UGH!!! Reproduction Parts....

Bryce Frazier · Aug 6, 2014

Well, I decided to take the "easy" route and I bought two brand new fender skins for my 2N. Ordered them Monday, got here yesterday, AWESOME shipping!

This morning I unpack them and they look great. These are the kind that have to have the holes drilled in them and painted, so I laid one of them out on the floor in the shop and I drilled holes exactly where they should be for the lower half of the bracket.

I bolted the lower half of the bracket to the fender, and then test fitted on the tractor, they looked great.

THEN the $hit hit the fan, I grabbed the second half, the top piece of the bracket. I set it on the holes of the lower bracket just like it should go, and it sticks out the top of the fender about 1/2 an inch!!!!

I was mesmerized for a minute, and then decided to measure and sure as he!! the old fenders are about 3/4's of an inch longer than the new ones, and my brackets don't fit inside the new ones!!!

Sooo, I am going to have to cut MY fender brackets down to accommodate these new "exact reproduction fenders" .... B S ....

Bryce

David G · Aug 6, 2014

Chinese, almost right.

Dean · Aug 6, 2014

I avoid aftermarket parts like the plague.

Dean

Goose · Aug 6, 2014

What's interesting is a number of years ago when I had my own body shop, I replaced the right fender on an Olds Cutlass Ciera. My customer wasn't too particular, and wanted to save money, so I installed an aftermarket fender, made in Taiwan.

The fender had a manufacturing defect in the inner structure that wasn't noticeable after it was installed. No big deal.

By coincidence, a couple months later I replaced the right fender on another identical Cutlass Ciera. This was an insurance job and I used an OEM fender. You guessed it. Same defect. Different color primer.

Robert Major · Aug 6, 2014

Hi Bryce
sorry to say it but from what I hear on more than one forum in the world, most of that repro tin is not even close.
I got repro Fordson major fenders here brand new never fitted. I have heard all the horror stories with them, from the same source mine came from, both fender set are same style but one set is even 3" taller than the others, comparing them side to side.
I'm still looking for 2 pairs of originals for my tractors. I'll probably end up dumping my repro's on working tractors, one day, if a guy wants them cheap.
Regards Robert

newgenjdcollector · Aug 6, 2014

I feel ya man. I mean why do they go thru all the work to make the parts in the first place if they can't even do it right? I would think a well made part would get you a lot more sales than pissing ppl off, who will never buy again and tell every person they know to avoid the place. About half of the aftermarket parts I buy, I have to re-drill holes, grind things down, weld them up or blast that cruddy paint off and repaint. I've been thru so many now that I kinda know which ones are okay to buy and which ones you might as well start looking in salvage yards for.

DeltaRed · Aug 6, 2014

Yup.Some is good.some are bad.I bought a repro 'winged' radiator cap(Stieners).The wing was 90* from where it should be.Other stuff has been satisfactory.

mkirsch · Aug 6, 2014

You'd think that, but by and large, people only care about price.

The problem is, people (myself included) keep buying the stuff, even knowing full well that at best it's "almost right."

What's worse is, even though they KNEW it was only "almost right" they still complain and act like it's a surprise when the part doesn't fit out of the box.

If you know the part isn't going to be right out of the box, why did you buy it? Because it was CHEAPER.

Would you buy a quality reproduction at 2X+ the price if it was the only thing available? More "No's" than "Yes's" on this one.

Frankly the tractor hobby would be a mere fraction of the size it is now if not for cheap reproduction parts allowing people who would otherwise not be able to afford to it, fix their tractors. It's saved a lot of tractors from the scrap pile.

sd pete · Aug 6, 2014

What company did you buy it from?

AG in IN · Aug 6, 2014

I sure wouldn't alter anything to make something that someone is selling as a correct replacement that isn't correct acceptable. It's either right, or it isn't.

If it isn't, I'd call the parts supplier, have them send a tag to pick the "parts" up and get a full refund. Let them and their suppliers eat what you claim "hit the fan" if they're going to sell the same material that contacted the fan to the public and try to profit off of it.

