Larry A Hoy wrote:
>
> Hi Nick, been there done that. I bought the jack made in China, hated to
> do it, but couldn't justify the difference. I bought mine at Costco.
>
> I might add; the last part I purchased from Moss came from China!
>
> >>>SNIP>>>
> >
> >There seems to be two countries of origin and two prices:
> >
> >Made in China.....................$70-$120
> >
> >Made In USA.......................$350-$425
> >
> >I always prefer to buy American, but I'm almost forced not to in this
> case
> >since the price difference is massive.
> >
> >I would pay double for American made, but not triple!
> >
> >Nick D. Benson
> >Department of Construction Management and Manufacturing Technology,
> >Colorado State University,
> >Fort Collins CO
> >
Oh Dear, Oh Dear, Oh Dear!!! Now HERE'S a subject that will REALLY get
me going!
As a limey beavering away in the States restoring British cars, I get
REALLY upset each time I unwrap a part from Moss and the little gold
coloured label proudly proclaims the fact that it was made in Taiwan.
3 years ago I wrote to Moss and complained they had increased some of
their prices of foreign made parts at a rate greater than the current
rate of inflation, or the rate of exchange, (their excuse for the rise,
published as an apology in their newsletter, was the British pound had
risen against the weakness of the US dollar). They told me that they
had to buy forward several months and had to try to anticipate the
variations in the exchange rate. What this had to do with parts made in
Taiwan, I have no idea.
Later that year Britain withdrew from the EMF and the pound fell 25% in
several weeks. I looked forward to corresponding falls in the price of
British sourced spares in Moss' catalogue, and wrote to them saying I
was looking forward to NOTICEABLE REDUCTIONS. No such thing. When I
wrote again pointing out there had been a fall of 25% in the value of
the pound against the dollar, and what reductions in the price of spares
made in Britain could I now expect, I received no reply. I am still
waiting for a reply.
I suppose some will argue that as America is loosing it's manufacturing
base to third world countries such as Mexico, Taiwan, China etc.,
consumers here will benefit from lower prices. They are probably right,
but is there then any wonder the US is the biggest debtor nation on the
face of the earth.
On the other hand, it might be interesting to speculate as to what the
cost of repairing/restoring an MGB or TD would be if all the parts were
to be made in Britain or the US? Would any LBC still be on the road? I
wonder what will happen to the price of spares when the balanced budget
bill gets through the house.
I have a Chinese jack. It leaks. I have Chinese jack stands. They look
flimsy and I don't trust them. I have Taiwanese bumpers on my TD and
they rust, and I have fitted gawd knows how many fuel sender units, all
made in Taiwan, and they ALL leak.
I could go on!
Geoff Love, The ENGLISH Connection.
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