JamesR Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 I set my personal best today: the brand new courtesy light door switch I installed in my '65 T-Bird broke in about 10 seconds, I estimate. Just kind of fell apart after testing it a couple of times. I paid 8 or 9 bucks for the door switches from Mac's and that's cheaper than I would've expected, so I bought two. I put the other new one in and it's working, but for how long, I don't know. Made in China? Probably, but I don't know for sure. Here's a novel idea: Make a quality door switch and charge $25 for it and people will be happier than rotten $9 units. It was called "price elasticity" back in my college econ classes - for items that people don't buy very often they value other things beyond low price, so there's no need for ultra low prices. If you're selling toilet paper, yeah, make some real low price stuff and lots of people will live with the low quality. Doesn't apply to courtesy light door switches, though. I also had a real substandard new turn signal switch with my ranch wagon last year. Feel free to share your records for new parts breaking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTR Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 (edited) Does taking it out of the box already broken count ? If it does, I've experienced it countless times and I'm the kind of person who very rarely buys anything but highest quality available, as I'm not wealthy enough to afford being cheap. I tend to spend my hard earned money wisely. Besides, I've never had someone holding a gun against my head, forcing me to buy "cheap" stuff nor have I ever been poor enough having to choose between, let's say, eating or paying utility bills AND spending on my hobbies/pleasures, which include vintage cars and their parts. If I did, I believe I'm smart enough to know having wrong hobbies/pleasures. Edited November 15, 2019 by TTR (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalef62 Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 I got three starts out of a new starter for my 73 MG Midget. Replaced it and got about 40 starts out of the next starter. On the third on and still starting, fingers crossed... Replaced the water pump on my 90 Tbird and got 200 miles on it, second one I got 1000 miles on it. On the third on and so far so good, about 2000 miles so far. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stvaughn Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 I ordered a 6 volt negative ground alternator for my REO. I have a battery disconnect switch and it was turned off. After installing the alternator I flipped the switch on and my amp gauge pegged out. I flipped the switch off and removed the alternator to check it out. The part number was for a negative ground but the alternator was positive ground. Wiring damage was minor. I checked out the replacement before I installed it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Well, my 1942 Ford GPW transmission synchronizer blew in about five seconds after installing it into the transmission....three times. Finally found out that we were missing a thrust washer in the transmission. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wowabunga Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 First 2 in tank fuel pumps were defective. 3rd pump works great. Removed the bed of the 93 Dakota 3 times to access the tank. Whew.....! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Not sure if qualifies as broken but over the dealer's objections put my brand new off the trailer goat wagon on a lift. Was no oil in the posi differential. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Would receiving a new/replacement part that is nowhere near the same shape, size, material, thread pitch, or even color of the original, extremely difficult to remove original part, so you have a tantrum and mash the new part with a dead blow hammer, qualify? If the answer is "Yes", I'm in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted November 15, 2019 Author Share Posted November 15, 2019 4 minutes ago, GregLaR said: Would receiving a new/replacement part that is nowhere near the same shape, size, material, thread pitch, or even color of the original, extremely difficult to remove original part, so you have a tantrum and mash the new part with a dead blow hammer, qualify? If the answer is "Yes", I'm in. LOL! Yes that qualifies. I was so mad - when my new courtesy lt. sw. came apart today it fell back down into the hidden area behind the door sill (on the side.) I had to take a kick panel off and fish it out. I wasn't so concerned about the lousy sw., but the wires I'd just connected to it. To get it back through the hole I had to use needle nose pliers...aggressively. There are some parts missing, too. I don't care..I'm still demanding my money back. The switch works no worse in it's present condition than when I opened it up. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 (edited) Working on the rear engine on a piece of equipment because the engine wasn't charging the starting battery. Replaced the alternator with one from our equipment shop. Didn't charge. Figured we got a bad rebuilt alternator so we grabbed another one and put it in. Still didn't charge. So we spent a day and half tracing and testing every piece of wire in the charging circuit. All seemed OK. Grabbed a 3rd rebuilt alternator and it charged no problem. Two bad rebuilt alternators in a row. What are the odds? Edited November 15, 2019 by zepher (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC38dls Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Probably when I ordered it, paid for it then saw it was made in China. Happened more than once. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpage Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Order a new rear oil seal for my 218 Dodge engine and installed it while the engine was on the stand. It was supposed to be a better type seal than the original.After installation, I turned the engine over to make sure everything was correct, low and behold, the hardened steel tension ring popped through the rubber cover and cut a groove in the crankshaft ! Replaced the seal with a standard type, but I hope the groove doesn't cause any leakage! You never know what you're going to get with new parts anymore! