speedmaster aluminum heads and roller rockers

[mike7570]

A quick little note regarding the discussion of aftermarket heads and who’s are better etc.  I bet not to many know the current B/S record holder is a ‘70 Ford Mustang 428 equipped with factory iron cobra jet heads. Stock does not allow porting of the heads and in B/S his car weighs 3290lb. Car ran a 10.08 @ 131.

[TJ]

US goods produced in China is a complex situation.  A while back I worked with someone who was forced out of his job in car parts sales.  Chinese companies could produce and deliver quality parts here at a price lower than his US company could buy the raw steel to make the parts.  I believe their lack of safety and environmental regulations along with cheaper labor had a lot to do with that.  Kind of ironic given how we are so concerned with global warming.  We highly regulate ourselves and end up sending manufacturing to where there's much less regulation... not sure how that reduces global warming. 

Many US design companies have employees overseas to coordinate manufacture of US designed goods because there is no (or very little) ability in many categories in the US anymore.  And that includes way more than auto parts...fabric, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Not to mention, the Chinese government supports and sponsors corporate espionage...says our own FBI.  And there's very little US manufacturers can do about that.   

I'm sure many of you know all of this.  And it's not a rant or a political statement.  That's just the way it is and I don't see that changing without a LOT of tough choices being made by everyone. 

[Tommy-T]

This thread is interesting and is reoccurring fairly regularly.
It does put me into a quandary.
I did buy a China RPM for the 360 in my pickup. It fit well and works good. Got it on Ebay for $200 bucks.

My point of quandaryment is, who is my bigger enemy?
Is it the Chinaman who supposedly wants to kill me and send the American economy into a downward spiral?
Or is it the Investment Firm that bought a family owned business (Edelbrock) that's selling an intake manifold that the R&D and foundry tooling was done 30+ years ago and has decided that gouging the consumer to the tune of $700+ is the way to go?
I can't decide.
Flame away.

[cjshaker]

My point of quandaryment is, who is my bigger enemy?
Is it the Chinaman who supposedly wants to kill me and send the American economy into a downward spiral?
Or is it the Investment Firm that bought a family owned business (Edelbrock) that's selling an intake manifold that the R&D and foundry tooling was done 30+ years ago and has decided that gouging the consumer to the tune of $700+ is the way to go?
I can't decide.

It's not quite as simple as you make it out. Edelbrock is located in California, so add what % just based on that? Regulations, cost of raw materials, environmental fees for U.S. based foundries, living wages for an American foundry worker (especially living in your state of Cali)....the list goes on, and on, and they all contribute to that price. Then China comes along, steals the design, pays their worker a couple bucks a day, with no environmental costs, and dumps it on the consumer....and you supported that. Seems you made your decision.

[Thumperbird]

Let's face it, the US is not very competitive on many things for many reasons.
When you guys need that pacemaker or other medical device good luck finding a 100% US made unit and I bet your perspective will shift a bit on the matter.
Don't get me wrong, out right stealing an idea where the original designers name is still on the product, that is of course total BS but every company out there and every human has lived off of and advanced off of the backs of those before, inside and outside our country.  Global commerce is a good thing overall, competition is good, if it's not patent protected then what are we saying?  Hey, don't make that because I do?

[428kidd]

Doug has a very good prospective, the added cost pays Americans for their jobs and family's.  As for the pace maker or what ever you want to say to square ones idea. No one is saying not to buy this or that . One is simply suggesting that when one can , buy American. Back 30 years ago when all the quality parts went to Mexico because every one that had a choice of a $7 dollar part,, or a $20 dollar part choice the $7 dollar one and the quality part went the way of the doh doh bird. Now you have to buy three of said part to get one the works.     

[shady]

I'm with Tommy on this. With the $500 that I save, I can go to my local pub and have a burger & a beer (& a lot of them). Pub owner makes out, waitress makes out. Put a few bucks more in the collection plate on Sunday. Buy a few extra boxes of Girlscout cookies and on and on. I'd rather give my local economy a boost than piss it away to make a feel good point. Edelbrock has to adapt like everyone else. Of coarse being an OG has much to do with my attitude which is generally no shi*s given.

[Joe-JDC]

Seems funny that for years you couldn't even buy a new product for the FE, and then Edelbrock entered the market with heads and intakes that were fairly reasonably priced.  Many folks jumped on the new parts and not long after that there was an aluminum shortage causing prices to jump on everything from pistons to intake manifolds.  However, Ford could build trucks using aluminum body panels, and many car companies had aluminum hoods, trunks and some even made of fiberglass.  So where was the shortage?  When I worked a part time job while stationed in Utah back in 1971-1975 the oil wells were shut down all over the mid-west by the government.  The wells owned by Shell oil company and others were mandated to only pump 10% or less to keep the equipment active and functioning.  Said we had enough reserves for the next 500 years and we were going to use up the World's supply and then sell ours to them.  Shortages real, or manufactured?  Prices real or inflated for quick profits?  Sometimes you buy what is available out of necessity, not what you would prefer and not quibble about where it was manufactured.  Joe-JDC

[428kidd]

Ive seen this in my home town first hand. When company's no longer can compete they either move or close . The service industry pays almost nothing besides tips. Sure the owner makes out but pay out to its work force isn't great. The town i live in had probably 30 factory's in it up till the 90s. NAFTA killed that , now none of them are open any more. Yes there plenty of restaurants, but how many familys of 4 does that raise? I remember when those factory jobs had free or close health care, matched 401k , stock incentives etc , where are those things now days?   

[TJ]

When folks talk about buying domestic vs overseas, thoughts understandably turn to jobs, supporting the family, etc.

We're in a position where much of the equipment and knowledge for important industries no longer exist in the US or are in the process of leaving....gone to a country that doesn't like us.   

[frnkeore]

Let me point something out that many that don't remember world history, may not understand.

Do any of you remember the "Opium Wars" of the 1800's? Basically, the British tried to addict the Chinese, using Opium, from India, to control their trade with them and that is what the Chinese are doing to us today. Not only with drugs, like fentanyl, that destroy people and family's but, with cheap goods, that destroy our work force and our ability to make anything here.

Our big corporations and many small businesses, are just like those Opium addicted Chinese workers and businessmen but, their (our) Opium is profits. Kinda like the old saying "What comes around, goes around". We need to get out heads out of our a$$ and anyone that can buy American should and must, do so.

[cjshaker]

Edelbrock has to adapt like everyone else. Of coarse being an OG has much to do with my attitude which is generally no shi*s given.

And how does a U.S. based company "adapt" to cheap slave labor with no regulations? They simply go out of business, and then people like you blame others. Your last sentence says it all.

[pbf777]

Your last sentence says it all.

      +1   

       And if I may add:  That entire post demonstrates a lack of understanding of economic relationships both locally, nationally and worldly, which must be considered as a whole.  Otherwise, as in the practice as suggested in that posting, your result is just a case of "shooting yourself in the foot"!    

       Scott.