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wcdennis
Samba Member
Joined: July 20, 2004
Posts: 955
Location: Winston-Salem NC
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 Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 4:44 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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I'm thinking what we are actually seeing are counterfeit parts that get mixed in with good parts, so that it becomes hard to know what source is reliable.
If one of our vendors would offer a service to pre inspect parts, like joints, bushings and bearings, I would gladly pay extra for certified quality. |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 7757
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 5:48 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| wcdennis wrote: |
...If one of our vendors would offer a service to pre inspect parts, like joints,
bushings and bearings, I would gladly pay extra for certified quality. |
THIS.
- Dave
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>
Last edited by dhaavers on Sun Apr 21, 2019 6:16 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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0to60in6min
Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2006
Posts: 3416
Location: OR & CA (Oregon/California)
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 6:15 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| Quote: |
| If one of our vendors would offer a service to pre inspect parts |
VC sent me a while ago a brake fluid cap for testing... I reported back as good as OEM...
which means VC/RMW do test their products... - how extensive? I don't know  |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6563
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 8:01 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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Just checking in after twelve days sans signals, and just want to say I'm glad some comments go unmoderated for being above mere poli-differences.
Sometimes we gotta discuss why things are as they are and what we might do to change bad trends.
To wit, Thanks Taboo and Dave.
So far as rubber, it's unreal how staggering advances are made in one area (race tires and rock shoes!) while crap pseudo-rubber is worse than it's been for decades (used in most all else).
We must be saps for not returning every piece of junk we buy.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22668
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 3:52 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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MsTaboo is 99% on point.
Too many of us grope for the elixir of the “ lowest price” button on a website, And the market has responded by putting good parts producers out of business. People gouge on OG stuff which doesn’t help either.
Prime example of this Bosch rebuilt stuff. Talking to people in trade I learned a few years ago Bosch outsourced rebuilding overseas and the QC went to shinola. That nicely boxed Bosch starter you get from any of vendors is probably crap
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.ssS! |
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the joker
Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2006
Posts: 1287
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 4:19 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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they(manufactures/vendors) should all be ashamed , as we all know , money /profit, is the root of this, and of course the web's easy cheap button doesn't help.
don't even get me started about the chinese knock offs of everything! |
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Tbob
Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2007
Posts: 417
Location: Pensacola, Fl.
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 4:49 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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In whatever industry I am working in, I see the same thing, but I do lay the blame firmly at the feet of the consumer. We are the ones who make the purchasing decisions that allow those big faceless corporations to rake in their profits. So, when I click on that lowest price button, even though I think I am scoring, maybe not so much. If we handled our purchasing decisions differently, you darn bet that those big corporations would respond to rake in the profits under our new purchasing perameters. since I think it is correct that it is all about profits (and isn't it in your life, too, would you take a job that paid you less over one that paid you more if you percieved that all else was the same?) So, next purchasing decision, think about it.
I have a set of sears guardsman radials holding up one of my parts vans that are 40 years old, Still supple, crack free. I probabaly would not drive on them, but-----? The latest tires (well, second latest) set I bought for one of my winter rigs cracked to unusability in just over 6 years. Tire manufacturer declined any sort of warranty, stating periods of inactivity(summers) as the cause. But then there are those Guardsmans-----!
Thanks, Danhoug for the lesson on pilates. I knew exercise was over rated, and potentially bad for me, and here is proof! Whay, you say, its phalates,not pilates? Pesky "h"!
_________________
1969 Deluxe, owned since 1973
1973 Westfalia, owned since 1983
1980 Westfalia, watercooled conversion
1985 Westfalia, stock!
1986 Westfakia, Audi I-4 conversion
A couple of trucks and a couple of Jeeps |
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Paulbeard
Samba Member
Joined: July 10, 2015
Posts: 2604
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 7:36 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| Tbob wrote: |
| In whatever industry I am working in, I see the same thing, but I do lay the blame firmly at the feet of the consumer. We are the ones who make the purchasing decisions that allow those big faceless corporations to rake in their profits. So, when I click on that lowest price button, even though I think I am scoring, maybe not so much. |
This.
Lower prices means lower wages, cheaper materials, shoddier quality. We've wrung out all the efficiencies and optimizations already. The only savings left are in quality.
_________________
Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs
— dhaavers |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6563
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 9:36 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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Doubling on ^^^ "This" ^^^
We the buyers are absolutely 100% at blame here, our dollar is our investment in what we want our world to be. Social costs far outweigh giving good money to bad people, we've been flush and we've been broke and it's just not all that (except when it is  ).
So far as Vanagons, I see real passion with some big parts players and they deserve us.
As long as that's alive in us all, these rigs have time. Or hoard a few bucks and buy only knockoff parts, and we are all in real trouble.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6563
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 11:51 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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I gotta say, with as bad of luck as we've had with mechanics at times, I can't recall a single, early failure from bad parts over our 60,000 miles so far.