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Last Saturday, I went to my local Advance Auto, to purchase oil and filters for my sons car. When the counter man put the filter on the counter I noticed that the box was literally scotch taped together. Luckily, I opened the box and took out the filter. Well it looked like someone had run over it with a truck. I just looked at him and said, "you have to be kidding me". I can't imagine the rocket scientist that took the time to tape up the box and not have the common sense to look inside the box. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zimm63 Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Brand new U joint with one cap about 20 thou smaller than the other 3. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass is Best Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Had a brand new fuel pump casting fail in the first 30 seconds. The casting had a flaw and the spring came out the top. Kid at the parts store wondered what I did to it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Which reminds me of the 1600 VW engine I had rebuilt for a Westphalia. Ran fine until a 32 degree morning. Ran for 30 seconds and froze. Rebuild and repeat. Twice. Third time the machine shop checked everything. Turned out the first rebuild included an align bore. And "somehow" (doesn't make sense to me) they got the center main .003 off center. Warm weather, things expanded and worked fine. Cold snap (Texas) and it ran 30 seconds and froze. Again. Fourth time they align bored it again and was fine after that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danleblanc Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 If we're talking self-inflicted damage . . . I ordered a new condenser for my 70 deVille convertible. The bracket for the receiver/dryer was slightly different, so I transplanted the old bracket from the old condenser to the new one. Felt something pop, and the bracket screw went right through one of the tubes in the condenser. Cost me almost as much to have it repaired as I paid for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 2 hours ago, 46 woodie said: Last Saturday, I went to my local Advance Auto, to purchase oil and filters for my sons car. When the counter man put the filter on the counter I noticed that the box was literally scotch taped together. Luckily, I opened the box and took out the filter. Well it looked like someone had run over it with a truck. I just looked at him and said, "you have to be kidding me". I can't imagine the rocket scientist that took the time to tape up the box and not have the common sense to look inside the box. Corporate restocking policy. Question the boss once and learn never question again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Just the other day my anti lock light came on in my 95 F350. So I replaced the speed sensor. My test drive yielded a radical up shift down shift thing. Back and forth about a second apart. It was horrible. BUT,,, the idiot light was now off. Went to the parts store and traded for a another speed sensor. All fixed now. About 40 years ago my shop truck was a 1974 Dodge 318. The water pump developed a leak. It took FIVE replacements before it quit leaking. The parts store requested some labor for me and got it. The reman copped to having a bad run. (Lucky Me) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 Once bought a brand new battery that had no charge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted November 15, 2019 Share Posted November 15, 2019 (edited) I ended up putting a total of 5 windshield glasses in my 32’ Olds. Put the first one in thought all was good, rotated it up to the vertical. Pulled the convertible roof brackets down over the pins of the stanchions and went in the house. Next day the drivers side lower corner was broken. Second glass, figured there was too much rearward pressure on the frame so shimmed the rear of the body up some, closing the door latch pillar better and relieving the rearward pressure. Installed the second glass, put the top over the tops of the stanchions, all looked good, went in the House. Next morning, drivers side corner is broken again! What the hell is-going on?? So I ask a few Cabriolet owners and they all say my glass is too wide and to take an 1/8” off one side. Third glass; cut 1/8 narrower, installed, next morning, you guessed it, broken drivers side corner. Fourth glass; figure the corners are causing the issue at the bottom so the glazier nubs the corners. Installed the glass, the corners are not near the frame at all. Everything looks good. Put the top over the pins and tighten the thumb screws, it has to be good this time. Standing there for 5 minutes talking with my brother and all of a sudden, tick, broken drivers side lower corner! Now I’m going crazy! The glazier already felt bad for me and didn’t even charge me for #4 glass, how can I go back again! This time I look very close at the glass and noticed something. I looked at all the others and they all cracked the same. The glass is modern laminate and only the outside layer of glass was cracked, not the inside. Looking even closer, as the windshield rotates up into the vertical, the bottom of the glass is supposed to seat into the lower seal across the bottom of the edge of the glass. These windshields were originally made with plate glass, not laminate, and I realized that when rotating the glass up, the bottom gasket was actually bending the glass some. The corner takes it the hardest and the bending was causing the outside layer to crack at the plastic seam. Fifth glass; cut the glass a heavy 1/16” shorter in height, have the bottom edges lightly sanded, and now realize in the vertical position, the glass doesn’t really touch the gasket good. Guess what, fifth time is the charm, no more broken glass. All I hope for now is I don’t get caught in the rain! Edited November 15, 2019 by chistech (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 6 hours ago, Billy Kingsley said: Once bought a brand new battery that had no charge. Two of those this year. One lasted four months, it’s replacement was dead. Went back to Farm and Fleet. Another guy was there with one that had lasted five months. Counter guy did not even bother to test this one, just gave me a new one which I made him test before going home. A few years ago I went to Advance Auto since the NAPA was closed. Bought a rebuilt caliper for my Astro. I always remove the bleeder to make sure it is free. Couldn’t remove it. Finally go it out and realized no one had removed it during the rebuild. Covered with rust. And of course they did not have another. Were supposed to but a packaging specialist had put a right caliper in a left caliper box so I had to wait a day for another. Last thing I ever bought from them and it was years ago. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericmac Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 I bought an absolutely beautiful NOS turn signal stalk for my '62 Lincoln. As I opened the envelope it came in I butter fingered it dropping it directly on the floor shattering the brand new plastic. Naturally I have not been able to locate a replacement. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 See all these cars? They all drove into their parking spots under their own power and completely operational. My experience suggests that, despite being fully operational just a few weeks ago, many of them are no longer functional--all without anyone even touching them! Essentially, they broke before they were even used. Pre-broken. Old cars do that. They wait for just the right moment, then stab you in the back. They will suck your resources dry and break your heart without regret. They do not love, they hate. Broken is their default state. 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digger914 Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 1 hour ago, Matt Harwood said: My experience suggests that, despite being fully operational just a few weeks ago, many of them are no longer functional--all without anyone even touching them! Essentially, they broke before they were even used. Pre-broken. Old cars do that. They wait for just the right moment, then stab you in the back. They will suck your resources dry and break your heart without regret. They do not love, they hate. My dads way of saying this was "Old cars melt when they sit" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyshack Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 62 Corvette wheel cylinder right after I opened the "made in China" package. Where the hose fitting was suppose to screw into the cylinder, the hole was there, but the threaded tapping was not made. Checked the other three cylinders and they were all the same way. The vendor got a call and his inventory showed the same problem. I was the third shipment from him, but he had not heard from the other two buyers. He made it right, and found another source, so no hard feelings. Not the first time that ran into inferior machining. Can't be too careful these days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 10 hours ago, caddyshack said: 62 Corvette wheel cylinder right after I opened the "made in China" package. Where the hose fitting was suppose to screw into the cylinder, the hole was there, but the threaded tapping was not made. Checked the other three cylinders and they were all the same way. The vendor got a call and his inventory showed the same problem. I was the third shipment from him, but he had not heard from the other two buyers. He made it right, and found another source, so no hard feelings. Not the first time that ran into inferior machining. Can't be too careful these days. I don't like how the new Imported old car wheel cylinders have a metric Bleeder when everything else is SAE. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wldavis Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 On 11/14/2019 at 5:27 PM, dalef62 said: I got three starts out of a new starter for my 73 MG Midget. Replaced it and got about 40 starts out of the next starter. On the third on and still starting, fingers crossed... Replaced the water pump on my 90 Tbird and got 200 miles on it, second one I got 1000 miles on it. On the third on and so far so good, about 2000 miles so far. This reminds me of an incident I had once. It was in about 1974. I had a '62 Chevrolet Impala two door hardtop. It had starter problems. I took it to a Chevrolet dealership. The Service Manager wanted to know whether I wanted a new starter (AC/Delco), a rebuilt starter from a parts store or a used starter from a wrecking yard. I asked him which one he would choose. He said probably a used starter from a wrecking yard. So, he sent one of his men to the yard to get a starter. When the man came back with it, the Service Manager was suspicious that it had been rebuilt. They opened up, and sure enough, it had. So, a fellow went back to the wrecking yard a second time to get a used starter. Same result. Now I am not sure if it was the third starter or fourth starter from the wrecking yard that had not been rebuilt. Anyway, they installed the last starter and that was the end of my starter problems as long as I owned the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted November 16, 2019 Author Share Posted November 16, 2019 18 hours ago, Matt Harwood said: Broken is their default state. As Jordan Peterson might say, all things tend towards chaos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted November 16, 2019 Share Posted November 16, 2019 (edited) The more I read this thread the dumber I become. Like Ericmac I had what were most likely the only pair of aftermarket amber turn signal lenses to fit a 1952 Plymouth 4 door sedan in the world. Decided to put them on one day several years ago. You know what happened I am sure. Slipped out of my fingers and fell about 6 inches to the concrete. Solid glass, shattered to slivers. Never could find another. Still have one somewhere in the garage. Edited November 16, 2019 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 2 hours ago, plymouthcranbrook said: …. the only pair of aftermarket amber turn signal lenses to fit a 1952 Plymouth 4 door sedan Sorry if this is OT, but I've been into '52 Plymouths since I was a little kid (seriously!) and have never seen amber turn signal lenses for one. Do you recall the manufacturer's name? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cahartley Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Arrived broken or because I smashed one because I'm so sick of aftermarket crap that doesn't fit or work?........ 🤬 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 (edited) On 11/16/2019 at 7:31 PM, Harold said: Sorry if this is OT, but I've been into '52 Plymouths since I was a little kid (seriously!) and have never seen amber turn signal lenses for one. Do you recall the manufacturer's name? I will look for it and see if I can find something. I know I communicated with every supplier I could find and even put a parts request ad here. A couple knew of them as aftermarket items but all said they had not seen one in years Edited November 18, 2019 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now