So we have had, alloy radiators, distributors, solonoids, coils, starters and now VH44 brake boosters come out of China.
Well, I just ordered an el cheapo VH44. I will let you know how it goes.
Ty

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The bitterness of poor quality (or Crappy Workmanship) remains LONG AFTER the Sweet Taste of Low Price is forgotten.

I reckon you add a few more mini parts to that list. It would be quicker to count the parts that don't come out of China.

I still am quite surprised to find that for a tiny niche market part of the automotive world, that someone over there has time to make a reproduction part specific to not only one model of car, but also for sometimes very specific years. It seems you need only ask and someone will make it for you..

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

True Mick, forgot to add those all important ball joints that go snap.

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The bitterness of poor quality (or Crappy Workmanship) remains LONG AFTER the Sweet Taste of Low Price is forgotten.

Can you link me please?

but they do make some really nice stuff if you personally keep an eye on their quality control

the early windscreen washer bottles, & those plastic brake & clutch cyl reservoirs are both top knotch,,, oh & the... Oh!!! i know why they`re such good quality tho

but yeah, those ball joints,,, MMMmmmm not very yummy at all hey?

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

The VH44 was fitted to other makes of cars, the difference was the bore size which was special to the Mini.

I have the numbers some where

I get a few parts made in China. For example my indicator lenses the material they are made from is very good quality and they are strong enough to hold my weight standing on one (I am only 91KG). Electronic Ignitions. The two minis that did the round Australia trio had them fitted and never missed a beat in 20 odd thousand Ks. Indicator switched for Mk2, Ignition Switch for Clubman. Now I also bring in Brake Boosters. I tell you guys China is the Japan of tomorrow for reproduction of good quality parts. There is good stuff and bad stuff that comes from China and one has to be very careful.

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DID I MENTION THAT I AM THE BEST SUPPLIER FOR MINI ELECTRICAL PARTS AND REPAIRS?
"Let us remove your "SHORTS"

I have an acquaintance who deals with China. Used to be a buyer for Ryobi - now has his own company. He says the problem is the buyer not the manufacturer. When buyers insist on making it cheaper so they can make more profit the other end the Chinese oblige but if you specify the quality and keep an eye on it then the product is good.

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

^^^ I heard of a buyer on a trade trip to China and the supplier said "Why do you only buy our cheap stuff?"

China has a space programme, the US doesn't. The issue with US/European etc manufacturers is how to get the Chinese to make their stuff (and there's almost no option now) without them copying it. If they can copy an entire BMW X5 (as seen on Top Gear and elsewhere), there's not much they can't. There's an entire Disneyland in China, without Disney's permission. Nothing they can do about it.

Fonterra (The NZ Dairy industry) sent a milk pastueriser to China some years ago. It got dented in transit. A recent trade mission saw a lot of identical pasturisers, along with the dent...

Anyway, I couldn't afford the tools I have (MIG, TIG welders etc) if they weren't so cheap and they do me just fine. Even if they can't spell - the pick below is my bending brake...

Uh huh. AUstralian car manufacturers made the same mistake with Japanese automotive some years ago. The local makers thought the Australian public would dismiss them as second rate or they would just go away.

The dirty little secret is just how much of that European or American made stock is made in china and finished (Or simply boxed) elsewhere.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I worked in the pathology arena as both a pathology technician (now called a hospital scientist) and then later in the sales and supply of products to pathology laboratories.

It was at the time the pathology labs were moving from test tube analysis to the rapidly emerging automated instruments to perform these tests.

There a very large pathology conference in the the USA that my company sent me too. It had a huge trade display offering all many of pathology instuments and equipment for sale along with the associated consumables.

What amazed us all was the hordes of chinese from china who were on a spending spree. They bought one of each of the equipment but they wern't intersested in the consumables that were needed to use the equipment.

It was simply an exercise spnsored by the chinese government to acquire western technology , take it back to china to pull it to pieces to see how its works and see if they can copy and produce the same equipment and in fact improve on it.

Thats was 25 years ago now and i am sure they did the same thing with many fields of interest and we are now seeing that china is the largest producer of high tech products and general goods. Their whole economy is based on producing export goods.

Ten years ago who would have thought that you can buy a 5 kva honda copy petrol generator for around $200 tht will start every time and run almost continously for 12 months. That is currently our main source of electricity in our present location.

Mike

I worked in China for a bit, yes they do make some Quality stuff, their military buy nothing else.
Rheem makes water heaters in Chengdu and the Quality is generally better than what they make here in Oz. However they do have their people on the ground that maintain this.
Problems arise when you get China to make you a widget, you approve it then order a zillion more shipped to here. You hope they don't try to save yet another yuan in manufacturing cost in material spec or workmanship....

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Newsflash: Apple Ipads are made in China

Just sayin...

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Lillee - 1969 Morris Mini K

....and those twenty layer PCBs with a couple of thousand components we buy as motherboards for twenty bucks...

We'll make great pets.

Edit: I'm out flying rc today. The p-40 in the foreground is out of china and cost 400ish complete and ready to go. The one behind cost about 1300ish and I had to build it...

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

I,ve seen that parked in you garage next to your cars, havn,t I, caught the bug off of you, i am into. R?C? helicopters they cost $30, so whan you crash and burn, you just open another box and start all over again. I brought 6 last xmas and kept them for me......stuff the relos and kids...

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