AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

[Richard G.]

I was looking into purchase aftermarket wheels for me 1957 Corvette. I wanted to thank everyone for their input on the size(s) that I could use on my 57. The input from other members also included tire sizes that would fit, this information was much appreciated. I really wanted the Torque Thrust style wheels and I went to the American Racing Wheel site looking for more information on the wheels and ended up wondering about the country of origin. This is what I have found so far:

For everyone's information I looked into http://www.americanracing.com and checked out their wheels. Very little information about the company on their site and no email links to ask questions about the wheels or country of origin. So a little digging and some emails to dealers I found out every American Racing wheel sold is manufactured in China.... The company used to be owned by a mining conglomerate and looks like it was spun off more than once. Frankly I was never able to find the owners or record. I thought I was looking for a securities backed mortgage holder for a second. I did notice it is a very carefully worded internet site. You can find the new styles of wheels and the races they sponsor but not a word where they are manufactured. Sometimes what is missing from a Internet site is as important as what they say!
I am not putting China wheels on my Corvette period. Especially "American Racing Wheels" build in China. Frankly I think there should be a law on the use of American on any foreign built products. The American name on foreign products is marketing at its worse, in my opinion. So my wheels will be American built or I will use steel wheels if I had to, but certainly no Chinese built wheels.

I found http://www.aewheel.com (American Eagle) Boss Rims is another wheel company that builds wheels in America. I am not under any illusions my Vette may have some China stuff on it somewhere but if it have a choice it will be American built just like the Car... Ok off the box. Thanks Guys for listening to my story.
Rick

[Joe L.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

I was looking into purchase aftermarket wheels for me 1957 Corvette. I wanted to thank everyone for their input on the size(s) that I could use on my 57. The input from other members also included tire sizes that would fit, this information was much appreciated. I really wanted the Torque Thrust style wheels and I went to the American Racing Wheel site looking for more information on the wheels and ended up wondering about the country of origin. This is what I have found so far:

For everyone's information I looked into http://www.americanracing.com and checked out their wheels. Very little information about the company on their site and no email links to ask questions about the wheels or country of origin. So a little digging and some emails to dealers I found out every American Racing wheel sold is manufactured in China.... The company used to be owned by a mining conglomerate and looks like it was spun off more than once. Frankly I was never able to find the owners or record. I thought I was looking for a securities backed mortgage holder for a second. I did notice it is a very carefully worded internet site. You can find the new styles of wheels and the races they sponsor but not a word where they are manufactured. Sometimes what is missing from a Internet site is as important as what they say!
I am not putting China wheels on my Corvette period. Especially "American Racing Wheels" build in China. Frankly I think there should be a law on the use of American on any foreign built products. The American name on foreign products is marketing at its worse, in my opinion. So my wheels will be American built or I will use steel wheels if I had to, but certainly no Chinese built wheels.

I found http://www.aewheel.com (American Eagle) Boss Rims is another wheel company that builds wheels in America. I am not under any illusions my Vette may have some China stuff on it somewhere but if it have a choice it will be American built just like the Car... Ok off the box. Thanks Guys for listening to my story.
Rick

Rick------


You didn't need to do all the investigating as to the current manufacturing source for American Racing wheels. You could have asked right here and I would have told you that all current American Racing wheels are made in China. They aren't the only wheel manufacturer that makes all their wheels in foreign countries, either. Most of the major manufacturers make their wheels in foreign countries from Mexico to China. I think that Hayes Wheel, the supplier of Corvette and other GM wheels for many years, has only one plant left in the US, if it even has that one anymore.

Many, many GM cars, including Corvette, for years have used wheels made in foreign countries. Did you ever notice that stylized and ubiquitous "JW" embossed on the outer face of many GM aluminum wheels? Well, that "JW" denotes "Japan Wheel". Not all Japan Wheel products are made in Japan but, as far as I know, none are made here in the US.

American Racing is now just a BRAND. After the "mag wheel" craze of the 60's wore out, American Racing, basically, went into "hibernation". As you say, the brand changed hands several time but, basically, all that was being sold was the name, not a manufacturing operation.

