Febi/Bilstein...China????

[DCColegrove]

So... Today I order a camshaft position sensor for an e46 ('01 330i) from our supplier.

When It came in that all familiar red and white box with febi Bilstein written all the hell over it I felt assured in my profession that I take a great deal of pride in...right up until I saw the big ass Made in China sticker.

I opened the box and sure enough it wasn't any part I wanted to install in my customers car... Shitty plastic molding with flash at the seams, tin connectors that were loose in the housing...basically...Shit.

I sent it back, I'd rather pay more for O.E.


You know as long as people keep opting for shit at bargain basement prices it's driving the companies that produce the real deal to either cut their quality or go tits up.

Some quality parts are now unobtainable because of this... like Lobro Axle assemblies...They are extinct...Why?
A Chinese manufacturer sells "new axles for about a tenth of the price. One little problem though...These axles are shit, the boots split, the joints are weak and prone to abnormal wear the splines are "rough".

But people bought them anyway because they were cheap...and now that's all that is available.

What is it all coming to?

[BenM]

At least they are being honest about the shittyness of their product.

Some parts companies would produce their in china, then put it in a box labeled "Made in Germany". That's the shit that really pisses me off.

[FredK]

yeah, I feel aftermarket parts have just gone downhill in quality and in selection. Control arms, tie rods, guibos, flex discs, thermostat housings, there are a whole bunch of them out there with shit quality.

[AlarmedBread]

Just wait until you notice that the apple juice you're drinking every day is also a product of china. :)

[Jon325i]

Just wait until you notice that the apple juice you're drinking every day is also a product of china. :)

That's a disturbing thought. Contents: 0.01% apple juice from concentrate....the rest, who knows.

Jon

[Farbin Kaiber]

When you install parts day in and day out in a 20 bay shop, you see all types of shitty China knock-offs. Have you seen the $9,800.00 fully optioned Tundra clone? I think Cherry Auto Group makes it. Just wait til the China cars hit our shores in the next year or so after we get all warm and fuzzy bout the place because of the Olympic Games. Soon the Us will be a big storage place of China goods, get used to it.

[DCColegrove]

Just wait until you notice that the apple juice you're drinking every day is also a product of china. :)

I have...Not happy about it either.

I decided to go at this by using nothing but top grade shit built here or at least in Europe in my business.

You may or may not believe how nearly impossible it is to source parts that aren't shit.

I have been looking for a fabricator to build roll/crash bars (the guy I have fabricate my stuff doesn't want to produce them for whatever reason) and I'll be damned if I can find some one who won't farm it out to China, Taiwan, India...I mean...What the fuck?

[JasonC]

I thought the apple juice was mostly from South America?

[DCColegrove]

When you install parts day in and day out in a 20 bay shop, you see all types of shitty China knock-offs. ...

.... get used to it.

Accepting the unacceptable is not an alternative.

I'm old enough to have seen the first e30s roll off the boat here. I worked for BMW AG in Munich in R&D and BMW NA in Woodcliff NJ. and Santa Monica Ca. as a Technical rep. Then for some very big dealerships here in California before I went independent in '91.

It wasn't always like this..and I sure as shit am not going to get used to it.

[DCColegrove]

At least they are being honest about the shittyness of their product.

Some parts companies would produce their in china, then put it in a box labeled "Made in Germany". That's the shit that really pisses me off.

Yeah...No shit. a lot of knock offs were coming in in the country in the late 80's and early '90s. the real deal Companies started using holographic label seals...took them about 20 min. to get the hang of copying those too.

Now the real deal?...All sold out.

[WillisE30]

I really don't give a shit where the part was made so long as it is of good quality. I've seen a lot of crap come in a Febi Billstein box lately, namely the clamps for their axle boots on 330xi's and X5's. Aftermarket parts are a gamble, generally if you stick to good names like Lemforder, Billstein, and Meyle you're ok. This is not always the case though.

[cferb]

When you install parts day in and day out in a 20 bay shop, you see all types of shitty China knock-offs. Have you seen the $9,800.00 fully optioned Tundra clone? I think Cherry Auto Group makes it. Just wait til the China cars hit our shores in the next year or so after we get all warm and fuzzy bout the place because of the Olympic Games. Soon the Us will be a big storage place of China goods, get used to it.

Haha, good joke. It'll be a while before Chinese cars will make it here, they can try, but they aren't gonna meet our standards.

[E30_fiend]

I really don't give a shit where the part was made so long as it is of good quality. I've seen a lot of crap come in a Febi Billstein box lately, namely the clamps for their axle boots on 330xi's and X5's. Aftermarket parts are a gamble, generally if you stick to good names like Lemforder, Billstein, and Meyle you're ok. This is not always the case though.

I know you said that's not only the case but I thought I'd bring up Meyle in general. I know its hard to pass up both control arms for 170 bucks but my buddy did this about a year ago and the boots on his ball joints are already cracked.

Daniel,

You remember Gary talking about that right?


E30Fiend

[auto da fe]

Just wait until you notice that the apple juice you're drinking every day is also a product of china. :)

That one got me too. I have to humt to find apple juice that doesn't have the "concentrate from China" printing on the jug. It's gone too far.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Thats why I own a juicer.