good poin there. i bought my last set of brake shoes for mah 51 from a napa that would send out the cores to a place in the good ole us of a to reline them. of course you had to supply your old cores. theres still a few shops here in socal(family owened) that sell good parts. heck! some still carry nos delco points. of course..you have to ask!..= )
The NAPA I use has a machine shop, and if I ever need a part when I'm on the road I trade with stores that have shops if I have a choice. It seems to make a difference in the quality of parts a store carries. Never had a problem returning a part I've purchased at NAPA, and they let me take my wire forms into the stockroom when I'm hunting hoses for a project.
Just ordered them from napa---Eaton was very helpful with advice but---$159.00 compared to $43.99 at napa big difference in price I'm not a cheapskate when it comes to parts but I can't believe that one would be 3 times better than the other???
The bottom line is NAPA gets parts like everyone else from all over the place and sometimes a brake light switch will be a weak link and enthusiasts will come up with a better answer and post it on HAMB or another bulletin board. Now if you need old points for that straight 8 Buick in one photo (if it still has the straight eight), you can go to places like Northwestern Auto Parts in Grand Rapids, MI, where Sammy Ashendorf will be happy to give you as many sets as you want made in the good old days. And if you want to compare parts, go to a site like Rock Auto and use their online catalog to cross-reference part numbers and you'll see your options without leaving your home.
I've always had good luck with individual parts from Napa, but it's your own responsibility to make sure the employee gives you the right part. I seem to get the wrong part at least half the time.
I just bought a brake drum for the 98 civic, and I had a choice to wait for the 25 dollar cheap drum , or pay for the in stock 48 dollar Brembo one . You can guess I got the Italian part over the Chinese one. at least I know it won't fail in a hundred miles. I would trust the Brembo stuff if you can't get American, they've been making good brakes for a long time, and they are still made in Italy. The Italians take a lot of pride in anything automotive. As far as electrical, they've been going downhill fast, i've bought a few items with OEM labels on them once I opened the box, and some really bad Chinese crap. I just took back a 40 dollar fan switch, it had so much epoxy glopped down in the bottom, that the switch plug wouldn't even lock in place. I pretty much get all my parts there, only decent place in town. it's still family run and has been for a long time
NAPA usely has the odd stuff that the others don't have. But other than that that is about it... Went in out local NAPA one day asked the guy about a part # looked at me funny then I told him to just look it up on the computer and he seemed amazed that someone could come up with the part number to the part they want. My biggest complaint is with all the guys who don't know their way around a spindle and a wrench behind the counter. If I can I go online look up the part then write down the part # and carry it with me. Helps alot. As far as China or Mexico or American. If I can get it in America so be it. But any more you would be lucky to find'em made in America.
NAPA parts are as good as anybody's. Does anybody really give a shit where they source them as long as the price is competetive and they fit and work good?
your right maybe it doesnt matter where they source them, but i wonder if someone would give a SHIT if they had to move to china or india to keep there job, or loose it because that is where it is going, in the case of the napa motor mounts made in indonesia, they are most definately inferior when put next to usa made--- thinner metal and rubber both. i guess it just depends on what you want
I have a set of SBC motor mounts from napa. I got ready to set the engine in, there was no way to get the bolts through the frame mounts they were way off 1/4 inch or so. I thought maybe I put them on the wrong sides so I changed them side to side. No change still no fit. I got to looking at them they had a small sticker that said made in Indonesia.
Worst part out of all of this is that there are tons of other parts that are made over seas. It is rather hard to find just basic stuff for your car made it the USA. It is out there but you have to hunt for it......and hunt for it......
I wanted to buy American, so I asked for an A/C Delco thermostat.....................Made in Israel ! I give up..
If you insist on ignoring the rules here on the HAMB, at least get the quote right. I don't see why it's so hard to follow the rules around here...they're very simple. No politics, simple. I just don't get it.
