What A Time It Was... What A Time It Is!

[bullhusk]

To Paul and the rest of you guys fed up with the junk,

Try this web site. www.usstuff.com Just about any thing that you think you can't get made in the good old U.S.A.?? You'd be surprised what we are still making here.

Ernie BULLHUSK

[oldmacktrucks]

Buckle up boys and girls the next 50 years is going to be one hell of a ride! LOL When push comes to shove, I'll be up in the mountains with my vintage trucks, powering my home with an old 671 Detroit genset drinking cheap beer and listening to Johnny Cash on the record player

[oldmacktrucks]

Long Island

[oldmacktrucks]

This thread got me to looking closer at my little bit of paradise here on the eastern end of L.I.. Most of the NAPA parts stores are out of business, most all auto wrecking yards are closed due to local laws. The farms around me sell land to keep afloat nd than get there acreage taxed at the same rate as the "developed" land. The powers the be won't let a rail /truck freight line be build were the R.R. and I 495 are only 1/4 mile apart. Gas stations are closing because of unmeetable local requirements for spill containment. Grummans / U.S. Navy property was slated to be keep as a manufacturing site and now is going to be cleared to be a park. Is it this way all over or is it just here? Paul

I my friend have had enough of the Long Island lifestyle, 31 years was 30 1/2 too many LOL! I hear you on all the mom and pop stores going under its a shame, really is

[rhasler]

Mack Trucks-still manufactured in the USA, lots more "global" parts than in the past though.

[randyp]

Buckle up boys and girls the next 50 years is going to be one hell of a ride! LOL When push comes to shove, I'll be up in the mountains with my vintage trucks, powering my home with an old 671 Detroit genset drinking cheap beer and listening to Johnny Cash on the record player

Heh Heh,,,listening to a detroit genset run for very long, slong with Johnny Cash would probably make me wanna stick a pistol in my mouth! Howsa bout an Onan and Credence Clearwater? "I can heah da bullfrogs calling me,,,awwwww!!!" randyp

[oldmacktrucks]

Heh Heh,,,listening to a detroit genset run for very long, slong with Johnny Cash would probably make me wanna stick a pistol in my mouth! Howsa bout an Onan and Credence Clearwater? "I can heah da bullfrogs calling me,,,awwwww!!!" randyp

Credence is good...better run thru the jungle But I dunno bout that Onan, the wife might want to shoot me for the Detroit screamin thru the night...maybe I should just get a 5 horse Briggs and call it a day

[rhasler]

Heh Heh,,,listening to a detroit genset run for very long, slong with Johnny Cash would probably make me wanna stick a pistol in my mouth! Howsa bout an Onan and Credence Clearwater? "I can heah da bullfrogs calling me,,,awwwww!!!" randyp

Kinda partial to the live version of "Wreck of the Ole '97" from the San Quentin album myself.

[randyp]

Kinda partial to the live version of "Wreck of the Ole '97" from the San Quentin album myself.

Killer sitting out there huffing and puffing, trying to warm up, this is gonna be a cold move this morning! My tender lil hands dont feel like fooling with no cold chains this morning, even with gloves. Why couldnt I have been born "independently wealthy?" randyp

[Rob]

I've always found it amazing in the automotive world how many pieces/parts are vendored to the manufacturers. I have Macks that use Rockwell Standard, Grumman, Delco, Leece-Neville, Bendix, and many other vendor's parts. Yet when you purchase a replacement part through the OEM manufacturer, it always has their respective name upon the package/lable. I've met the gent that purchased my 74 RL797LST new. An inexperienced operator on an excavator took out both the cab and hood when the truck was close to new. It was repaired using new Mack supplied parts including hood, and service replacement cab. When the hood is open, one can plainly see the Rockwell-Standard logo, or lable that is laminated into the fiberglass construction. The cab was actually manufactured by the Shellar-Globe company in Ohio and shipped to Mack. My understanding is the frame rails were manufactured by Alcoa in Ohio also, and shipped to Hayward for assembly.

All of the OEM's do this. They own the patents and manufacturing rights to the designs, then sub most of the manufacturing. They then run the assembly of the some of the parts. This is why the slogan "made in the USA" can mean so little. Sure it's assembled here, but "made"?, I question this part. With the global economy we live in and credit as easy to spend someone else's money the way it is, I don't really see a viable stopping point without serious overhaul.

Rob

[cfesting]

I've always found it amazing in the automotive world how many pieces/parts are vendored to the manufacturers...

