretty much from online sources...including nuts, bolts, washers, electrical connectors and supplies, all my parts, I also love the Ebay and sometimes Facebook or even on here for trying to net some sweet used parts and or NOS.......definitely getting tougher. My initial point though was that some don't want to and or can't comprehend the difference cheap parts working adequately on a average car but not being able to admit or realize that they won't work on any power level car. Some people are dense...
 
'68cuda416 said:
Couldn't agree more.....I buy everything pretty much from online sources...including nuts, bolts, washers, electrical connectors and supplies, all my parts, I also love the Ebay and sometimes Facebook or even on here for trying to net some sweet used parts and or NOS.......definitely getting tougher. My initial point though was that some don't want to and or can't comprehend the difference cheap parts working adequately on a average car but not being able to admit or realize that they won't work on any power level car. Some people are dense...
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Oh I understood, believe me. I call it the Chevy guy syndrome. lol
 
I like to support the local stores but 30% difference is a dis-service to my customers for the same part number.
 
Bodyperson said:
I like to support the local stores but 30% difference is a dis-service to my customers for the same part number.
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I love to support independent local vendors when I can if they have what i'm looking for and as long as the price is in the ballpark I guess i'm ok with paying a little bit higher in some cases but to be honest I haven't personally witnessed local vendors price gouging......kinda hard really anymore with a quick intraweb search to get the best advertised pricing.
 
'68cuda416 said:
I love to support independent local vendors when I can if they have what i'm looking for and as long as the price is in the ballpark I guess i'm ok with paying a little bit higher in some cases but to be honest I haven't personally witnessed local vendors price gouging......kinda hard really anymore with a quick intraweb search to get the best advertised pricing.
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I just cant do the dickering. I'm sure they would give me a break but I just ain't gonna say "I can get it on Amazon for ***" Some of what I buy I cant get from Amazon , like customer service and knowledge.
 
the only reason i ever buy anything local is the likelihood its a bad part i can slap it on the counter and say get me another one this one is junk. the internet leaves me having to fork it out for another or if there just so happens to be some kind of warranty its my dime to pay return shipping.

sometimes its worth the extra cost buying local so i can do that
 
'68cuda416 said:
That cheap parts "may" work fine on a average to lower power level build but you also want to insist that they are still good enough for power levels that said person never has even owned. Bottom line is cheap parts are just that.....but to blissfully believe that they will work fine past average power levels in aspect of performance and reliability is just being naive. This also is the same reason that many guys experience issues with their cars that they can't figure out and or understand why.......it more times than not comes down to buying better parts than your local O'Rielly's can provide.
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Yay n nay. I'll get into it after some others speak up.
 
:popcorn: It's too bad Charlie has a grip on manufacturing.
My biggest fear is fire from possible failure from aftermarket electrical parts. and fuel system components
I do have a reliable fire extinguisher.
 
fishmens67 said:
:popcorn: It's too bad Charlie has a grip on manufacturing.
My biggest fear is fire from possible failure from aftermarket electrical parts. and fuel system components
I do have a reliable fire extinguisher.
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There is a lot of junk out there for sure and that is why it now becomes even more important to buy the best since most of our old cars are an investment in some form or another to us.....some financially and some others it may be a sentiment value.
 
Depends what we're talking about.
Many quality name brand cranks n rods are indeed from China and then either machined here or checked, fixed or sent back. Rockers...the needle roller kind ..they're a one season on average deal..but you gotta know that to begin with I guess.
Summit timing chains, half the camshafts, some or a lot of the aluminum small block heads are Chinese -seepmasters and some other reboxes. The valves...in most of the off the shelf cheap heads and possibly edelcrock, Chinese too.
I've got Chinese a.m magnums and Chinese stainless valves and who knows where comp makes their valve springs..locks n the rest. I've got h beams probably Chinese and finished by ohio crankshaft, the nodular crank. Idk...
Proform...garbage, wrong shafts and the needle rockers destroy them..while having their life span.

If it's not a 'if'... but when.. that's called a lifespan. Know it.
As for parts stores... duralast sucks, every other part is a warranty 2 times at least.
Mail order, lack of info and you get some wacked ****. I bought ball joints that intended the knuckles drilled and taped to fit the smaller shank. Ridiculous.
Experience is key, talk to people and sometimes be the guinea pig... take the leap and do some trials with the parts.
Get what you pay for? sometimes.. other times you simply pay what it's worth ... meanwhile others pay double 'for a warm feeling'
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Depends what we're talking about.
Many quality name brand cranks n rods are indeed from China and then either machined here or checked, fixed or sent back. Rockers...the needle roller kind ..they're a one season on average deal..but you gotta know that to begin with I guess.
Summit timing chains, half the camshafts, some or a lot of the aluminum small block heads are Chinese -seepmasters and some other reboxes. The valves...in most of the off the shelf cheap heads and possibly edelcrock, Chinese too.
I've got Chinese a.m magnums and Chinese stainless valves and who knows where comp makes their valve springs..locks n the rest. I've got h beams probably Chinese and finished by ohio crankshaft, the nodular crank. Idk...
Proform...garbage, wrong shafts and the needle rockers destroy them..while having their life span.

