How truely "American Steel" is your ride?

Simple, name of car,then country of assembly. For example A Ford assembled in Germany in a German Ford.

 

As nice as they look, I'll never buy a set of those....

 

Ain't that a pretty sad but true comment. i know Roy Richter imported some sportscars, but bet he wouldn't be too happy with that turn of events.

 

I'm talking a US-model Ford or whatever, NOT a German Ford Taunus, or a British Ford Prefect. I'm talking a Hudson Commodore built in Australia or England. A Plymouth Barracuda or Fury built in Switzerland. A Chevy AD pickup built in South Africa.

So, a Toyota assembled in Ohio is an American Toyota, I'd guess.

 

Yes,a US built Toyota,the profits going back to Japan while providing jobs for the US wokers employed there.
Ask any Japanese citizen older than 70 years old where the B-29's were built

 

Pretty sure my '30 "A" Coupe is all american steel. Ive been using all old parts on it from various Fords, all pre 1950 stuff. If I do buy new parts for it, I make sure they say MADE IN USA on the package. And the stuff I machine up for it, I know where thats made!

 

Couldn't agree more. HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS DAILY DRIVERS ARE IMPORTS?

 

All mine are fords... 2 pony cars and an F-150 pick'em up truck.

 

I'm grateful for the foreign made stuff. Do any of you that are not independently wealthy think for one second that you could afford this hobby if using only NOS parts was the only option? I can't afford NOS but the less than perfect stuff can be restored. The only chrome that I can afford is old chrome done back in the day or repro parts that come already chromed. 30 years ago the rich people were using only NOS parts and they were costly then. I can't imagine what a Deuce door handle would be bringing today if the repro parts had not abated the need. When a popular part reaches a certain price level then it get repopped and the upward pressure is reduced some.

I prefer the real stuff but I try not to be snobbish about it. I can't afford to be snobbish.

As a side note I lost my 93 Ford Lightning keys at Carlisle yesterday. The locksmith replaced the ignition key for me so that I could get home. The key now says Mazda but it still starts right up. I was relieved and grateful.

 

I'm trying to do a really rough 32 with all old parts. I needed door hinges and latches as the last few parts. I am using 31 Dodge stuff because it looks close enough. I just got tired of snow shoveling the money on old beat up 32 parts. Used hinge pieces were going for hundreds of $, and not even complete.

It is very hard not to use repro parts somewhere, but I think I can do it...if I live long enough.

 

My 12 to 15 year old Fender Jazz bass was made in Mexico.....says
on the headstock. Just the higher end Fenders like Custom Shop, etc
are still made here.

 

I think the topic got sidetracked. American cars are produced elsewhere and Japanese cars are produces here.

Stuff made in China is absolute shit.

 

We live in a global economy. I just finished putting new suspension parts in my'41 Plymouth. All the parts are made in China. You can tell by the packaging, if nothing else. It's still the same old 70 year old design and technology, it's just made somewhere other than Detroit. If I didn't buy these parts, there are no other alternatives.

Like it or not, this is the world we live in now.

 

My body was made in Arkansas. Two ladies layed out the mat and rolled-in the resin

"Steel is real, but glass lasts!" - Zora Arkus-Duntov

 

^ Still some regular line Fenders made in the USA, and some made in Mexico. Squiers are all foreign, now.

 

my topolino isn't usa steel, that's obvious....italian made.....but the only repopped parts i needed to replace are the rockers and the center lower rear tale section....but on the upside, they are made still in europe.........i don't know if all the parts for my super bell axel and pete n jakes peices for the axel assembly are alll us made or not....

 

This is a persistent complaint that's happened since nations became industrialized, or perhaps earlier? I'm wondering though if in a few lifetimes we'll preach buying goods made on Earth?

 

look honey its a DRAMA THREAD.

 

my dad has 65 front engine dragster with a blown hemi. he had mounted as a joke two gold tags on the valve covers that read made in japan.

 

There is no TV made in the USA.

 

Ironic that 98% of the computers used by us right now viewing the HAMB either were made in China, have Chinese parts, or both... Our nation has outsourced everything and it is starting to bite us in the ass.

 

Seems like everything from "Bob Drake" or "Dennis Carpenter Ford Parts" has been Fabrique Du Chine lately!

 

How truly "American Steel" is my ride?

This is the one I drive the most:



Oh, and my other daily is an '00 Crown Vic. But I drive Nellie more often.

-Bill

 

I don't know how much of my car was made in the USA, I'm pretty sure most of it. I do have coffee every morning with the guys who literally made the engine/drivetrain and most of its parts. Their all retired now and enjoying life here on the sunrise side. The youngest of the batch started at Flint engine the very month my 283 was born. My carbs are all stamped with "Flint", I went thru a lot of cores to find them. My tranny even has a "Flint" stamped in the case. For me it makes firing up that engine and rumbling off to coffee every morning very special. Oh and the 60's vintage Cal Customs valve covers, Japan, oh well. And for those interested, the coupe is my daily driver.

 

With cars built in the past 20 years, it doesn't matter what make you buy, it is going to have components from all over the world in it. It's been heading that way for many years. I had a '72 Ford pickup that was built in Canada. My parents had an '81 Ford LTD, A/C compressor on it was a Japanese-made Nippondenso, same compressor that was on a '79 Toyota pickup I had. As for Chinese made stuff, I don't like buying it because of China's human rights record and the fact that workers are not paid a fair living wage. Sometimes the only alternative to a Chinese made repro part is to keep looking for a NOS or good used part that may take years to find if you can find it at all. Some of the Chinese-made stuff is acceptable or even excellent quality, some is junk. Manufacturing moved to China for exactly the same reason that the textile industry left New England and moved to the deep south after the Civil War--a ready supply of impoverished people with a good work ethic living in third world conditions and willing to work cheap. Industry will abandon China when it finds a place with even more impoverished people with an equally good work ethic who will work even cheaper. Tried to find American made tires lately?

 

I have china built 39' tail lights and there shit.. There are a few things like that on my car, but plan to swap them out for the real deal as I find them at swap meets..

 

I noticed that too. Ashame hu?

 

Yes SUM Toyota's are made in America. But the mother ship is not here. Buy a Toyota and all the profits are going to another country. To a country who laughs at Americans. SAD! Heck the president of Toyota did not even want to come over to the USA over the gas pedal issue. But when things were blowing up so bad over the deal the guy had too. I believe they have not forgot about the war. Prolly still pissed over the bombs. Seems like most Americans have forgot about all the American GI's that died in the South Pacific. My neighbor is 95 WWII Vet and still lives in his own house. He can't believe people line up to buy their cars. I'll never drive one.

 

"Remember Pearl" Amen!

 

Face it, boys and girls...ANYTHING you drive that is 25 years old or newer comes literally from everywhere! Your repop parts are definitely NOT made in a country where English is the first language. And bitchin' about things will NOT change anything.

Suck it up, and keep building what makes YOU happy, whatever that might be.