RANT - Tire Jockeys and Parts country of origin...

[fuzzier1]

I know this thread has changed some but going back to the original idea, I had to replace a water pump on my 97' GMC a few weeks ago. I will get some things from Auto Zone or O'Rielly's but for the "more important" parts I try to get from NAPA thinking that they have more "Made in USA" parts from what I have seen in the past. I go to get the water pump at NAPA and low and below "Hecho en China" on the box. Now to be fair I did check prices at AZ and O'R and the NAPA pump was essentially the same price, so.... But I would have GLADLY paid more for "Made in USA" and not have to worry about it again. SUCKS.

Fuzz

[SteveC]

yes every thing is made else were... here i go to carquest.... im in there about every day any more and they know me pretty well. Few guys in there i can go in a say i put this from this year into this .... and i need something to adpart a part they can find it for me pretty well.

And as far as water pumps go here i get the ones with a lifetime warrenty for a few bucks more

[tsherry]

If you hate all the sub-parts made in China, you're really not going to like the fact that FoMoCo sold Volvo to China....

[ToughOldFord]

Yes, and there is nothing wrong with frugal shopping. It's smart to make your pay check last longer. That's how you can afford things you can't normally buy, it helps you pay the mortgage on your house, or put your kids through collage, etc. etc. If American businesses weren't forced to charge high prices though regulatory hoop jumping they'd be able to be more competitive in prices and we see an increase in domestic sales and a drop in imports as a result.

I'd be curious to see just how many people that give this lecture criticizing the consumer for smart shopping and thus keeping the flow of Chinese products drive foreign cars? Hmmmm? Oh, I know the line "my Toyota was made in a plant in Michigan". Maybe so, but the profits still go to a Japanese bank.

Merry Christmas!

[killakobra]

my dad took his '00 f150 to sams for tires and the idiot pulled it to the curb for "convienience" and forgot to put the ebrake on AND took it out of gear.

it rolled and scrapped the side on a stop sign. aparently it's the 2nd time that employee has done something like that.

[rjewkes]

Steve it's not only the rip off thing that's bad but it's also how John Q. Public views mechanics in general. Most people who enter the trade do so because they actually enjoy repairing vehicles and take pride in their work. From an apprentice tech like yourself who is just beginning a career to a journeyman like me with decades of experience most of us strive to deliver top notch work at a fair price. The problem is when a rip off shop gets exposed it usually gets lots of attention from the media. John Q. reads or hears this stuff then often jumps to the conclusion that if one shop or tech is a rip off artist then all shops and techs are alike.

Same with Towing, if one operator/company husstle the use of extra/unnessessary equipment to spike the price up it is seen that all do it.

[AlleyCat]

Steve it's not only the rip off thing that's bad but it's also how John Q. Public views mechanics in general. Most people who enter the trade do so because they actually enjoy repairing vehicles and take pride in their work. From an apprentice tech like yourself who is just beginning a career to a journeyman like me with decades of experience most of us strive to deliver top notch work at a fair price. The problem is when a rip off shop gets exposed it usually gets lots of attention from the media. John Q. reads or hears this stuff then often jumps to the conclusion that if one shop or tech is a rip off artist then all shops and techs are alike.

Same with Towing, if one operator/company husstle the use of extra/unnessessary equipment to spike the price up it is seen that all do it.

Oh how familiar that is. Of course some towing outfits use unnecessary equipment because they lack competent operaters that know how to get the most out of each rig they drive.

[rjewkes]

Exactly. I only used the snatch block twice and i didn't charge for its use either. In the place i worked for's ticket book there was an option for using the wrinch, wich on a flat bed you have to use it to load. I'd never persanolly try to drive a car up on it, too much risk.

[angliagt]

When I bought new tires for the F250,I bought a set of Cooper tires.
Made in the USA.
I also looked at a lot of garden hoses until I found a quality one - made
in the US!Sometimes it pays to read the label.
BTW,a Chinese company is buying Volvo,so it probably won't get any
better.