It's like Curtis-Mathes televisions. 40 years ago, Curtis-Mathes was THE premier manufacturer of televisions. One had to go to a Curtis-Mathes store, where they sold nothing else but Curtis-Mathes TV's, to buy them, they were US-manufactured, and they cost at least twice as much as any other TV's on the market. They were THE BEST. Period. In fact, my father bought a console model at the Curtis-Mathes store in San Jose, CA in 1978. I still have it and it still works PERFECTLY after 32 years without a single repair EVER. It still produces a picture that will rival any non HD set on the market today. I recently bought a 58" flat panel but I'm keeping the Curtis-Mathes. I just could not bear to see it tossed into the junk heap.

Well, Curtis-Mathes went out-of-business many years ago and the brand was defunct for quite a few years. However, it came back. I believe that K Mart bought the BRAND and you can buy "Curtis-Mathes" TV's there now. They're real cheap, of course, and just the sort of thing that K Mart sells. What an insult to a once-glorious and prestigious brand name! But, that's how it goes with BRANDS. That's all they are anymore; just a name with absolutely NOTHING to back it up. Now, they'll "wear down" the name until it has no value, at all (or, K Mart goes belly-up, whichever occurs first) and then it will be dead for all-time.

[Thomas O.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

I certainly agree with your position. Your are standing up for a factor our country needs to a large degree. We will always need individuals that are skilled in occupations such as manufacturing.

When a product is labeled as American and is made overseas you have every reason to stand up and object vigrously. Foreign made and almost fits isn't good enough in many instances.

How are the foreign countries doing in accepting our agricultural products i.e. American Beef?

I just can't expect our labor to compete with those countries in which their laborers have a life style and a standard of living far below ours. My older vettes are original in every way. TOM

[Michael F.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

I try to only buy american, sometimes you have no choice, maybe you can find an "old" used set in decent shape that was indeed made in the good ole USA. However, I would rather have made in mexico than china, at least it is part of the "americas" I remember when made in japan and mexico was considered trash and cheap...lol, those were the good days but then we priced ourselves out of the market.

[Joe L.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

I remember when made in japan and mexico was considered trash and cheap...

Michael------


Yes, that was then, this is now. Today, the stuff made in Japan is considered the epitome of quality in most cases. If you go out and buy Sony, Mitsubishi, etc. "consumer" electronic gear for your house, the chances are it will be made in China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, etc. But, if you buy the real HIGH END Sony, Onkyo, etc. gear----the kind of stuff where you pay 2000 bucks for a receiver, that stuff will usually be made in Japan. Same with a lot of other stuff.

Don't get the idea that manufacturing is completely dead in the USA. The USA is still, by value, the largest source of manufactured goods in the world. 21% of the world's manufactured goods are made in the USA. China is second with 17%. However, a large amount of the USA-manufactured goods are high-end sort of goods which are not sold into consumer markets, at all. Mostly, these are industrial or commercial products. Also, a lot of US manufacturing, while performed by US workers, is done for foreign-owned corporations (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, etc., etc., etc.).

In time, however, I see the USA's 21% trending downward and China's 17% trending upward. I see even the high-end stuff still made here going to China and elsewhere. They've got their quality up now and rising. They'll be hard to stop from moving into markets now dominated by US manufacturers.

[Steven B.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Rick, if you want high quality American made wheels that look like American TT's try PS Vintage Wheels. Phil has made wheels for years and they look like the originals and are likely a whole lot better. He does beautiful Halibrands, MiniLite, etc. Tell him what you want and he will carve you a set.

Steve

[Jack H.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

I don't know what this China 'bashing' is all about and frankly I don't care. Seems to me we've forgotten that during WW2, China was our friend and Japan was our foe...

I had an employee whose father flew with Jimmy Doolittle and ditched his plane in China after his 60 Seconds Over Toyko. A decent number of Chineese patriots who covered for him while they transported him inland and south out of China were executed by the Japanesse. While he was alive, he had no hesitation about buying products made in China IF they were of QUALITY construction.

My point: quality products can come from any source on earth. Why disciminate on source/country of origin vs. the product itself?

[David B.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

I agree with Jack 100%.

If it's about preserving US jobs, that's one issue.
If it's about buying a quality product at a reasonable price, that's another.
The marketplace decides the rest. There's good and bad, no matter where it is made.

[Chuck S.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

I don't know what this China 'bashing' is all about and frankly I don't care. Seems to me we've forgotten that during WW2, China was our friend and Japan was our foe...