But that's probably selective memory.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16879
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:37 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| Tbob wrote: |
| In whatever industry I am working in, I see the same thing, but I do lay the blame firmly at the feet of the consumer. We are the ones who make the purchasing decisions that allow those big faceless corporations to rake in their profits. So, when I click on that lowest price button, even though I think I am scoring, maybe not so much. |
meh....I dunno if that's 100% true, or at least blaming the consumer 100%.
if I made doodads and it cost me 8.00 a doodad but wholesale was 13.00 that means there is a 5.00 profit per doodad. everyone likes my doodads, so I sell to a reseller. that guy wants my doodads at 10.00 because he is going to buy 100,000.
next wholesaler come along, wants 200k doodads at 9.00 each. so now you have 2 resellers watering it down with an "internal" price war before it even hits the consumer.... me being the doodad maker can negotiate less for materials because now I can say "well, I'm buying 4x the plastic, so can I get a better rate"
the wholesalers did this to us...we as consumers are forced to buy what's offered to us. the only way for the mfgr to make a product is to rely on a wholesaler to re-sell it (unless it's from production floor to shelf...which isn't the case for many products)
so, I blame the middleman over the consumer. we as consumers look for the best value (cough cheapest price) so you can have an identical product from 2 different resellers and 2 different prices...
to put it another way...
woldpac was a wholesaler for shops, period. they got in bed with advanced auto, o rileys and a couple others that escape me at the moment. at any rate...they are selling to the public at or below "wholesale" accounts now....so I say fuckem and buy 99% of what I need from the dealer because that is my best chance at a successful repair
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| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22668
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 1:19 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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The whole F Volvo forum skunked me for buying OEM EVAP hoses, and one guy actually texted me to say his UROs were split ...in the box.
That isnt even an OBQ failure - he didn't even get to take it out of the box.
the Volvo hoses were 4x the price of the UROs - the rubber was thick, fit was perfect, and Ill have to replace them again in 2029.
If were on someones labor clock you can BYA I would only use OEM
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.ssS! |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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jismay
Samba Member
Joined: February 02, 2010
Posts: 219
Location: Norco, CA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 4:57 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| djkeev wrote: |
IF only we could purchase VW dealer parts at any cost?
One nice thing about old Mercedes, they have a great older vehicle parts system. You pay for them, but you get proper fitting original quality stuff.
Dave |
Old BMW Motorcycles are much the same. I can buy almost any part I need for a 1970 R75/5 straight from/via BMW. Not always the cheapest, but at least available. I really wish I could say the same about some VW parts, especially the Type3 and Type4 parts.
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1970 Squareback with 1915cc dual 40idf
1979 Beetle Convertible
1980 Vanagon Westfalia
1989 VW Cabriolet |
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levi
Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2005
Posts: 5522
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 4:59 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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I see everything being driven by the wants, or needs, or egos, or ignorance of the consumer.
Am I wrong? I dunno, maybe.
But peoples priorities are more heavily weighted towards having the newest 1,000 $ phone than having higher quality tires that cost an extra .05 cents per day.
But Marvin McAverage out there, he doesn't even want to do an oil change, he just drives until something breaks or makes a funny noise.
He isn't fixing it himself, he just goes to a mechanic and asks "How much?", and then calls another mechanic, and whoever gives him the cheapest price, well, that's where he goes.
I believe that makes up 95% of the population or more, so that has to drive the market.
If you're running a shop you're required to cater to the ignorance of the majority, and the majority will set the bar.
The people want it done cheap because they don't even know there's a difference or what the difference is.
Does 3% of the population do their own work?
I'd guess at less, but I don't know.
And then maybe 10% of that 3%, is that how many know what they're doing?
I think every manufacturer is willing, actually forced, to accept dissatisfaction from a small percentage of the population (the percentage that understands), in exchange for a monstrous percentage of sales to the ignorant.
_________________
One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way
https://youtu.be/cSrL0BXsO40 |
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xoo00oox
Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2010
Posts: 2672
Location: East Nassau, NY
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 5:15 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| djkeev wrote: |
IF only we could purchase VW dealer parts at any cost?
One nice thing about old Mercedes, they have a great older vehicle parts system. You pay for them, but you get proper fitting original quality stuff.
Dave |
I mentioned this in that other thread, parts from the dealer can no longer always be trusted as parts that will last. VW dealers are selling parts that are made in China! It comes in a box with all the VW/Audi emblems on it but it is the same shit that the aftermarket is selling but at about four times the price.
Try to buy an ignition coil for a V6 Passat, they'll sell you one that is made in China. It comes with a one year warranty and they typically seem to last about 13 months and costs over $300.
If I put one on my clusters car and it goes bad in just over a year, I end buying a new one and putting it on their car because I feel it should last longer that. I end up backing up the part, the dealer does nothing for me and the old coil ends up in the trash. The original coil that was on that car when it was new was made in Germany and would typically last about 10 years. |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22668
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 6:50 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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FCP In CT has become my go to for my six car fleet,soon to be seven.
Part six are about 8% more than other portals . And the same with shipping.
They warranty all parts for life. Just packing up last quarters parts for about $500 credit
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skills@eurocarsplus
Samba Peckerhead
Joined: January 01, 2007
Posts: 16879
Location: sticksville, ct.
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 9:04 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| Abscate wrote: |
FCP In CT has become my go to for my six car fleet,soon to be seven.
Part six are about 8% more than other portals . And the same with shipping.
They warranty all parts for life. Just packing up last quarters parts for about $500 credit |
FCP was not too far from me. they are part of the problem. they also are worldpac customers...and guess what....on some items (most) they are cheaper than my worldpacit rep can sell to me for. it's insane.
I will use them for personal cars, but not customers. xoo00oox, I feel your frustration. some Volvo shit is direct from china too. but...sometimes it's the best option.
we are on a race to the bottom....I've said that for years. reality is...now more than ever manufacturers don't want your car to last much longer than the payments. plain and simple....shit, even 2007-2008 cars are long in the tooth now...and generally cost prohibitive to keep going when catastrophe strikes.
_________________
| gprudenciop wrote: |
my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese....... |
| Jake Raby wrote: |
| Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public. |
| Brian wrote: |
| Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history |
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