What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

[Stan E.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

I agree with Gene. I'm going to throw away the "Made in Mexaco" headlight switch in my 63 Duntov. When I posted against foreign car purchases several board members spanked me. Only one response didn't and I couldn't understand his response. stan 19259

[George C.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

As long as you have American workers demanding $30.00 an hour to sweep floors it will never happen . I watched a TV program where one company told their people if they demand higher wages (union) they would have to close down, and the lowest person in the company was getting $30.00 an hour. That's right they did and the company closed and went over seas , one year later the same TV program went back to that same town where people were hurting ( no work) asking the same people "NOW" if the same company came back offering $20.00 to sweep their floors would you take the job? Every one said YES!! They would take $10.00 an hour NOW!

NO sweeper makes "demands" $30.00 an hour, if he does make 30 bucks how much is the CEO of the company making a year to make BAD decisions after BAD decisions to send the company overseas ?
Keep blaming the union. Hogwash ! I really get a kick on here reading the critics blaming unions and Bad mouthing the American auto workers,etc "unskilled high paying American jobs" (that no one in America will every see again). DO you have the guts to tell a Bowling Green worker and his family he makes too much an hour. Maybe all Corvette production should go to Vietnam, great cheap labor rates there.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Good will towards mankind. GOD Bless America. !

[Michael W.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

Gene,

Your plan might just backfire by causing the overseas manufacturers to make better quality, undetectable repro parts. This in turn would simply drive the price up and divert more money elsewhere.

The villains in this story are not the people overseas that make these parts- it's the people here who create the demand for the cheapest product. Compare the price of domestically made exhaust tips for a early 70s C3 to the easily available imported parts. $400 vs. $55. What do you think 99% of people will choose?

[Page C.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

Don't know the GM restoration policy but don't the repro C2 horns have made Made in the USA cast in them just like the originals and are made in some other county?
Regards,
Page Campbell

[Joe L.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

Don't know the GM restoration policy but how don't the repro C2 horns have made Made in the USA cast in them just like the originals and are made in some other county?
Regards,
Page Campbell

Page------


I don't think it's a question of GM Restoration Parts policy. I believe it is illegal under federal law to label a part "Made in USA" if it's made in some other country. As far as I know, there are no exceptions for reproduction parts. If there are reproduction parts out there that are made in a foreign country but are embossed "Made in USA", as far as I know, they're illegal. Of course, that does not mean they are not out there; there are lots of illegal things out there.

In some way, this is similar to the requirement for the "DOT" embossment on tires. Reproduction sources can make the tires virtually 100% accurate, but they still have to include the "DOT" on the sidewall which, for pre-1968 is a "dead-give-away" that the tire is a reproduction. There are no exceptions from federal regulations for reproduction tires, so it has to be there.

[Edward S.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

After reading all the posts regarding getting the NCRS to be a cutting edge leader in the auto industry - I think we should discuss what Americans are doing to Americans. We had a post from Canada, how do American Drug Companies sell drugs to Canada and other countries at a price cheaper than USA pricing? In an area close to my heart what will be the grand total of monies that were spent to bail out 2 out of 3 major auto makers and we were told these Companies were making alot of models that no one wanted to buy. If that statement is true God Bless GM for coming out with a great looking Camaro - too bad most dealers did not get the message. It seems as soon as the dealers saw the orders rolling in, the first thing most did was start selling at prices way above the sticker price. They had a car that alot of people wanted, so they quickly started sticking it to their buyers. Seems to me some people never learn and I hope down the road no one starts looking for a second bail out
God Bless America.

[Sandra H.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

The days of most things being truly "Made in America" is pretty well blurred by a truly global economy now.
A lot of stuff comes from China (and many other countries), but they get a great deal of their raw materials and machinery from here.

Really started paying attention to this some years back when in the market for a small size pickup.
Checked out a Mazda, which was made in the states.....and then a small Chev, which was not. Went with the Mazda. Good little vehicle and helped support American workers.