I don't see why it's so hard to follow the rules around here...they're very simple. No politics, simple. I just don't get it.[/QUOTE] good luck getting a right winger to understand any point of view but their own.. you are right though there is plenty of political rhetoric used as signatures on the hamb but im sure nothing will be done about it because a large percentage of hambers are gun nuts also. i personally have no problems with guns but if you are into guns youve gotta drink the charleton heston cool aid. most of my buddies are this way too. i feel your pain.
good luck getting a right winger to understand any point of view but their own.. you are right though there is plenty of political rhetoric used as signatures on the hamb but im sure nothing will be done about it because a large percentage of hambers are gun nuts also. i personally have no problems with guns but if you are into guns youve gotta drink the charleton heston cool aid. most of my buddies are this way too. i feel your pain.[/QUOTE] Traditional hot rods and customs. No politics. No religion. No racism. Perfect. Why fuck with perfection?
Some of the funniest shit on the HAMB are the signatures...I always laughed when I read Doc Watsons from a while back..P/C ?? Hell no,but still funny.. Grow a thicker skin,and don't try to start shit that doesn't bother the majority of the HAMB.
Jamco suspension 3227 braemar ln. Corona ca. 92882 ..made in u.s.a. Or kanter suspension parts also made in u.s.a.
when I ordered my springs at napa,I asked where they were made--the guy looked thru the computer and couldn't come up with an answer--he said they never know what is from where anymore ---lots of stuff is made overseas and then re-boxed here . Maybe I'll know once I get them---maybe not???
China in your Country, 93% percent of all goods sold at Wally World. Jobs lost in USA Who has bought Mr Gasket and thought Holy Shit! It's been China for 30 years or more on most of thier products. This is nothing new and sadly, proabaly too late for reversal. I work in the parts buisness and it is frustrating to not be able to provide quality parts. I actually will not stock parts if we have problems and will advise customers as the whole trust thing is real and honest, What would I want? Quality!!
We are loosing our industrial strength to China. Sorry If I offend any non patriot commiunists who don't love America. I hope ya'll are comfortable selling lattes to Chinese buisnessmen; because that's what we'll soon be reduced to. And yes it is a hot rod car enthusiast thing.
nothing is made in america any more! i work as a tech in a ford dealership and one time i got a part and on the same lable that had the part number and ford motor company also said Made In Liechtenstein
Richard D, make that lost,and reduced to. Having worked in auto parts for 20 years I almost want to cry when I open an american companies box and see the "made in china" sticker. Yes its cheap, But its our own fault, WE have demanded low prices and we got 'em.
You are right Darrin, we have asked for it. It's our own fault, we want cheap, cheap, cheap, and we got it. Cheap crap products that we keep buying. Next step, college grads asking Chinese businessmen, "You want frys with that?"
Seems to me building a hot rod is at least done in part because you want to be independent to choose not only what vehicle you drive but how it's built, rather than have Big Brother handing you the keys to an airbag-equipped electric golf cart. I guess I can't argue that it's hard to understand why anyone would want someone else to choose for them what they drive, what they're allowed to own, or tell them how to think. Even more so when someone does things that should contradict one another, like say building a hot rod, then voting for the side who's liable to tax it so much you can't afford to drive it. That's why people get mad when they find they can't buy something that's USA-made, which is what this thread was about to begin with. They want the freedom of choice to buy quality items made in the USA. And it's just hard to discuss yea or nea on those things, because half the reason we get stuck with Chinese/overseas crap is directly related to politics - taxes and all the other expenses a company gets stuck with here in the US all come out of politics. The rest is because a company's purpose is to make a profit selling a product or service, something a lot of people - particularly those in politics - fail to understand. Instead of complaining to/about Napa because your brake rotor is made in China and shaped like an egg, you should be complaining to your congressman that Napa, or whoever supplied Napa, can't afford to sell you one made here in the US, correctly in spec, anymore. But it also seems to me that the mods here wouldn't be scared of people being "gun nuts" whatever the hell that means, if they want someone to change a signature, they tell you to do it, or do it for you. I used to run an eBay link in mine. Now I have this. Unfortunately there's not room enough to put the full quote in context about the Hemi Plymouth with dual four barrel carburetors burning rubber on the expressway on Long Island. I think the answer to the original post is pretty well beat into the ground on this one. Are Napa parts good? You pretty much have to look at the part before you pay for it, because they come from multiple suppliers and two of the same thing could be made in two different places. Some are, some aren't, and that's pretty much how it is at any parts store, even at the dealer parts counter.
The Jalopy Journal
