suppliers again

[jonathon]

Quite agree, but you might be suprised, the manufactures may never even have seen a minor, on which to model their parts, but just buy someone elses ,copy it, yet somehow end up producing something totally ####. ( case in point , the copy of our rear suspension kit by a prominant major trader) There are no excuses, for bad workmanship or poorly concieved parts mods etc. Maybe the law should be more stringent as in the USA or parts of Europe where parts have to pass a fit for purpose test, but then, maybe half of the minor parts available would disappear, probably not a bad idea, then !!.

[aupickup]

hmm yes it is a problem i can see
and of course who else can we turn to

no one wants to see the demise of the minor just because of this parts problem
but it seems that it is mainly panels and some others like exhausts and the heater valve on the back of the cylinder head (to big so have to get file out)

ah well

and it is certainly unfair and poss dangerous to copy some ones good quality, and time spent products to re produce an inferior mod

[chrisd87]

Problem is that if we don't buy the (in some cases substandard) parts that are available then a) we won't be able to repair our cars without handmade panels and thus more will end up getting scrapped and b) once these parts and the tooling/manufacturers/suppliers are gone then they're unlikely to come back.

One factor I think might come into play with declining quality of some mechanical parts is that fewer people use Minors as everyday cars, subjecting them to less punishment. One of my main gripes is the quality of the plastic follower used in points sets - it seems to wear away very quickly requiring frequent re-adjustment (despite proper lubrication). Now somebody who uses their car on the odd Sunday for a 20 mile pootle isn't really going to notice or complain about that as the wear will be very slow. For someone like me who does about 6-7000 miles a year in their Minor it's a real pain, which is why my new engine is having electronic ignition.

For bodywork though I see no excuse and is probably a result of panels being rushed into production and sold to people who are grateful that panels of any sort are available.

[dunketh]

Lol.. reading this post makes me feel like a dog chasing its tail!!

The trouble with parts is basically down to supply and demand.
Parts are becoming worse because its costing too much to make decent ones. That cost then has to be borne by owners most of whom frankly cannot afford it.
Thats the trouble with having a 'niche' car. If we were driving Ford Escorts we could buy any number of decent parts for next to nothing. Its supply and demand.

I'm sure Jonathan (the only supplier seemingly in on the debate) would agree that prices will go up as demand decreases and could potentially go down if everyone in the country suddenly started ordering minor parts.

As for the 'get what you pay for' arguments, fair enough. But, if I pay for 'an exhaust to fit a Minor' I realistically expect to receive 'an exhaust to fit a Minor' regardless of whether I pay a fair price for it or not.
Maybe cheaper parts should carry a disclaimer stating some work may be needed to fit - then we could take our chances with no reasonable cause for complaint.

btw, I'm a 'shoestringer'. I keep the car safe and operational. Function over fashion and all that. I have no romantic feelings towards my Minor... to quote Disney's 'The Love Bug' its "cheap honest transportation" (but thankfully not a beetle of course).

[jonathon]

Dunketh, I think basically your argument is sound, but it does make it extremely difficult for those willing and able to spend large amounts on restoring their pride and joy, to achieve their goal. I think it is agreed generally on this forum that we all choose to own a Minor,if we all wanted an efficient cost effective reliable car then the modern car fulfills this criteria. We own Minors either because we are sentimentally attatched or just admire and appreciate its excellent character. I firmly believe that the supposed 'survival'car of today will be next years pile of scrap or donor car, due to the increasing cost of refurbishment both professional and home DIY'r. The fact that so few parts available today can be called fit for purpose is due in large to the survivalists ( I'm not being personal here)amongst us who refuse to acknowledge that often price follows quality. We know too that there are exceptions to this rule. If the quality of parts supplied remains at its current rate of degradation then the Minor will have a very short future, and will remain the preserve of many classic owners who can afford to have bespoke items made.
I may be one of only a few traders on this form, and in general we seldom sell standard parts, as we are a bodyshop and modification business, and normally confine our selling of parts directly to the jobs we have in house. The exception to this is our own made modifications.

[motherofgod]

^^^^^^Just to say quality and service are excellent^^^^^^



James

[jonathon]

[dunketh]

I think basically your argument is sound, but it does make it extremely difficult for those willing and able to spend large amounts on restoring their pride and joy, to achieve their goal.

But surely so long as these people exist there will be suppliers who will be willling to cater for them?

The fact that so few parts available today can be called fit for purpose is due in large to the survivalists ( I'm not being personal here)amongst us who refuse to acknowledge that often price follows quality.

I would call myself a survivalist but I dont take offence just like to confirm that in my case I do understand that cost and quality are directly proportional and I choose to buy cheaper parts.
I still think there should be a 'grading' system in place though. However I doubt this would be feasible to implement with suppliers of 'cheap' parts understandably unwilling to rate theirs as lower quality.
This is why imho the board should be 'open' to frank discussion on our experiences with various suppliers and parts. However, thats another argument for another day!

[jonathon]

But surely so long as these people exist there will be suppliers who will be willling to cater for them?
Well no not really because as we know all too well the drop in quality over the last 5 years has been appauling, and in many cases this is all that is available. What it means is that the cost shifts from the panel to the labour charge, which unfortunately is prohibitive in most cases because the panels are so poor.

[mal]

Don't think it's just panels
As most of you know I've just spent most of the winter re-doing my engine bay etc;
I decided, after 4 years and a lot of mileage it was time to replace the dizzy cap, rotor arm etc; they were on the car when I bought it so not knowing how old they were ,the other day I completed the work after buying 'top quality' silicone leads and a top entry dizzy cap & new rotor arm.... on my drive out yesterday I noticed a distinct lack of power and the odd misfire, it even struggled to go up some hills it used to romp up, on my way home I called at a friends garage, (top engine tuner ) and asked his advice & the possibility of checking the timing etc; he was very busy but advised putting the old rotor etc; back on as a lot are faulty these days... I took his advice and spent an hour this morning thoroughly cleaning the old leads etc; put them back on and just had a short run, car now back to normal
Obviously can't beat the old stuff

Mal

[Judge]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

[mal]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

That's what I usually do Bill, but I thought I'd treat the car to new leads etc; ah well.. will just carry them as spares
It's a bit much though when you can't even rely on normal service parts though

Mal

[jonathon]

Mal, have you let the supplier know about your problems. Try and insist that they contact the manufacturers, as this is the only way that products will improve.

[mal]

Jonathon, no I havn't as yet but rest assured they will be 'advised' as soon as get chance to take the items back

Mal