AG

Ray · Aug 6, 2014

I bought a reproduction set of JD 430 fenders last year.The must have painted them then stuck them in the box.The cardboard was stuck to the fenders and the welds kind of left the fenders wavey in spots.
Cost me more than the fenders cost to get them fixed at a body shop.

Jason S. · Aug 6, 2014

Ive always been one to rather than buy new aftermarket parts I salvage as much original parts as possible. When i say salvage i mean rough parts that most people wouldnt even consider.Is it being penny wise and dollar foolish? Yes. I've spent days welding and hammering an original set of fenders rather than buy a new set. Not just on tractors but on my vehicles too. I have more time and material invested than what I could buy new stuff for but it isn't the same. It depends on which side of the fence your on. If you are just fixing something to sell that get aftermarket stuff and make it work and pass it on,but for a keeper wait patiently for original parts to become available or learn to fix your own. It helps that I've been doing body work for the past 21 years. You might want to look into doing some night classes on body work and metal work.

sotxbill · Aug 6, 2014

yeah.. I bought a box of nails last week and had to throw half of em away. The dadburn heads were on the wrong end.

jmcarlic · Aug 6, 2014

(quoted from post at 16:42:14 08/06/14)
yeah.. I bought a box of nails last week and had to throw half of em away. The dadburn heads were on the wrong end.

HA! Now, that's funny, I don't care who you are!

muleboss · Aug 6, 2014

(quoted from post at 17:42:14 08/06/14)
yeah.. I bought a box of nails last week and had to throw half of em away. The dadburn heads were on the wrong end.

I think they were for the other side of the board.

Robert Major · Aug 6, 2014

Hi
In my case I found out they were wrong after I
got them, Mine came from the U.K in a shipping
container, when a guy I know came to Canada, he
never looked at them, and the supplier said they
came from a new company that was right before I
ordered.
I ended up with one old supply set and a new.I
Knew the problem with old sets I didn't want and
got, the other set sat in the shed for a few
months, then I found out about problems fitting
them in that time, so just never bothered and the
rough originals are on the tractor.
I guess sometimes a guy just don't know what your
getting and the suppliers don't care, so keep
selling junk or get greedy looking for cheaper
supplies without the quality of the last batch.
Regards Robert

Nebraska Cowman · Aug 6, 2014

Are you sure the wing was wrong or was the neck on the radiator wrong? Yeah, that happens too. The guy that soldered it on didn't know it mattered.

Bryce Frazier · Aug 6, 2014

I am actually VERY good at doing my own metal work. I have been doing body work for a number of years, and I have done all of my tractors, which, not to blow my horn, but they look pretty good!

These fenders were hammered... They were rusting out, one had a bullet hole in it! The other was rippled VERY badly.

This tractor means a lot to me, and I want it to look perfect because the original owner is going to come see it when it is done! Dad and I are going to have a look, and we will figure something out!!

Bryce

Alan K · Aug 6, 2014

LOL...good one.

Charles B. Jackson · Aug 6, 2014

We are restoring a 1959 541 Offset Ford and in
recent months I have returned about 30% of the
"duplicate of original" parts that are not
acceptable.

Charles B. Jackson · Aug 6, 2014

We are restoring a 1959 541 Offset Ford and in
recent months I have returned about 30% of the
"duplicate of original" parts that are not
acceptable.

NEKS · Aug 6, 2014

Bought a China radiator for the 450 Farmall. Bolt holes did not quite match up and after getting it all installed the neck was not sealed tight to the radiator.

ShadetreeRet · Aug 6, 2014

sotxbill, ya shoulda kept them nails, the head wern't on the wrong end, they was fer the other side of the wall!

ShadetreeRet · Aug 6, 2014

Bryce I can understand your enthusiasm, Have gotten a little exited over new parts myself. But, it is best to lay out the parts and check every thing for proper fit and size before you begin drilling and assembling. I feel sure that you will do so next time. As they say, experience is the best teacher, but can also be the most expensive.

UGH!!! Reproduction Parts....

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