If it's not a 'if'... but when.. that's called a lifespan. Know it.
As for parts stores... duralast sucks, every other part is a warranty 2 times at least.
Mail order, lack of info and you get some wacked ****. I bought ball joints that intended the knuckles drilled and taped to fit the smaller shank. Ridiculous.
Experience is key, talk to people and sometimes be the guinea pig... take the leap and do some trials with the parts.
Get what you pay for? sometimes.. other times you simply pay what it's worth ... meanwhile others pay double 'for a warm feeling'
Click to expand...
My T&D rockers are needle bearing tip if that's what you are referring to and I don't agree that they are 1 season of use only
 
No need to worry soon very little will come from China as the Elites/Corporations will need to re establish manufacturing back into their native countries after the current economic model collapses shortly. It will be going back to "Made in the USA" as locals start manufacturing again but and a BIG but is you will be paying more for it as the average american workers wage is higher.

Quality costs.
 
Hysteric said:
No need to worry soon very little will come from China as the Elites/Corporations will need to re establish manufacturing back into their native countries after the current economic model collapses shortly. It will be going back to "Made in the USA" as locals start manufacturing again but and a BIG but is you will be paying more for it as the average american workers wage is higher.

Quality costs.
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I have no problem with that and as has been proven over the years and years of time.......buy the best cry once.......some can't wrap their pea brains around this concept, not referring to you, but buying the best is cheaper in the long run.
 
'68cuda416 said:
I have no problem with that and as has been proven over the years and years of time.......buy the best cry once.......some can't wrap their pea brains around this concept, not referring to you, but buying the best is cheaper in the long run.
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You will at first as living standards plunge dramatically as the economy has to rebuild itself from the ground up but like all things it returns to normal but nothing like the last 30 to 40 years. That assumes the US doesn't regress into a civil war.

The Irony is the OEM's spend fortunes making engines that have to last so most will beck to modding factory stuff like they used to. I'm sure there will still be specialty shops that cater to those with money and bigger budgets to go racing but for most its off to the wreckers to pull oem stuff to hot rod.
 
It is a cycle......
After the USA rebuilt Japan after WW2, it flourished. Made a lot of cheap products. If your transistor radio lasted a week, you were doing well.....
Then, quality improved. Improved to the point that if you wanted a quality product, you bought Japanese [ Mitutoyo micrometer as an example ].
But then the inevitable happened after 20-30 yrs. Living standards & wages went up, prices increased, so now a new source of cheap labor was needed. Enter China.....
And when Chinese products get too expensive, the next in line for cheap labor is probably one of the African countries or Indonesia with 300,000,000 people.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Depends what we're talking about.
Many quality name brand cranks n rods are indeed from China and then either machined here or checked, fixed or sent back. Rockers...the needle roller kind ..they're a one season on average deal..but you gotta know that to begin with I guess.
Summit timing chains, half the camshafts, some or a lot of the aluminum small block heads are Chinese -seepmasters and some other reboxes. The valves...in most of the off the shelf cheap heads and possibly edelcrock, Chinese too.
I've got Chinese a.m magnums and Chinese stainless valves and who knows where comp makes their valve springs..locks n the rest. I've got h beams probably Chinese and finished by ohio crankshaft, the nodular crank. Idk...
Proform...garbage, wrong shafts and the needle rockers destroy them..while having their life span.

If it's not a 'if'... but when.. that's called a lifespan. Know it.
As for parts stores... duralast sucks, every other part is a warranty 2 times at least.
Mail order, lack of info and you get some wacked ****. I bought ball joints that intended the knuckles drilled and taped to fit the smaller shank. Ridiculous.
Experience is key, talk to people and sometimes be the guinea pig... take the leap and do some trials with the parts.
Get what you pay for? sometimes.. other times you simply pay what it's worth ... meanwhile others pay double 'for a warm feeling'
Click to expand...
i just bought a summit billet timing chain,the gears say made in usa, the chain probably not
 
it was the 100$ one,the cam gear is the pretty billet one, crank gear is darker, they both say made in usa and both the letters SA like a company brand possibly,my last one was a cloyes tru roller, it stretched like a rubber band!
 
'68cuda416 said:
I have no problem with that and as has been proven over the years and years of time.......buy the best cry once.......some can't wrap their pea brains around this concept, not referring to you, but buying the best is cheaper in the long run.
Click to expand...

Often this is what I say to people but there reply is one of nonsense self destructive route that I have seen more than just a few times come back and bite them in the ***.

To sub out a Edelbrock rpm-ag for a chink knock off is one thing if there is no intention of making some decent power. I just LMAO when the poster comes back and has complaints about performance or lack there off.

Suddenly, that RPM - AG is looking pretty good for the price.

RRR has his saying dead on. “Chevy syndrome guys” will always run this route and then complain like the Chevy boys when they get whipped by a MoPar.
 
rigger3006 said:
it was the 100$ one,the cam gear is the pretty billet one, crank gear is darker, they both say made in usa and both the letters SA like a company brand possibly,my last one was a cloyes tru roller, it stretched like a rubber band!
Click to expand...
It sure does feel like a crap shoot anymore, doesn't it?
Never seen any gear but a iron gear with an sa, -402 as well. They've actually included designations for which of their parts are USA or overseas...some are part this part that...like 'the united states of china'. Lol Best chain set I've had to date are or were the Mancini racing billet sb sets. The rest are like your experience was with the chain being a pos. Another time it was simply the pos durabond cam bearings sank. There was part number 'they had many' that turned out to be marginal in a stock cam 318 even. Many bad reviews were posted up.
 
'68cuda416 said:
I have no problem with that and as has been proven over the years and years of time.......buy the best cry once.......some can't wrap their pea brains around this concept, not referring to you, but buying the best is cheaper in the long run.
Click to expand...
You're damn right it is and a lot of times I've pushed back the time frame to finish a project because I won't buy junk. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.
 
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