I hear you on that one. I used to be an O/O leased on with a company with about 80% of the hauls going to auto (and big truck) plants. I prefer to call these plants "assembly" plants rather than "manufacturing" plants. Mindboggling how much is brought in, and at what level of completion. Example that comes to mind was a load of rear body clips for Dodge Vipers. Not only did they have taillights and wiring harnesses installed, they were also finish-painted including stripes.

[oldmacktrucks]

I've always found it amazing in the automotive world how many pieces/parts are vendored to the manufacturers. I have Macks that use Rockwell Standard, Grumman, Delco, Leece-Neville, Bendix, and many other vendor's parts. Yet when you purchase a replacement part through the OEM manufacturer, it always has their respective name upon the package/lable. I've met the gent that purchased my 74 RL797LST new. An inexperienced operator on an excavator took out both the cab and hood when the truck was close to new. It was repaired using new Mack supplied parts including hood, and service replacement cab. When the hood is open, one can plainly see the Rockwell-Standard logo, or lable that is laminated into the fiberglass construction. The cab was actually manufactured by the Shellar-Globe company in Ohio and shipped to Mack. My understanding is the frame rails were manufactured by Alcoa in Ohio also, and shipped to Hayward for assembly.

All of the OEM's do this. They own the patents and manufacturing rights to the designs, then sub most of the manufacturing. They then run the assembly of the some of the parts. This is why the slogan "made in the USA" can mean so little. Sure it's assembled here, but "made"?, I question this part. With the global economy we live in and credit as easy to spend someone else's money the way it is, I don't really see a viable stopping point without serious overhaul.

Rob

There is no stopping what has been created with the outsource of labor. Greed has taken the place of pride in corporate minds. The children of today have no interest in working with there hands...we are a dying breed, I hate to say it. Even our children who were brought up around trucks and take pride in what was built here buy our brothers and sisters only account for 1 in maybe a million of kids today so in reality the kids we see on "jersey shore" and MTV and god knows whatever else are going to be the ones in charge 20 years from now...like I was saying buckle up boys...and girls! We are in for a ride

[bullhusk]

I was talking to a couple of guys from the concrere pipe assoc. today of which I am a member of, well it seems that thay are losing a lot of there concrete drainage pipe business to plastic PVC pipe, an guess where the pipe is being imported from??? You guessed it! China, an since I deliver the portland cement that makes the concrete pipe? well you know the rest of that story--------------M/T tankers

BULLHUSK

[Speed]

I'm sure the people of China truly appreciate the generosity of our Government and its fearless (or is it clueless)leader. They,and other third world countries have taken America's industry overseas. China already owns so much of our debt we can only pray they don't decide to foreclose...I really think Obama and China are setting it up for China to take ownership of the US. Of course,I could be mistaken.

Speed

[bullhusk]

Today, I think oil was trading @ 105 dollars a barrel......WHY???? What a time it is

1940 U.S.A. Goes to Saudi Arabia to drill for water so people could live in the desert, they find OIL INSTEAD!!!!

Sadam (whats his name) invades Kuwait; We send in our Troops (Blood) an Air force, an not to mention all of our money for the whole war!!!... We free all the people after Sadem's troops raped an killed thousands of Kuwaits people!!! never got one red cent back from Kuwait or the Suadi's!! An we the tax payers laid out all of the billions. That was then... sooo today we pay $105 Oh by the way?? If we import 50% of our oil an the other 50% is our own an I do mean ours the American People own it why are we not paying a much less price for that???

BULLHUSK

[other dog]

Been to Tractor Supply lately?

Well I needed a ratchet binder last week, an as I see you guys all know there are no more realy good supply stores around !! So I take this made in CHINA (so what else is new right?) binder with 10 ft. of small chain throw it under one of my Plymouths to bring home from my shop in J.C. as I start to tighten it, it snaps in half on the inner part of the threds. Now granted it was a small one but I have ones that were my fathers that are over 40 years old!! but of course I took them out of the trailer when it was at the house an forgot to put them back , But thats another story. DO any of you guys know of any of these big supply stores that sell good US made goods ??

BULLHUSK

We had a big pile of broken "made in China" binders laying in the shop floor-dozens of them. The handles would just snap in two. We use mostly snap binders,and they'll hurt you when they break! They were yellow and every time I need a new binder I tell them "Don't give me no yellow one,I want a red one". The red ones are actually made in China too but they didn't break like the yellow ones for some reason. Tom in the shop would say "ain't nothing wrong with them binders,them guys had too big a pipe on them,that's why they broke"! But only the yellow ones broke.