- Doug

[DuckRyder]

The Volvo sale to China thing has been going back and forth, Ford keeps denying it but it is persistent. We will just have to see, apparently the Chinese Government still hasn't even approved the Hummer sale.

I think my next new car is going to be a Volkswagen.

Meanwhile, there is apparently some hope, I got a Gates belt for an Escort made in the USA. (although the tensioner was made in Korea and the Idler pulley was labeled "Canada" with the same Chinese "NTN" bearing in it as the OEM one.)

Then there was the purge regulator valve for the Volkswagen:



And the wiper inserts for the Honda:

[DuckRyder]

Oh, I know the line "my Toyota was made in a plant in Michigan". Maybe so, but the profits still go to a Japanese bank.

I happened to look at the window sticker of a Honda Pilot while I was in the dealer buying the wiper blades. Want to take a guess about the final assembly point, engine and transmission origins?

.
.
.
.
Wait for it
.
.
.
.

That is right the United States in all three cases.

Now some of the profit is going out of the US to Honda Japan, but some of it is staying in American Honda and a US worker is getting a paycheck he can spend here. With more and more GM, Ford and Chrysler vehicles assembled in Canada or Mexico one could argue that buying a Honda is more buying USA than buying a Ford, Chevy or Dodge! How messed up is that?!?!

I did see that the Ford Fusion won one of the car rags car of the year awards, I wonder where Ford builds them?

[DuckRyder]

More Volvo parts:

Antenna mast - Mexico
Ignition switch - Germany
Heated mirror glass - Germany
Fuel door hinge - Sweden (Correction)

All quite expensive but of very high Quality. Originals lasted 191,000 miles, however the fact that the local dealer had all in stock for a 14 year old car tells me they are common failure parts...

[DuckRyder]

...The right side was original. To me the extra $$ was well worth it if I can get another 156k miles out of them.

Ain't it the truth, it has gotten to the so bad that for most stuff IF I can get it at the dealer I do get it at the dealer.

Recently I had tires put on the Jetta (Continental Extreme Contact DWS - Germany) and go to get it aligned, Mark says inner tie rods are worn out quick search of town reveals none (including VW dealer), I say I swear I thought I replaced those. So I go home and get some ordered from Pelican Parts (Febi-bilstein - Italy) and over the weekend I dig thought my receipts to find they were replaced ~ 40,000 miles ago (Meyle - Germany). I wasn't quite ready to drop $300.00 (VS $100.00) on Genuine ones but if these only last 40,000 I will sure will next time.

(I find Meyle does not have a very good reputation, Febi does)

[hazelnut]

Ive been buying most parts i need from the dealer because ive been getting a better price from them and the parts fit like they should and last, Theres a CarQuest just down the road from me and i used to buy just about everything from them but noticed the prices kept getting higher and higher, they say that im getting a discount but its the same discount that everyone else get that walks through the door two or more times a week. So i started checking around on prices for things over $100 or more and the dealership is giveing me the best prices everytime. Just to show, Had a 06 powerstroke and needed injectors for it, dealer price $175 each with a core and carquest wanted $205 each with a core. Been lots of other things that ive price shopped and the dealership will beat them by 10% most of the time, Im sure that family buying from them for the past 40 years is a big part of it but i used to buy from carquest daily when i had my company running and would spend some good money with them to keep equipment going. But now that ive had to close the company and im being charged more than i should be, If the economy ever turn around again ill keep buying from the dealership and carquest can supply my nickle dime items, Everybody want your business when your rolling but dont know who you are when things go bad. Sorry DuckRyder, wasnt trying to hijack your thread but thats my rant on a parts store.

[DuckRyder]

More Volvo Parts:

Left lower door hinge - Germany
Center high mount stop lamp cover - Germany
Center cap for wheel - Germany
Oil filter - Germany
Spark Plugs - France