Hobert62

someone fixed rocker on an 82 r model at . work,this was 6-8 years later I'm under the truck, vise grips still on it where they welded the rocker on. needless to say it got exported afew years later with them still on

I think I "created a monster" with the vise grip thing!  I'm glad I'm not the only forgetful idiot around! If the R model gets "exported" to China the visegrips will feel right at home because Irwin appears to  have " bought the name" and is has offshored the manufacturing process. Predictable right?  Here's 2 facts from my " storehouse of useless information" some older drivers may remember the Suburu "Brat" the narrow unibody pickup with the cheap plastic seats behind the cab.Why would a company that builds quality vehicles put cheap seats in back?Because the seats converted a truck into a sport utility vehicle,lower import duty! I wonder if they included a " disclaimer" to not sit in them while the truck is moving? Same basic reason you see all those little import pickup cab and chassis in the ports.They put the beds on in the port.Is an incomplete vehicle till the bed is installed,lower duty!

I'm sure the R model was exported, was sold in the auction and the vise grips were 10 years old at the time so at least they were American made vise grips