AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

[Gene M.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

One thing is for sure if Americans are not put back to work, there will be no United States of America. Everybody can't live on unemployment or welfare.

[Duke W.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Duke,
I think we sell our workers a little short, sometimes. I have never seen a Chinese product that matches the quality of an American made one. Never. And still being in the heavy manufacturing business, I hear all sorts of stories about people having to replace cheap Chinese junk, after it breaks, with what they previously used.
I also have less anger towards the unions than I used to and more towards management and Boards of Directors that gave in to union bargaining. They are the owners and owner's representatives of these companies and have not run them in sustainable fashions. Their pay is too high for them to need to make sure the company survives for the long term. That said, there seems to be a change in the atmosphere in Detroit. I think they have had the "you know what" scared out of them.

George

I agree that a lot of current Chinese manufactured products are junk, but I don't think it's because of low quality labor, but the use of the least expensive components to keep the price low, and I think this has been a trend going back to the seventies - long before so much manufacturing moved offshore.

I remember my parents had a GE coffee percolator that must have lasted at least 20 years. Modern plastic drip coffee makers last about five years going back to the Mr. Coffee units from the seventies that were probably made here. Either the heating element burns out of the switch fails. If you get five years out of them, you're doing okay, so I just buy two of the cheapest I can find - as little at ten bucks - one to use and one on-hand spare, and if I get five years out of each one I figure I got my money's worth.

I recall seeing a documentary on these small high end hand painted model cars. The painting is done by young Chinese women who make about a buck a day live, work six days a week - probably 10-12 hours a day, and live in dorms next to the factory They are virtually endentured servants, but are very hard working and skilled at their craft.

If you want the full story on what brought down Detroit, read Ingrassio's book that I discussed a couple of weeks ago. Yes, senior managers and boards were asleep at the switch (as was the case with banks in the recent financial crisis), but there was a fundamental problem - a monopoly calls the shots and determines whether a company survives or not. So managements negotiated the best deals they could from the UAW, but slowly bleed to death over a 30-40 year period - so slowly that most people didn't notice and never expected the host would die including the UAW.

I've read other accounts of union-management conflicts where managements threatened to shut down the plant if they couldn't get costs down. In most cases the unions would not budge, so the plants were shut down and everyone, including non-union, lost their jobs - kind of like a parasite that is too dumb to not to kill its host!

Duke

[Clem Z.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

They just announced that the last sardine factory in Maine, and in the US is closing down partially due to the harvest limits placed on the herring. The majority of the sardines sold in the US today come from China and Thailand.

We have done to ourselves by electing politicians that are utterly clueless, by the laziness of the American worker, demanding more rewards for less work, I could just go on and on.

when only 50% of the people in this country pay taxes who do you think the pols cater too and it ain't the workers because they are too busy working to protest in washington and sometimes to busy to vote. this had better change in 2010 or we are all doomed. i can't believe they now have 90 weeks of unemployment

[George J.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Duke,
I agree about the "cheapificaton" of products, but I still think that there is a difference, in our favor, of the workers of this country compared to others - for the most part.
Regarding the unions, as a business owner, I can see the poor decsions being made for quarterly profits, which drive bonuses. As important as the workers of a company are, it is the management that is ultimately responsible. If my company goes out of business, no one will fault the employees or even remember their names. They will, mine.
Living across the street from a former GM accountant/lawyer I heard that they had an extensive plan in place to fight the unions in 1999, but didn't have the guts to go ahead.

George

[Clem Z.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Duke,
I agree about the "cheapificaton" of products, but I still think that there is a difference, in our favor, of the workers of this country compared to others - for the most part.
Regarding the unions, as a business owner, I can see the poor decsions being made for quarterly profits, which drive bonuses. As important as the workers of a company are, it is the management that is ultimately responsible. If my company goes out of business, no one will fault the employees or even remember their names. They will, mine.
Living across the street from a former GM accountant/lawyer I heard that they had an extensive plan in place to fight the unions in 1999, but didn't have the guts to go ahead.

George

the auto unions had the BIG? 3 over a barrel because if the struck one company and left the other two alone the two that were running would gain market share on the one on strike so the companies gave them what they wanted. i think bonuses should be outlawed and a lot of this crooked stuff would not go on.

[Timothy B.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Remember that 25% of the people in the world are Chinese. Also, there are as many lawyers as doctors in US now. I am sure with Obama care even less doctors to come. Maybe we can sue the Chinese for something, they will take anything we give up and exploit any weekness we show.

Remember, "Wheather you like it or not we are a superpower"!! real leadership there..

Maybe the goverment is going to employ everyone, that's true democracy in action.

I agree the way to keep our country is at the ballot box and if it does not happen this fall...

[Bob J.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

An incredibly interesting thread. As an engineer growing up in heavy manufacturing and design throughout the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and into Y2K+ I can state that unequivicably the death of heavy manufacturing in the US is being planned right now. And it is not by folks offshore. They are just exploiting what we are doing to ourselves. Its not always the chase for cheaper labor or environmental/labor issues but mostly it is the chase for higher short term profit. Remember, we elected the folks who gave us the EPA and all the rest.
Back to corvettes. I agree with Joe. The original torque thrust wheels were often failure prone on the drag strips I frequented in my youth. The Mag Wheels were even worse. Most serious reacers treated them as bling and not racetrack material. Myself, I always loved the street look of the torque thrusts and the ones built by (sic) "American Racing" are at least true to the original design and from what I have seen are far more rugged and could be used on a track.

The ony way we can fix this assault on American manufacturers is in the voting booth as the founders of our nation envisioned.

