Poor quality parts ruining the hobby for me

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KindredSpirit

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I've experienced so many disappointments with poor quality replacement parts for my '71 Swinger that it is ruining the hobby for me. It was 1992 when I completed my last top-to-bottom restoration, at that point on a 340 'Cuda. Back then more factory parts were available (duh!) but most significantly the aftermarket, such as NAPA, could still supply good quality replacement parts. No more. These quality failures have been discussed at length in other sections so I can't say I'm surprised. I'm just P.O.'d. And I can't believe that companies are allowed to sell safety-related components, such as brake and suspension parts that are pretty much 50% defective when new in the box. It's one thing to buy a poor fitting door panel but quite another to have brake distribution valves leak before even put into service, bad master cylinders, defective ball joints and so on.

All I can say is Rant Rant Rant. It is such a shame. Seems like MAGA will not include the old car hobby.
 
Give the list of what you need ,Perhaps ...he can source quality product for you.
 
I agree with the OP, but unfortunately "such is life." Ebay, good used, NOS. I've given NAPA all the **** I can think of and "they don't care." Back in the day when NAPA was sponsoring Waltrip, I told them, "I bet you won't find this **** on Waltrip's race car." The guy was too stupid to "get" it.
 
IMO best to get OEM and do your best to restore them. You can set up a small do it yourself chrome rig. Most things except bumpers.
 
IDK, I have had fairly good experience with aftermarket parts with only a few disappointments.

Sure, there is a lot of junk out there but you can still find plenty of quality stuff to use.
 
IDK, I have had fairly good experience with aftermarket parts with only a few disappointments.

Sure, there is a lot of junk out there but you can still find plenty of quality stuff to use.

This hotrodding. A little tolerance here, a little there = stack up. Almost everything has to be massaged to make work ! Even had to on the sbc`s.
 
I agree. Drove my 07 2500 CTD 4x4 for 212K miles on the original front end parts. At that time while I had it on the rack, I found just a little play in the Hub bearings. So being Pro Active with maintenance, I ordered two new SKS hub bearings, Also NAPA premium upper and lower ball joints, Two new axle U-joints. All with the best parts NAPA sold. Spent $930.00 on parts. The right Hub bearing was sloppy and had to be replaced at 264K (48K). The right upper ball joint needed replaced at 271K (59K). That is pretty bad service life.
 
I agree. Drove my 07 2500 CTD 4x4 for 212K miles on the original front end parts. At that time while I had it on the rack, I found just a little play in the Hub bearings. So being Pro Active with maintenance, I ordered two new SKS hub bearings, Also NAPA premium upper and lower ball joints, Two new axle U-joints. All with the best parts NAPA sold. Spent $930.00 on parts. The right Hub bearing was sloppy and had to be replaced at 264K (48K). The right upper ball joint needed replaced at 271K (59K). That is pretty bad service life.
Sarge... aftermarket parts ,suck... period ..
Especially, these model trucks....
 
It is tricky to be sure. I hate to say it but I have better luck with 150,000 mile o.e. salvage yards units than the parts store garbage.
 
Well, gee...since everything after market is junk, I guess we all just better fold up our tents and get out of the hobby.

Seriously, good parts are out there...you just have to look carefully for them and be prepared to pay for quality.
 
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Well, gee...since everything after market is junk, I guess we all just better fold up out tents and get out of the hobby.

Seriously, good parts are out there...you just have to look carefully for them and be prepared to pay for quality.

"Look carefully?" At what? You search for online reviews. Front end parts good example. You are starting to hear "bad" about just about every brand you can name at some point. I grew up "on Moog." Before I was old enough to drive, My Dad worked at an NAPA store Back in those days, not even the dealers, generally, could surpass NAPA quality.

You can't even believe "brand" names, sometimes they are out and out counterfeit, and the you-know-whoo's are very good at making the box and the outside of the thing look "great."

