bob drake

O

oldredford

Senior Member
I bought a bob drake reproduction window regulators for my 1940 ford coupe. Also bought a new hardware kit for the regulators. The new hardware kit does not work on the regulator nut plates. Different threads. Called Bob Drake and was told it is my problem to find something that works. What the hell. Regulator nut plates are metric and the new bolt kit is SAE.

I cleaned up the original regulators and will use them, everything works. Metric vs SAE.
 
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The are probably metric and you need to use metric screws as they are made in China or Taiwan.
 
TJ said:
The are probably metric and you need to use metric screws as they are made in China or Taiwan.
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they will be made to a spec supplied to them by bob drake though, your blaming the monkey not the organ grinder.
 
I bought a 12 volt starter from Mac. the through bolts ar 5/16 coarse thread as it is supposed to be but he hex head is metric. Hmmm. Why did they not stec 1/2 inch

Tim
 
I ordered and received headlight rims for my 40 Wagon and they had a major gap on the fit to the fenders. More and more they are getting stuff from offshore and it's often crapola. So far they have been pretty good about taking stuff back but their quality has gone downhill IMHO.
Hope they can turn it around. I know they are trying but the only way to really fix it is to bring the manufacturing back to the US. Forget metric, I will not put any metric hardware on my car.
 
I used Drake window regulators in my '40.
You are correct, different size fasteners required, but they are U. S. thread.
I don't recall exactly, they were either 10-24 or 10-32 thread. The originals I believe were 12- 24 maybe 12-32 which Ford used a lot of.
 
philipswanson said:
I ordered and received headlight rims for my 40 Wagon and they had a major gap on the fit to the fenders. More and more they are getting stuff from offshore and it's often crapola. So far they have been pretty good about taking stuff back but their quality has gone downhill IMHO.
Hope they can turn it around. I know they are trying but the only way to really fix it is to bring the manufacturing back to the US. Forget metric, I will not put any metric hardware on my car.
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Actually the way to fix it is to pay the guy who makes it more and you will get a better job. Unfortunately that will push up the price which we will grizzle about. The only advantage of moving production to America is that probably most USA companies will refuse to manufacture what they know is an inferior part -they will want more money to produce a better part . The Chinese see no problems with providing an inferior part if you are paying an inferior fee. If you want superior parts they will cost regardless of were there are made -Karl
 
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weemark said:
they will be made to a spec supplied to them by bob drake though, your blaming the monkey not the organ grinder.
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I'm not blaming anybody at this point. It's just a fact that much of this offshore stuff looks good , but is not necessarily made to specs or made to specs supplied to them. Once you deal with an overseas company and they get your money ,they have you over a barrel.
 
I recommend a different hobby for those that get soooo stressed out with having to use a different bolt or socket on a quality repro part. :rolleyes:
If many would be willing to pay for US made parts exactly like years ago, we probably wouldn't be having all these really stressful issues, now would we? :)
OK, end of rant. Just get tired reading about really silly issues with quality companies. Find some better, go for it. A real legit gripe is one thing, silly issues posted on a public forum basing a company is another.
 
philipswanson said:
I ordered and received headlight rims for my 40 Wagon and they had a major gap on the fit to the fenders. More and more they are getting stuff from offshore and it's often crapola. So far they have been pretty good about taking stuff back but their quality has gone downhill IMHO.
Hope they can turn it around. I know they are trying but the only way to really fix it is to bring the manufacturing back to the US. Forget metric, I will not put any metric hardware on my car.
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There is another way to "fix" this. The folks in China can make anything we make as good or better. It all comes down to what the buyer, in this case drake, insist upon. In other words, they are not really 'trying" as you suggest. Loosen up the tolerances? Cheaper to buy = more profit. Metric threads instead of standard? Cheaper to buy = more profit.
The blame rests completely on the person / company that buys this stuff for resale. By the way, just how much stuff do you think drake actually makes in the USA?
 
V8 Bob said:
I recommend a different hobby for those that get soooo stressed out with having to use a different bolt or socket on a quality repro part. :rolleyes:
If many would be willing to pay for US made parts exactly like years ago, we probably wouldn't be having all these really stressful issues, now would we? :)
OK, end of rant. Just get tired reading about really silly issues with quality companies. Find some better, go for it. A real legit gripe is one thing, silly issues posted on a public forum basing a company is another.
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Quality company? Is that the one that advertises a part to be "exact" yet it is not? that is called false advertising.
Perhaps you have a different definition of "exact". Last time I checked it meant in part that the threads are the same as the original.
A "quality" company would be honest in their advertising. You know, like maybe include screws that match the threads and advertise the part as exact EXCEPT the threads.
 
Kube , I know you have little love for B D, but his parts I've bought have always been very good quality. I'll forgive the reason for a change in a bolt thread, for a good part. :)
Maybe it's time you started producing parts you find inferior based on your well renown and deserved expertise with '40 Ford restorations. Seriously. :)
 
No one (or very few) would buy them! Parts are cheap because that is what everyone wants. If the public what'd quality parts then there would be a supplier.
 
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tubman said:
Aren't the heads on those 7/16"?
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Yes indeed the bolt heads on the original starter are 7/16. On my new Mac starter they are 13mm. No one will notice cus they will be looking at my 1963 Desoto alternator

Tim
 
JSeery said:
No one (are very few) would buy them! Parts are cheap because that is what everyone wants. If the public what'd quality parts then there would be a supplier.
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Precisely- As usual you say in a sentence what I don't succeed in saying in a paragraph! -Karl
 
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