[other dog]

Today, I think oil was trading @ 105 dollars a barrel......WHY???? What a time it is

1940 U.S.A. Goes to Saudi Arabia to drill for water so people could live in the desert, they find OIL INSTEAD!!!!

Sadam (whats his name) invades Kuwait; We send in our Troops (Blood) an Air force, an not to mention all of our money for the whole war!!!... We free all the people after Sadem's troops raped an killed thousands of Kuwaits people!!! never got one red cent back from Kuwait or the Suadi's!! An we the tax payers laid out all of the billions. That was then... sooo today we pay $105 Oh by the way?? If we import 50% of our oil an the other 50% is our own an I do mean ours the American People own it why are we not paying a much less price for that???

BULLHUSK

I don't get it either. I was saying the other day that I heard there was enough oil in the U.S. to last 100 years,I also heard the biggest oil field yet discovered was somewhere in Colorado only 1,000 feet down and it's never been drilled for.

I hear this on the radio show "coast to coast am". Who knows if half what you hear is true,but if it is why do we still depend on the middle east countries that hate the U.S. for most of the oil?

[vision386]

I too have heard that there is PLENTY of oil on U.S. soil,so why are we still dependant on foreign oil?,i don't have a clue! greed comes to mind,the U.S trying to make everyone in the world "happy" also figures in,gotta put some of the load on the "treehuggers" too! i personally wonder what will happen when fuel does go to a consistant price north of $4.00 a gallon? do you think Mr. and Mrs. john q. public give a shit that owner-operators are going in the poorhouse on a daily basis? i bet they will when a loaf of bread costs $5.00! shit rolls downhill,and its been said before,that the rising price of fuel will be passed on to the consumer,its time for us as americans to take back the counrty,before its too late,or learn to speak chinese so we can be prepared when the paper held on the U.S. comes due! i read an article not too long ago,and you'd be surprized at just how many damn few things are actually "Made in the USA" anymore! the county i live in in Virginia,has one of the highest un-employment rates in the state,and just lost two more plants recently,one to mexico,one to china! when is enough gonna be enough?...............Mark

[Speed]

the only reason I can seriously consider for not using our own oil reserves is that the Obama gang wants to use up everyone else's oil first,so when the whole world is finally out of oil,we'd still have OUR oil. Never mind that this very mentality may be what drives the rest of the world to destruction.

Speed

[BAD DOG]

Been to Tractor Supply lately?

Well I needed a ratchet binder last week, an as I see you guys all know there are no more realy good supply stores around !! So I take this made in CHINA (so what else is new right?) binder with 10 ft. of small chain throw it under one of my Plymouths to bring home from my shop in J.C. as I start to tighten it, it snaps in half on the inner part of the threds. Now granted it was a small one but I have ones that were my fathers that are over 40 years old!! but of course I took them out of the trailer when it was at the house an forgot to put them back , But thats another story. DO any of you guys know of any of these big supply stores that sell good US made goods ??

BULLHUSK

Our Tractor Supply stores over here are full of chineese garbage too. Last week I went to the one where I live fore a few grade 8 bolts and they were redoing the fastener section, the guy told me what I was after was over in the clearance section and it was all at half off, so I stocked up on a bunch of bolts. A couple days later I went back to see what all the new stock consisted of, I wasn't impressed the grade 5 bolts they have less of ,still by the pound but not out in big boxes like they used to, grade 8 and stainless are all in drawers and all in little packs with 1 or 2 bolts in each and only a few in each drawer. At least before they had lots of everything. Seems to be the way of the world with everything you look at or go to do they can't leave anything good alone. I guess Bulls--t baffles brains.

