Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2012 19:28:41 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Toasted my engine or transmission?
In-Reply-To: <CAEuQn0ZD1nmM_NtuNKEHg=xeoMxmzez_+6kvVP=h2mjapoobpg@mail.gmail.com>
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I think it's driven by the perception ..
( and cooperation, by american consumers ) that what people want Above
All ..
is Low Price.
To the point where we have to seek out suppliers and parts that offer
something other than 'the lowest price' ones there are.
Whether that's brake pads or whatever...
This is how bad it gets...
one time I bought a whole bunch of vanagon window crank handles , for ,
my cost, 36 cents.
There just is no way a part that size can be manufactured,
packaged, and shipped clear across the ocean, etc. unless it cost 6
cents to make.
And it probably did.
And there are parts so poorly made that they don't even fit, new out
of the box ...
or they fail very soon.
( things like a vanagon rear brake drum out of round brand new, with a
huge balance weight on it that fell off easily. I didn't buy it, just
found it new on someone's vanagon. The ones I buy are made in Italy, and
they're decent. )
I encourage everyone to tell all suppliers ..
We're not interested in the cheapest stuff ..
we want parts that deliver good value for a reasonable price, and that
fit right, and last well.
You won't find me in big box discount stores ..
everything about that whole system is destructive in so many ways.
I'm very happy to pay a little more for personal service, and quality
merchandize.
Boycott cheapness.
Not doing anyone any favors flooding the planet with cheap junk..
and we vote with our dollars on this issue.
On 9/24/2012 6:48 PM, Roland wrote:
> Hi David,
>
> About: "Just like Chinese manufacturing, they can do it as well as
> they choose
> to. There's a much wider range of quality coming from China, but they
> both (as countries) can produce best-in-the-world
> quality. "
>
> I can confirm this point, to perhaps help modulate the often predominant
> bashing of Chinese products.
>
> A few weeks ago I met with an US and offshore electronics
> contract manufacturer -- no lightweight, he has been doing it for over 20
> years and has lines both here and in Vietnam. His comment about Chinese
> manufacturing: they can build it for any price you want. Want an Android
> mobile for under $100, no problem. Want a better one for $150, no problem.
> Want even higher quality, no problem. They have a sliding scale of
> quality and price, you can get as high a quality as you would like.
>
> And so.... probably half of the readers guessed the next question. Why is
> it that we have this perception in the US that China only produces low
> quality items like car parts and tools [adding some Vanagon content here]?
> Well, because in Harbor Freight, Toys R US, and other outlets that is all
> we see. So we better ask this question of our own US corporations /
> importers. The obvious corollary is that we in the US can be competitive
> in exactly the same way.
>
> Roland
>
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