Jim ,
I think I have to disagree with you on the "original" American Racing Torque Thrusts being failure prone.
I saved for a very long time in the 60s to afford a set and never had a problem with them .
I now own quite a few "original" 60s vintage AR Torque Thrust wheels, including a few sets of magnesium wheels,and again never a problem.
American Racing Magnesuim wheels were actually available from GM for Corvette and Camaros through their HD parts program.

Not the be argumentative,but American Racing vintage wheels are the most popular and expensive to collect of all 1960s vintage 5 spoke wheels. Bob

[Chris H.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

And the word is HAD. Today you see the UAW dropping fast. If they strike Ford (do not laugh) Ford will lose market share/profit quickly because there are lots of other companies in this country that use non union and have no worries of strikes. The unions know this and are giving in fast to keep competitive. They should be so happy though that President Obama supported the UAW through the bankruptcies and they lost very little if anything.

[Terry M.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Also, as I have said previously, if one is rigidly adverse to foreign manufactured components, don't even think about buying a new car, including a new Corvette. The foreign parts content of new cars, including and especially Corvette, is HUGE.

Define HUGE.

From my memory the NORTH AMERICAN content of my 2008 is 78%. Next time I am in the garage I will verify that, but I believe it to be correct.

On the subject of wheels: For the C6 the early wheels were made in Italy, but by 2008 they were made (cast) in China.

[Steven B.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Bob, a dealer told me years ago that AR's were available through his parts department. Which years were they available? I am guessing late 60's early 70's if I remember correctly.

Thanks!

Steve

[Jerry G.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Good grief. If the American consumer wants everything cheap then put in place "free trade" agreements. If you want to preserve jobs and a manufacturing base then put in place reasonable tariff and trade agreements with countries like China. The American worker, union or not, can't survive on the dollar a day a Chinese worker is will to take. Let's move forward, and I really wish the subjects covered on this board were confined to technical matters. Jerry

[Bob J.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Bob, a dealer told me years ago that AR's were available through his parts department. Which years were they available? I am guessing late 60's early 70's if I remember correctly.

Thanks!

Steve

Steve,
in 1968 they were listed in various widths for Corvettes and Camaros. Michael Hanson told me later in the year (1968) they were dropped from the HD parts section.
Hope this helps, Bob

[Jack H.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Also, there are as many lawyers as doctors in US now.

An INTERESTING twist on the issue of health care reform that was left unturned by politicians on both sides of the aisle is the 'ACC' function adopted in New Zealand.

Essentially, they created an independent company (Accident Coverage Corporation) that derives funding from various taxes and it provides 100% coverage for ALL accident related injuries (coverage is for everyone in New Zealand including migrants--that's you if you vacation there!).

As an offset, they essentially ELIMINATED tort law for accident caused injuries. That means NO P&I guys chasing the ambulance, NO malpractice insurance for hosptials, doctors and other care givers, and NO workmans compensation policies/premiums for business owners to pay!

Some States here (e.g. California) have legislated to limit injury awards, and it's had little/no impact of the legal system. BUT, that puts the focus on the 'tip' of the iceberg instead of the base...

Once there's no money to be made (New Zealand DOES allow suites for 'explary damages' but getting there without litigating the underlying issues of the case is almost a worthless effort), attorneys are forced to go find 'legitimate' work...

[Jim S.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Almost three years ago I sent letters to seven of the major Corvette suppliers. In the letters I outlined my concern about the lack of shoulder bolts in the flexible coupling rebuild kits that they were advertising and selling for C2/C3 Corvettes. Also I addressed the off-shore manufactured flexible coupling assemblies that they were selling with the flat machined on the wrong side of the flange.

It is disheartening to know that three years after expressing my concerns, absolutely nothing has been changed or corrected. Of course it must take quite a while for a letter to be translated and forwarded to China.

I did get one letter back expressing that standard bolts were perfectly acceptable to clamp rubber. I am not going to debate someone that must have flunked fastener theory 101.
Jim

[Ridge K.]

Re: AAmerican Racing Wheel manufactured in China!

Also, there are as many lawyers as doctors in US now.

An INTERESTING twist on the issue of health care reform that was left unturned by politicians on both sides of the aisle is the 'ACC' function adopted in New Zealand.

Essentially, they created an independent company (Accident Coverage Corporation) that derives funding from various taxes and it provides 100% coverage for ALL accident related injuries (coverage is for everyone in New Zealand including migrants--that's you if you vacation there!).

As an offset, they essentially ELIMINATED tort law for accident caused injuries. That means NO P&I guys chasing the ambulance, NO malpractice insurance for hosptials, doctors and other care givers, and NO workmans compensation policies/premiums for business owners to pay!

Some States here (e.g. California) have legislated to limit injury awards, and it's had little/no impact of the legal system. BUT, that puts the focus on the 'tip' of the iceberg instead of the base...

Once there's no money to be made (New Zealand DOES allow suites for 'explary damages' but getting there without litigating the underlying issues of the case is almost a worthless effort), attorneys are forced to go find 'legitimate' work...

At an annual direct cost to the economy of $250 billion, the lawsuit industry represents about 2 percent of the entire American economy. That's twice the percentage of gross domestic product as is taken up by lawsuits in Germany and three times that of France and Great Britain. These numbers do not even include most securities litigation or the billions of dollars paid by tobacco companies as a result of the famous 50-state lawsuit in the 1990s. Nor do they include indirect costs from rampant lawsuits, such as the amount of good behavior deterred through fear of legal action or the expensive, unnecessary tests ordered by doctors to avoid spurious malpractice suits.