Sick of crappy parts

[66 Cornpicker]

A good friend of mine who I help when I can with their Patriot Pro Mod had just bought a new TH400 band for their Bruno/Lenco set-up from Transtar and specified the better OEM Borg Warner part and got Chinese junk for more $$$ of coarse ! It failed yesterday at Night Under Fire @ Norwalk, big let down.

 

[Kern Dog]

It is possible and likely that these inferior parts are sold by vendors without the vendors knowing how bad they are until a customer tells them.

 

[toolmanmike]

It is possible and likely that these inferior parts are sold by vendors without the vendors knowing how bad they are until a customer tells them.

And it would be next to impossible to think the vendors could check fit and correctness of every part they sell.

 

[Kern Dog]

I recall that recently there were parts that were counterfeited and when the vendors were made aware of it, they pulled them from stock and announced to the public that they were doing so.
I would only trash talk a vendor if they had been warned a few times and still kept selling the bad products.

 

[66 Cornpicker]

I had a friend that worked in sales at Transtar for 20+years and had many good accounts on the LEFT coast. He was in W.H. Ohio and when they got bought out by the current owners now everything comes from China. I used to buy muncie & T-10 rebuid kits from them with the good bearings as an upgrade and now you cannot get that.

 

[66 Cornpicker]

If you don't believe me just look into how the "Private Equity Firms" have bought up almost all our good companies and reduced them to a shell ! We are doomed as a community if this continues !

 

[71roadunnerWI]

I find it almost impossible that these company's don't know their selling junk. I bought this lastest POS 6 months ago or so and you would think in that time all these companys would have sold hundreds of these parts and received numerous complaints about it. And yes I expect them to check fitment and correctness, but they obviously don't. Now I have to dig through emails and hope I can find out who I order this from and demand a refund. David Freiburger was just complaining about this very thing on road kill

 

[Floyd]

I too get frustrated with reproductions. However, I used that very same part on my 70 E-body and found it to be a very close match to the original from my car. Is it possible that 71 B-bodies used something different? Do you have a picture of your original?

 

[71roadunnerWI]

I too get frustrated with reproductions. However, I used that very same part on my 70 E-body and found it to be a very close match to the original from my car. Is it possible that 71 B-bodies used something different? Do you have a picture of your original?

I can't find my original it's buried in the garage somewhere, but it's not even close to the original in appearance, length or fitment.

 

[Floyd]

It’s very difficult to get a good picture of the bracket once everything is together. Is it possible you’re mixed up on the orientation for mounting? It screws into the top of the frame rail and extends over the vertical lip towards the engine. That’s how it is on a 70-71 E-body anyway.

 

[Floyd]

I had my original bracket but the screw had broken off in the frame. The broken screw was flush andI had to look closely to see where it mounted originally.

 

[71roadunnerWI]

I had my original bracket but the screw had broken off in the frame. The broken screw was flush andI had to look closely to see where it mounted

It’s very difficult to get a good picture of the bracket once everything is together. Is it possible you’re mixed up on the orientation for mounting? It screws into the top of the frame rail and extends over the vertical lip towards the engine. That’s how it is on a 70-71 E-body anyway.

View attachment 1706092

Hopefully I can find my original and post side by side photos. Even the screw that comes with it is the wrong size and looks different. I had to replace the windshield washer squirters and those are also trash locating tab and screw holes don't line up. Stay tuned I will post photos of that POS tonight

 

[Charged440]

Why bother expending the resources making a thing only for it to be thrown out? I recently bought a double roller timing set and looking at the chain it had no markings whatsoever. I called the manufacturer and they said it was made in china and if I wanted a quality one I would have to order a set where the part number ended with an R or something. This was a cam swap, so the chain that was on there was fairly new anyway and all I needed was the lower sprocket so I could get it degreed right. I threw the new chinese one in the trash and put my used one back on. When I said this to the rep he replied that he would do the same thing.

 

[toolmanmike]

You would think somebody that works for one of these company's would have bought this POS and tried to install on their car and realized that their company is selling junk. And you would hope they would do something about it, but I guess not. The name of the game is profit over quality.

I see in your avatar that you have a 71 Roadrunner. Is it an early car possibly? Lo's of left over parts get used up when a new model comes out. Especially if the new model is a new design like yours is.

 

[71roadunnerWI]

I see in your avatar that you have a 71 Roadrunner. Is it an early car possibly? Lo's of left over parts get used up when a new model comes out. Especially if the new model is a new design like yours is.

No it's a late year 71 build date of 6/10 and your right about that being a potential issue I know my car has amber front valance turn signals and early has clear so stuff like that does happen

 

[71roadunnerWI]

So here's a pic of that POS installed. Notice the hole below it that's for the locating tab that's on the original, but not on the new part. All it wants to do is rotate downward. The screw they include is too small and looks nothing like this original one does its pure garbage. On to POS #2 sold by moparpartsus AKA China the locating tab on the windshield washer squirters doesn't line up if I elongate the hole to make it work then It won't squirt through the vent opening once again pure garbage. More times than not the aftermarket it's putting out crap. POS #3 this goes back a few years I ordered a Roadrunner head grill emblem from Year One. The one on my car was missing the stud on the back of the Year One emblem was to short to go all the way through the grill and put a nut on it. Lucky for me a co-worker had an orginal one lying around and gave it to me for free and low and behold the stud on the original was long enough. All these company's need to do a better job of quality control and test fit the stuff they sell

 

[roadrunnerh]

Both disappointing, can't deny that.

 

[71roadunnerWI]

Both disappointing, can't deny that.

Yep and all the company's seem to sell the same crap. They even use the same pic for the positive battery cable bracket as everybody else

 

[Kern Dog]

I don't think that anyone will defend the poor fitting parts.
However....
If poor fitting reproduction parts are a surprise to you, this must be your first restoration. It is disappointing, I agree. Boycotting and getting the word out is our best defense. This helped with the issue of carpet kits we used to see years ago. Many were made too short and after many of them got sent back, the manufacturers started making the sections larger so they covered the entire floor.
In the future, you will have an easier time if you ask around about fitment and correctness before buying.

 

[71roadunnerWI]

I don't think that anyone will defend the poor fitting parts.
However....
If poor fitting reproduction parts are a surprise to you, this must be your first restoration.
In the future, you will have an easier time if you ask around about fitment and correctness before buying.

Not really a restoration in the sense that you probably mean it. I've own the car for 30 years now and I'm just try to make it as nice and as original as I can with out breaking the bank. I want to drive it and enjoy it. It will never be a trailer queen or a show winner. I have been dealing with ill fitting aftermarket parts for decades now I'm just being vocal about it now because it doesn't seem to be getting any better. I remember back 25 to 30 years ago you had to restore orginal parts hunt through magazines and junk yards but atleast that stuff fit. All these big name companys should be ashamed of half the crap they sell.