<VV> Initial questions from a Corvair 'newby'

George Jones 65crownv8 at gmail.com
Mon Dec 24 18:12:48 EST 2007


On Dec 24, 2007 1:19 PM, John Kepler <jekepler at amplex.net> wrote:

>  Yeah, but it's a hell of a lot easier to file a law suit against Sears,
> Mac, etc. than it is to try to figure out who owns the import company that
> brought the broken stand into the country under the name Cho Ling Imports.
>
> Last time I checked, Harbor Freight isn't too hard to find…..or sue if
> your THAT kind of individual!
>
Well, not everyone has a Harbor Freight in their back yard. I haven't looked
at their jack stands so I can't comment on them. As far as being THAT kind
of individual, if I have a jackstand break while I am under a car, you're
damn right, I will become THAT kind of individual. Last time I checked, I
was still bringing in money for this household, and if someones poor quality
control causes me to give up some of my bread winning ability, I would file
a law suit. I would also assume that my wife would file suit if I were
killed as a result. Why should she live from paycheck to paycheck making
house payments and the rest just because some fly by night outfit found it
cheaper to produce a product in China where the quality control isn't
typically what it is in the USA or Japan, or wherever?

> Yeah, a good weld is a good weld, but can you visually identify a good
> casting for the upright portion?
>
> I know I'm being a dick on this one….
>
You said it, not me.

> but yes, yes I can!  It's my job complete with a little chunk of paper
> that says I actually know what I'm doing!.
>
Good for you, but most of the people in this hobby are not card carrying
welders.

>
>
>  Alan Bristow had one of these cheap Chinese jack stands fail on him (not
> the weld, but the casting) right after he got out from under his Spyder.
> Crushed a can of silver paint and inadvertently painted the bottom side of
> the car, right before the nationals a few years ago. Needless to say, he was
> happy the paint can was the only thing that was crushed (he had gone inside
> to grab a sandwich when he heard the crash).
>
> And I've seen hideously bad castings from Hayes-Lemerz and GM Central
> Foundry that got out the door too…..happens to everybody!
>
I won't argue that there are lemons out there from any quality manufacturer,
however, the likelihood of getting a bad one increases when you start buying
the junk from China.  The only thing you can hope for is the importer has
some semblance of a quality inspection process.

>
>
> Me personally, I bought a set of old jack stands that were produced in the
> 50's. They're a lot heavier and a pain in the a$$ to lug around, but I trust
> them. Yeah, there's no guarantee that they won't fail either, but they are
> all steel, welded, and so oil soaked that they will never have a chance to
> rust (PO swears they were
>
>
>
> I must 25-30 kicking around the shop, some are Chinese, some aren't, and I
> can't tell'um apart.  NONE of them get used as much as they did before I
> bought the lift!  Sometimes, the best solution is to break the paradigm!
>
Wish I had the facilities to install a lift, but I don't, so I'm stuck with
my old jackstands until I have a garage capable of housing a lift.

>
> John
>

This is all a moot point because Ed sent me a private post stating he has
quality, name brand stands and lifting equipment.

My point, which seemed to get lost in this diatribe, was that there are
places you can cut cost, but safety is not one of them.

-- 
Ask me how you can win this 64 Monza Convertible

http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s114/65CrownV8/TCC%20Project%20Car/

George Jones
--------------------------------
Tidewater Corvair Club (since 1987)
Central Virginia Corvair Club (since 2006)
Corvair Society of America (CORSA)(since 1987)
'65 Monza Crown V8 Convertible
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2397326
'66 Monza Coupe Custom (in progress)


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