How important is it to you? I have been seeing Buy American slogans and signs for decades. I feel it’s a constant battle to get people to make that choice.
In daily life I am passive about it but when it comes to buying parts for my older American cars I always try to choose the Made in USA option. Example, headers. I am looking at Doug’s and TTi largely due to, both shorty and long tube header, recommendations on this site always points to those two.
I know that TTi makes their headers right here in SoCal but after a little research I found that Doug’s are welded up by our fine neighbors to the south at the Pertronix exhaust facility where they also make Patriot headers and, believe it or not, JBA.
Before I learned this I was leaning toward Doug’s because of cost and I read that the fitment is fine. Now, I’m leaning toward TTi for the sole reason of being made in the USA but hundreds more.
So this is not a “What fits?” post. Is this even an ethical dilemma? It’s not like Doug’s is Chinese made (who I think is an enemy of the United States, just my opinion). I’m a combat veteran and was willing to die for my fellow countrymen so, in my head, I should be willing to lay my dollars down for my countrymen. Am I being unreasonable in this global economy of ours? Should I even care? What’s it going to do, shame Pertronix into bringing manufacturing back to the USA?
When it comes to batteries am I going buy an Odyssey (made in Missouri) or an Optima (which are now manufactured in Mexico)? When do you say “Fug-it, Earth’s about to get hit by a planet killer. Nothing matters anyway!”
Opinions? Thoughts? What do you do?
