god bless the Chinese but...

H. L. Chauvin said:
3. There is a .... "YouTube Oprah Interview Video Over 25 Years Ago" ... that is recirculating rapidly today; and, interestingly, this heartfelt prediction appears to be happening today as we speak ....... and ...... even with our most lovely Model A parts. LOL
Click to expand...

Do you have a link to that interview please? Sounds interesting.
 
Hi Synchro909,

Per your question: "Do you have a link to that interview please? Sounds interesting."

Maybe try Googling something like:

VIDEO Uncovered interview with Oprah from over 25 years ago

Little over a short three (3) minute interview .... but lots said.

In my opinion, not much changed since this 28 year old 1988 prediction ... our 19.5 trillion in U. S. debt took lots & lots of careless planning.

Interest alone paid with our taxes on some of this Chinese debt could buy lots of Model A Chinese parts. LOL
 
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There isn`t anything man can`
t make a little worse and sell a little cheaper,
and those that consider price only are this mans lawful prey!

Rudyard Kipling
 
I think this thread is headed for closure/extinction pretty soon. However, the issue, as I see it, is how best to purchase a quality part when you need it.

We're never going back to having "everything" made in the USA, there's just too much of a global economy now. There fact is that China, or Taiwan or Japan or whatever, has newer factories with better technology than we often do in the US- along with cheaper, but not necessarily less skilled, labor. And, to be honest, a lot of crap has been manufactured here overthe years, too. It wasn't all top of the line. I'd be happy to "buy American" but that's not always possible.

There are only two ways to manufacture something. You either build it to a quality level and then price it based on the cost of manufacture or you build it to a price point and use whatever shortcuts you can to get to that price. No secret as to what the average consumer chooses these days and, sadly, we've done it to ourselves.

Sure would be nice to have an app based on quality so you could find it when you need it.
 
tbirdtbird said:
have never had a chinese bearing hold up for long. they do not know how to make them.

their alloys are suspect. a knowledgeable person told me they just melt down all the different grades of steel that comes in from the scrap ships into one big pot and pay no attention to maintaining/making specific alloys. All the steel I have seen from there is very soft. Tom, I think you got lucky. I wish I could say I have had the same experience. I have had air tools disintegrate their bearings literally within 5 min.

Timken uses various overseas manufacturing but I have not seen once that their country of origin was china. I make it a point to track down Timken bearings for every purpose I encounter. Never had a problem

Bottom line , use whatever you want
Click to expand...

I agree with your comments on the poor quality control of some Chinese sourced iron. My biggest complaint is with the cast iron grills on my Chinese made gas BBQ. Never seen cast iron rust like they do!!:eek:

I also prefer Timken bearings, but have also had good luck with SKF.
 
tbirdtbird said:
have never had a chinese bearing hold up for long. they do not know how to make them.

their alloys are suspect. a knowledgeable person told me they just melt down all the different grades of steel that comes in from the scrap ships into one big pot and pay no attention to maintaining/making specific alloys. All the steel I have seen from there is very soft. Tom, I think you got lucky. I wish I could say I have had the same experience. I have had air tools disintegrate their bearings literally within 5 min.

Timken uses various overseas manufacturing but I have not seen once that their country of origin was china. I make it a point to track down Timken bearings for every purpose I encounter. Never had a problem

Bottom line , use whatever you want
Click to expand...

Timken may not be useing Chinese firms but SnapOn Tools are. Google it. Obviously SnapOn are willing to risk their reputation. What say ye now ? Wayne
 
Chinese chrome will start to rust as soon as you leave the store, and their plastic creeper and powdercoated 20 ton press will fade even in the dark corner of a garage.
 
My cast iron, Model A Chinese brake drums from Mr. Gross are just great.

Looks like they work a little better when stopping at our local and wonderful Chinese Restaurant.

Met a few Chinese salesman gentleman in Mexico a few weeks ago ..... also met some in Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, & Canada not long ago.

All of these young traveling Chinese salespersons I met over the years speak several languages and are hard working, interesting wonderful people ...... it is not at all a wonder for me to see that China is so prosperous.

Wall-Mart and many stores would collapse without World Market Products from countries that believe in working for a living.
 
I at all cost avoid import items as much as possible. Yes I know my tv and some new cars have China parts. But I do my best and look at everything I buy to see where it's made before I buy it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I don't know how you avoid Chinese made goods. It would take some looking to get something made in the USA. I did buy an American car for the first time in a long time a couple of years ago. A Ford Focus, made in Michigan, but not for much longer. Of course, it is a European design. It's a great car. 55,000 trouble-free miles, but that is the norm these days.
 
Even though our brake drums are made in China, they are produce to our very strict tolerances / requirements / specifications. They come from the same source as all of the other brake drums that the company I work for are made (well over 500,000 pieces a year). We do sample quality control incoming inspection on them upon their arrival. We had these reversed engineered and produced almost 10 years ago. They are heavier in weight then others on the market. We have never had a quality issue with them. We have and some of our customers have cracked a few, but this was due to them not be properly secured when pressing. None have cracked while on a vehicle. I am sure that others besides Mr. Chauvin (thank you) will vouch for their quality. Even though some think that something more expensive is better, this in not the case. Thanks Randy Gross
 
Bought Chinese '39 - '48 drums ($200 each) from Speedway for my A powered hot rod. I balance the drums and check the roundness in a lathe and on both counts, these drums were absolutely correct. NAPA bearings were "heche" in Mexico. The bottom line is that even if you can afford high dollar made in the USA stuff, certain items are just not available anymore.
 
FWIW: Uninformed ????

I don't think many U. S. Citizens realize today how many entrepreneur Chinese citizens bought American Manufacturing Plants recently and have kept the same American Manufacturer's names.

They many times keep the same American workers and managers of these plants.

In my humble opinion, if one only reads our U.S. newspapers today, and relies on our U. S. journalist for "true" U.S. News ........... about all one can learn that is really truthful is ........ that a chicken was born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti last week with three (3) legs.
 
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Cornishman - many impressions are from 'observation' not from science. So as you have learned from this thread, FORD BARN FORUM readers should take all statements with a grain of salt. Remarks are the views of the poster, not necessarily related to hard core facts. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Like a court trial, you listen to one side and then the other side. But the bottom line is, like a Judge, YOU have to make the finial decision.
 
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