The number of products actually manufactured in Japan for our markets is decreasing, for the same reason that few consumer goods are manufactured here anymore: local labor costs are too high to be competitive with other manufacturing nations. Large Japanese corporations are starting to farm their production out to Malaysia, Phillipines, China, etc. So buying Japanese doesn't mean you're getting Japanese manufacturing, but probably you are getting their engineering...maybe.

The old CRT Sony TV I recently replaced with a Panasonic plasma model was already being manufactured in MEXICO when it was purchased, not Japan! I have no idea where the Panasonic was built...only that cnet's review said it's picture was second only to Pioneer. Do I care?...Not if it lasts until I don't need it anymore.

Back in the late sixties/early seventies, I worked for General Electric. One of the perks of being a GE employee was you received discounts on purchased GE home appliances. The trick worked...I HAD to buy GE whenever possible, and continued that practice my entire adult life

Their old washers and driers were designed like tanks and built in Louisville KY...if you could resist the urge to "upgrade", they would probably last 20 years. The last, and I do mean LAST, GE washer/drier set I bought has begun to fall apart after less than ten years. The next major applicances I buy will likely be Samsung (SKorea?) or LG (??). Whirlpool may be made in ?Canada?, and they're our friends and neighbor. Maytag may be built here?, but they have always been more expensive.

What's a patroit to do?...Buy junk for more money, or buy superior (foreign) quality for the same or less money?

[Erik S.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

IMO there is one very legitamate reason why we should bash China - labor conditions

[Gene M.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

I had a posting a while back that was Titled "What can NCRS do to support made in USA". This thread is leading in that same direction of discussion.

All that I can add to this discussion is that some day it may depend on you own job or living standard that depends on supporting jobs in the USA.

The liberal press and government looses count of unemployed workers that have given up looking for a job. The real numbers of unemployed workers, counting those that don't look for work any longer is over 14 percent!

I WILL NOT USE china made parts on my vehicles, period. I still feel full deductions for non USA pieces on the older Corvettes that only had USA parts originally should be a NCRS rule.

Appearance is no longer the only method of part evaluation in flight judging. Touching as well as magnets and high powered scopes are seen in judges possession during judging. So why not sourcing?

[Duke W.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

A number of automotive products are cast or forged in China and then machined in the US. I believe this is the case with Eagle rods, and may be the case with some wheels.

Whatever the answer the simple fact is that heavy manufacturing in the US has been on the decline since the seventies and will probably continue.

Heavy manufacturing creates a lot of environmental issues, which drives up costs here as does the price of the labor involved. Chinese mfgs. can dump their waste as cheaply as possible. They have few environmental regulations. The same applies to labor law and safety conditions. The Chinese have no OSHA or the many labor laws that prevent labor exploitation and increase safety as does the US. Just look that the number of coal miner deaths they have compared to the US. Their coal mines would be shut down in the US because they would never pass US safety inspections.

But they are a "developing country" as Japan was in the fifties, and as time passes their environmental and saftey laws will close in on the developed world, wages and standard of living will improve, and their costs will approach the developed world as Japan's did by the nineties.

Import/export decisions are based on the "Theory of Comparitive Advantage", which says you should import goods that can be manufactured cheaper overseas and export home products where you have an advantage.

The US is still a leader at developing technolgy, but it often goes into production overseas, and often in new plants under close supervision of US managers/engineers, so quality is usually as good as it would be in a US plant once the labor force is trained, and the Chinese are good workers - maybe better than many US workers who expect cradle to grave benefits for as little effort as possible. That's what killed Detroit!

The implication for the US is that higher skills are required to achieve a successful career. The days of a high school dropout getting a high paying job in heavy industry and achieving a solid middle class lifestyle are long gone.

Duke

[Terry M.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

The implication for the US is that higher skills are required to achieve a successful career. The days of a high school dropout getting a high paying job in heavy industry and achieving a solid middle class lifestyle are long gone.

Duke

Amen brother. For years I have told anyone who would listen: "The only thing more expensive than a good education, is NO education."

[Patrick N.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

IMO there is one very legitamate reason why we should bash China - labor conditions

Well said Erik. I would add quality reform to bookend labor conditions.

[Timothy B.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

One thing they can't make in China and Japan is food. We lead everyone and you can't live without it..