Don't see any good solution anymore, except don't buy junk...no matter who makes it.

Sandy

[Chuck L.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

The only thing we can do to support made in the USA is tell all our neighbors, friends, and relatives that all cars are made of plastic, glass and metal, and all the engineers in the world go to the same Universities to learn how to engineer and design them. So, what's left... Marketing and Advertising . Everyone is on the same baseline to begin with and the only thing left to send people to American dealers is word of mouth. I have been driving every make of car since 1976 and none beats GM!

[Phil D.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

Don't see any good solution anymore, except don't buy junk...no matter who makes it.

Sandy

I am so with you on this. I always try to research every purchase and buy stuff I know is going to last but its getting tough to find quality products from anywhere anymore. My mother told me when I was little that one of the reasons poor people remain poor is that they buy the cheapest item they can find at Walmart and pretty soon they're back in Walmart buying another to replace the one that broke. Should have just bought a quality product in the first place. But sometimes, I just have to go with what little is available or buy as good as I can afford. And yes, my Corvette is still on the road thanks to a handful of Taiwanese parts and even a few Chinese tools. But regardless, its still America's sports car, a tribute to Yankee engineering and union labor.

[Ray C.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

I purchased a clutch system from NAPA. In big bold letters on the box it stated: "USA" and in very small letters "imported by", very, very misleading. The pressure plate, throw-out bearing and friction disk were made in China, South Korea and Mexico and packaged in one box (Imported USA). After having trouble adjusting the clutch, I contacted the NAPA store where I purchased the clutch and described the problem with the clutch. After the clerk made a few calls, he stated they had problems with this clutch in Corvettes. Go figure, system parts from three countries, in a USA box and they wouldn't work. I try and find original parts when possible and restore them the best can. I get full originality points, but take a hit on condition points on occasion. I still have an American made 61 Corvette.

I ended up using a LUK clutch.

Ray

[Sandra H.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

Amen to that, Phil

[Greg L.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

Ray I had to chuckle when I read your post...yes you do have to carefull.

I'm Canadian and about 8 years ago I bought a small carry-on tool box from Home Depot for work. It had a sticker on the back that said "Made in Canada" I was happy to be buying something domestic(Made in Canada or Made in USA are both good in my books). Anyways a few years ago the "Made in Canada" sticker started to peel off so I took it off all together. Guess what was EMBOSED underneath it......"Made in USA". I thought that was pretty funny. I guess what Home Depot was trying to say is that just the sticker was made in Canada and not the box!

[Jamie F.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

Gary & Joe,
Many parts are made overseas and are embossed with "Made in USA" on them. I have in my hand a repro '69 rear view mirror and on the bottom it is embossed "Made in USA" and right over the USA part is a nice gold sticker that says "Tawain" that you peel off.
This gets it by customs, is to the letter of the law, and sold by all the repro houses.

As to Floyd and your Frontier, you are right, they do employ US workers. But they also get massive tax breaks for the land and plant. Major components like engines and trans are made overseas, and all the profits from the vehicle sale go back to Japan and "costs" are exagerated so they pay no US taxes. Big differences between the transplants and US corps. I worked with a Japanese automotive company and the way margins and cost were structured just token US taxes were paid.
And please lets not ever get into the "my Japanese vehicle went a billion miles with one oil change" stories. My Dodge RAM has 260K miles and literally nothing has failed on it but a water pump at 225K, so for every justification story there is one opposite that can do it one better.

[Michael W.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

I ended up using a LUK clutch.

Ray

Where was that part made? LuK is a German company I believe with only distributing facilities in the US.

[John H.]

Re: What can NCRS do to support made in USA?

Where was that part made? LuK is a German company I believe with only distributing facilities in the US.

Mike -

That's correct - LuK is the largest supplier of OEM clutches in the world, but has no manufacturing facilities in North America.