Chinese parts

[SprintMWU773V]

Just ordered a fuel filter for the wife's MG from Rimmers as our local MG Rover dealer went bust. It arrived today with MADE IN CHINA blazoned all over the box. Now I know it's only a fuel filter but asthetically it was way off the old one which has been removed. Rough edges, not as shiny but still the same price. If the cars ever come back here I doubt they'll be up to the same standard and still too expensive.

[george]

must admit some of the parts iv'e fitted that have been brought back from malaysia (chinese manufactured) have been very good quaility mainly mercedes ones wether it's just luck but i guess just one bad apple etc....

[Dollyboy]

they're very good at copying things.

also, if a pattern had been provided and they copy it for somebody, then 'somebody' needs to approve the quality of the repro part/product before it goes to mass production.

could argue that its better to have a part that works/does the job than no part at all...

other option is to find something else that can be made to fit and use that instead, chances are it'd probably be cheaper that way!

[Judge Mental]

I just took delivery of a HID light kit for the Elise from ebay. Delivered from China, kit made in Germany! Or at least that's what it says on the HID boxes. Most Elise parts places want £260 for the same parts, I paid £88. We shall see if I've wasted £88 but it was worth it just to see.

A friend told me a story of when he had an old 3 series that needed 4 new sealed beam Units. BMW wanted £150 for the original Hellas, he ordered a pattern part set for £40. Anyway, boxes arrived, stamped up as being made in malaysia, opened them up to find Hella boxes with Hella lights within!

Rover would probably just source their stuff in the same way and put the Far east product in their own boxes.

[xvivalve]

opened them up to find Hella boxes with Hella lights within!

That will be because the pattern they used was a hella...they are very literal with what they copy...until they have copied it enough times to have learned its shortcomings at which point they start to improve.

[DoloWIGHTY]

Oh I'm pretty sure that we'll be seing them over here again, going to be called Roewe 750 , these pictures come from the Austin Rover Resource:









These are the two models of the 75 confirmed so far for 2007, longer wheelbase thatn previous.

As for quality, it can only improve on the late Longbridge production, I was talking to a car trader the other day who was driving a late plate 45 and it was literally falling apart around him, window winder had fallen to bits, sunvisor had fallen into his lap and the AC knob had fallen off and rolled under his seat, all in the space of a 75 mile journey!

[DavePoth]

At least they sorted out the appalling panel gap on the bonnet. It made me a bit ill looking at it before.

The rear of the SAIC 75 looks quite nice as well.

[SprintMWU773V]

I've always liked the 75 and ZT and the facelift of the Roewe has improved on the last Peter Stevens restyle which was inferior to the original. Only thing really is the badge. Shame they sold the Rover brand to Ford otherwise it could still be a Rover. Still we must nott forget that basically the Chinese bought the bits for their own market which will accept the badge without question, over here anything other than an MG badge will struggle. Of course this is the SAIC version so they can't call it an MG. It's very confusing but also very clever that they have managed to basically buy the rights to a product, ship over the plans and set up machinery etc so quickly. I will be interested to the the Nanjing version. Whole thing seems to have become a bit of a mess and probably left to the Chinese to sort out. That's before you get to the whole MG thing, making them in the US and Longbridge etc etc which I will refrain from going on about as 1) I am an MG fan and 2) this is a Triumph forum! Maybe BMW will sell someone the Triumph badge?

However I am quite happy that someone is making some parts for the cars as we've lost enough on the MG as it is so can't really justify buying another car just yet. Frankly as long as it works OK i'm not too bothered.