[bullhusk]

I too have heard that there is PLENTY of oil on U.S. soil,so why are we still dependant on foreign oil?,i don't have a clue! greed comes to mind,the U.S trying to make everyone in the world "happy" also figures in,gotta put some of the load on the "treehuggers" too! i personally wonder what will happen when fuel does go to a consistant price north of $4.00 a gallon? do you think Mr. and Mrs. john q. public give a shit that owner-operators are going in the poorhouse on a daily basis? i bet they will when a loaf of bread costs $5.00! shit rolls downhill,and its been said before,that the rising price of fuel will be passed on to the consumer,its time for us as americans to take back the counrty,before its too late,or learn to speak chinese so we can be prepared when the paper held on the U.S. comes due! i read an article not too long ago,and you'd be surprized at just how many damn few things are actually "Made in the USA" anymore! the county i live in in Virginia,has one of the highest un-employment rates in the state,and just lost two more plants recently,one to mexico,one to china! when is enough gonna be enough?...............Mark

Mark,

I'll tell ya when enough is going to be enough!! when all of the work goes to China & Mexico were there is slave labor!!! an our Mc Donalds an Dunken Donuts workers can't pay the rent then nobody will have money to buy that cheap shit!! Don't forget; the people in this country that make a decent wage are the ones who buy the new cars an used cars along with a lot of things that people making minimum can't buy, so..(an I could see it comming) when all the factories close, an every clothes maker an truck & car manufacturing move out??? Then there WILL BE NO MONEY NO MONEY!!! to by there shit!! an then there gona be stuck with it. Now us guys running trucks?? well I guess we'll just have to park em because we won't be able to by fuel an nobody is gona be driving a car caus they don't have a job to go to any way!!

Ernie AN PS I have no disrespect for anyone in this country who has to work for minium wage,I have been there myself a few times an it ain't pretty but you do what you have to do...In 2012 we need to take back America

[vision386]

Mark,

I'll tell ya when enough is going to be enough!! when all of the work goes to China & Mexico were there is slave labor!!! an our Mc Donalds an Dunken Donuts workers can't pay the rent then nobody will have money to buy that cheap shit!! Don't forget; the people in this country that make a decent wage are the ones who buy the new cars an used cars along with a lot of things that people making minimum can't buy, so..(an I could see it comming) when all the factories close, an every clothes maker an truck & car manufacturing move out??? Then there WILL BE NO MONEY NO MONEY!!! to by there shit!! an then there gona be stuck with it. Now us guys running trucks?? well I guess we'll just have to park em because we won't be able to by fuel an nobody is gona be driving a car caus they don't have a job to go to any way!!

Ernie AN PS I have no disrespect for anyone in this country who has to work for minium wage,I have been there myself a few times an it ain't pretty but you do what you have to do...In 2012 we need to take back America

Well said Ernie! i agree! i just wonder WHEN people are gonna wake up!!!????...............Mark

[james j neiweem]

Well said Ernie! i agree! i just wonder WHEN people are gonna wake up!!!????...............Mark

It is all part of the new world order plan and our traitorous politicians are in on it and have been for a long time. At the very least they should be put away for life. We have one more chance to stop this movement in 2012. Throw the bums out(democrats/socialists/communists

rhino republicans

[gearbox]

I run a spare parts outlet, we always stuggle against the bigger national stores because we are more expensive, but always got the product (even slow movers)at better quality(prefer not chinese) at a reasonable price (because I don't want warranty returns), but people still go to the super market style spare parts with no knowledge or experience. They clean up on the simple high turnover products taking the simple sales away from us small guys. Next time you purchase even small items remember the small shop needs bread and butter sales as well and put up with the slightly higher price and eventually (can only hope the big stores will disappear slowly because they will become less viable) and we will get the service back we would like and force the dealers to stock parts for the new trucks purchased by wanting to know what is in their spare parts dept, if they can't supply don't use them, they need to decentralise so everybody has a bit of stock but it does cost, they will have to get the message eventually. Older trucks are always going to be a problem because the money is not there to support a profitable business even in a perfect world (it would nice). Guess we all know it, don't want to pay for the service and I'm guilty of looking for a bargin price but it is not what we want Cheers Gearbox

[Rob]

I support the privately owned "Carquest" branded store 100% with my parts purchases if they have access to what I need. This is a small family owned store with two employees open six days per week with another employee that is only a delivery driver. Their parts may, or may not be higher priced than the chain stores but the service is very much from an earlier time and quality. It pains me to see some chinese manufactured parts in "Carquest" branded boxes, but this is the way of the world.

As an example of service; How many parts stores owners will get out of bed at 2:30am and either give you a key to the door, or travel to the store to either get you the part you need, or provide the support you need to keep moving? Try that with one of the chain stores even if you know them quite well. I exercised that option a few times when we were running cars for truck parts.

I've never been one that shops solely on price. It's the reputation and service that brings me in the first place, and the support that keeps me coming back.

Pardon the pun but I try to be a "loyal old dog" with my vendors. Of course I'm not ashamed to tell em if I think they're too high in price for something also.

Rob