I once bought a Canon brand camera charger online, egag. The thing looked EXACTLY like factory Canon. It was counterfit. Had a cheap PC board inside, the battery thermal sensor terminals were dead ended, and it had a WEIGHT glued inside to make you "think." The whole reason I took it apart is because THE WEIGHT HAD BROKEN LOOSE LMAO!!!
 
"Look carefully?" At what? You search for online reviews. Front end parts good example. You are starting to hear "bad" about just about every brand you can name at some point. I grew up "on Moog." Before I was old enough to drive, My Dad worked at an NAPA store Back in those days, not even the dealers, generally, could surpass NAPA quality.

You can't even believe "brand" names, sometimes they are out and out counterfeit, and the you-know-whoo's are very good at making the box and the outside of the thing look "great."

I once bought a Canon brand camera charger online, egag. The thing looked EXACTLY like factory Canon. It was counterfit. Had a cheap PC board inside, the battery thermal sensor terminals were dead ended, and it had a WEIGHT glued inside to make you "think." The whole reason I took it apart is because THE WEIGHT HAD BROKEN LOOSE LMAO!!!
Well then, I guess everyone should give up, get out of the hobby and shut the forum down.
 
yep, I've bought some pretty shitty pricy parts lately. people think that just because they are the most expensive stuff that they are of the highest quality, and that my friends is simply bullshit.
 
Well then, I guess everyone should give up, get out of the hobby and shut the forum down.


No, we just continue to live with junk. I had my entire front end assembled and had to stop and take it back apart because there was a recall on the China made junk lower ball joints.

It is what it is. In more than 40 years of dealing with this stuff, there are very few things you can buy that don't need to be modified in some form or fashion. It's disgusting, but it is what it is.
 
I've experienced so many disappointments with poor quality replacement parts for my '71 Swinger that it is ruining the hobby for me. It was 1992 when I completed my last top-to-bottom restoration, at that point on a 340 'Cuda. Back then more factory parts were available (duh!) but most significantly the aftermarket, such as NAPA, could still supply good quality replacement parts. No more. These quality failures have been discussed at length in other sections so I can't say I'm surprised. I'm just P.O.'d. And I can't believe that companies are allowed to sell safety-related components, such as brake and suspension parts that are pretty much 50% defective when new in the box. It's one thing to buy a poor fitting door panel but quite another to have brake distribution valves leak before even put into service, bad master cylinders, defective ball joints and so on.

All I can say is Rant Rant Rant. It is such a shame. Seems like MAGA will not include the old car hobby.

Buy price and complain.
Buy quality, and you don't complain.
PST, Dr. Diff, Firm Feel have all been good.


Even in the 80's, NAPA and Kragen were **** quality. I buy little insignificant **** at O'Reilly. Other vendors, the more pricey ones get my money for critical parts.
 
Ignition parts the new ones suck, weak points, condensers fail, have had bad pickups. I try to use only old store stock or nos if I can get it for a decent price.
 
Have a lot of MP tan caps coming next week, they are a pain to find nos
 
I think it is more involved than that, I believe the government doesn't want these old cars on the road. Hell, 20 years ago, I knew young guys still driving early 70's stuff as daily drivers, but you don't see it much anymore. One of the reasons I like auto resto is because I know the govt doesnt really support it, not as far as wanting the cars on the road anyway, they will make money off the hobby as far as taxes though, sales taxes, taxing the repop businesses and so on, but they want to make this a PITA so people dont do it. As far as parts, MOPAR has never been easy, I remember rebuilding things that Chevy guys could buy at Pep Boys all day long, like brake Calipers, master cylinders, power steering pumps etc.
 
I buy from Rockauto occasionally but I like their website for finding different manufacturers part numbers. They are all listed on the same page. I use their website as a parts catalog than I can search around for the parts.
 
I just finished up a 69 roadrunner for a guy and learned any thing from OER should be sent back. Bad fit and materials
 
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