So I recently discovered my 55 had no lighter, as the PO had a manual choke in the spot. (My car is mostly in pieces at present) SO, I get on ebay and find a 'new' lighter and a 'new' lighter bezel. Lighter comes, in an unopened Danchuk bag. Bezel shows up a couple days later, in an unopened 'GM Restoration Parts bag. Today, I open the lighter and bezel and I thought I was going to have to go to a machine shop to have the bezel pressed on because it's ultra tight. Finally get it on, put it through the dash, and the retainer barely screws on, like maybe the bezel is too thick. Oh well. I try it out, and now the lighter works a little hard in the socket, but it heats up. I went to pull it out and the cheap plastic knob pulls right off. Wonderful. I could have gone to the local auto parts store and saved about $50 by buying a generic setup and replacing the lighter with an original one. Don't really care if it works as I don't smoke, but it is a 12 volt power source. Anybody else discover this, or did I just get lucky?
Are ALL aftermarket products crap?
1 - 20 of 28 Posts
Joined
·
6,388 Posts
Craig,
Unfortunately most everything is made in China and quality control takes back seat to price and you get what you pay for, on a good day.
American manufactures , in order to compete, have to sacrifice some where. But I will always buy the made in USA product.
Jim
Unfortunately most everything is made in China and quality control takes back seat to price and you get what you pay for, on a good day.
American manufactures , in order to compete, have to sacrifice some where. But I will always buy the made in USA product.
Jim
Joined
·
19,497 Posts
10-4:fahne19:Later, Dave
On the lighter issue, there are 2 styles of GM lighters/receptacles from those days (more now), and they don't mix. Nothing wrong with your parts, they just don't match.
On the overall picture, yes there is some total junk out there. Even more often, is that many parts can't be used "out of the box", you need to work on them to make them right.
If it isn't going to work don't eat it, send it back. Otherwise these parts vendors don't know how bad their stuff is.
Many vendors work with you, but always buy with a credit card, that's your way out when all else goes wrong. And the best reason to stay away from Ebay on many items.
On the overall picture, yes there is some total junk out there. Even more often, is that many parts can't be used "out of the box", you need to work on them to make them right.
If it isn't going to work don't eat it, send it back. Otherwise these parts vendors don't know how bad their stuff is.
Many vendors work with you, but always buy with a credit card, that's your way out when all else goes wrong. And the best reason to stay away from Ebay on many items.
Joined
·
2,418 Posts
Anybody else discover this, or did I just get lucky?
No Craig... you're not the chosen one. We've all experienced this. :sign0020:
No Craig... you're not the chosen one. We've all experienced this. :sign0020:
Once I started to TRY to put the bezel over the casing, I couldn't get it back off to open it up a little with a file. I didn't use anything other than my fingers to move it. I think the bezel was a little too thick as the retainer wouldn't screw on more than a turn. I don't know if it is what is restricting the lighter in the receiver. All the lighter was is a generic lighter with a plastic 55 looking knob on it, and it pulled off because there was a little resistance. I don't know if super glue will fix it or not. Am I correct in assuming the originals were metal, as all the other knobs are? The 210 lighters look to be black plastic, or were all the 210 gadgets plastic?
Joined
·
12,101 Posts
Ha!
Anymore the overseas parts are better than the USA made junk. The USA made sheetmetal is mostly crap, as are a lot of the other things made by our "skilled" craftsmen. We have forgotten what "quality" means in this country and products are second-rate...if you can even find them made in USA. They can't even make stuff as good as it was 50+ years ago. Plus you have to pay three or four times as much for the junk as overseas parts.
Joined
·
6,388 Posts
It is not the skilled craftsmen that determined the quality of the product it is determined by how much profit the manufacture wants.Ha!
Jim
Profit and price have nothing to do with how good the parts are these days. They are either good or they are not. The sheet metal stuff that sells for less or the same and is better fit/quality proves that in a big way.
The lighter deal is another animal. The problems are compatibility of the two parts. I'd return the parts and seek another vendor, and ask hard questions this time.
The lighter deal is another animal. The problems are compatibility of the two parts. I'd return the parts and seek another vendor, and ask hard questions this time.
Joined
·
3,061 Posts
I respectfully disagree, overseas crap is just that...crap. They don't care if it works, just so it looks somewhat like the original. Americans care about quality but have been sold down the river of low price. You have a hard time finding any American made products because of the greed of large corporations. I will pay a fair price for a quality made American product every time. jmho, DaveHa!
Joined
·
1,603 Posts
Many OEM car parts are made overseas now. Try to buy a new disc brake rotor made in the USA. Mine are China and look and work fine. Maybe the metal is crap but they work fine so far. Every part must be taken on its own merits. And yes, USA original GM is always best.
Thanks for 'schooling' him.
Joined
·
16,993 Posts
It is for things like this that I do not use repro "stuff" unless there is absolutely no other choice. I will restore, replate, repair or find good used first. And as mentioned in this thread for the sheet metal, From what I have experienced the foreign panels are far ahead of the USA panels in every way.
-Bruce
-Bruce
Joined
·
12,101 Posts
I respectfully disagree. It's about pricing competitively. You can't pay USA union-inflated wages and compete with foreign made parts. The simple fact is that their labor rates are much lower than ours. I would rather pay more for a higher quality part, but it doesn't work that way...usa parts just cost more, and are often poorer quality. It's a fact of life these days, as US companies TRY to compete...but they can't.
Companies EXIST to make a profit for their owners and/or shareholders. If they can market foreign made products at a lower price, they will do that. Do you buy tools and supplies at Harbor Freight? I do. Most of the stuff I've bought is a pretty good value. For high end equipment, I try to buy good stuff, wherever it's made.
Look at the Taiwan assembled floors compared with the US made floors as a perfect example. First of all, the Taiwan floors are one-piece and they fit. They include the inner rockers and can be had for around $900 complete. The US made floors are 2-piece with a seam in the center, don't fit that well, don't include the inner rockers, and they have been FORCED to lower prices from $2700 to around $1200. I would buy the Taiwan floor over the US made floor in a heartbeat, not only for price but also quality. Other US made sheetmetal fits like crap too. US manufacturers are getting pounded on price AND quality. I'm not against buying US made stuff but I want value, and I don't see it.
As for Walmart, I buy there all the time and get brand-name products. I don't know why some have an issue with Walmart. They employ a heck of a lot of people.
Joined
·
3,056 Posts
My stock '55 lighter has a plastic knob with a Chrome metal cap that matches the other knobs. I think they went that way because all metal knobs would probably get extremely hot when the lighter is activated. FWIW
Joined
·
1,686 Posts
Overseas stuff can be maufactured well,,it just takes years of profit loss to them, to make the part right. Once they have a huge pile that isin't selling, back into the smelter it goes,,then they make it right.
They have that luxury of paitently waiting for some of the crap to sell, and still make a huge profit. We dont like to wait,, one of the reasons for the high price for a quality USA piece.
They have that luxury of paitently waiting for some of the crap to sell, and still make a huge profit. We dont like to wait,, one of the reasons for the high price for a quality USA piece.
1 - 20 of 28 Posts
