Monday, March 22, 2010

Couple of years back the tailgate handle on my truck broke,

and being unwilling to give Ford $50+tax for this piece of molded plastic and two screws, I repaired it. Well, last night the damn thing broke again. In a different place; my fix is still solid.

So I did some browsing around, and found a place that has a STEEL replacement, that with shipping is going to be about $32 less than the PLASTIC Ford part.

You know, I'd like to know what moron decided that making this part out of plastic was a good idea: "We can save two or three cents each this way! And then screw the customer when it breaks and he needs a new one!"

And, since I'm bitching about plastic, Sig and their Trailside magazines. Damn things are molded polymer, the only steel in them is the spring, and they cost more than premium 1911 magazines. No reason for that.

7 comments:

Sigivald said...

I imagine part of the idea for Ford was to reduce weight.

Enough of that and your mileage numbers look better, for both marketing and CAFE purposes.

(Also, come on, man. You bought a SIG and you're complaining that it's expensive?)

Phelps said...

Weight and corrosion, yeah.

And the Sig one costs more because it is molded with the heat of the loins of a virgin maiden, and quenched in the cold waters of a remote fjord, don'tchaknow.

Firehand said...

Hey, at the time the Trailside wasn't very expensive; God knows what they run now.

Anonymous said...

The results of govt. intrusion and regulation into automotive design.

That's why I drive a '92 F-150. I bought it six years ago because it was two wheel drive, hard to find in the Pac. NW, had a smallish engine, 360cid, and has an extended cab, good for Boy Scouts and a huge dog. 11K miles ago I had a new engine put in it costing me $2500 as opposed to $30,000 for a comparable new pickup. It is reasonable on fuel usage, hauls everything I need hauled as well as my 5th wheel trailer. I will never need to buy another vehicle. So far, all the accessories still work, the paint looks good and tires on it wear as if they were forged steel. It'll need brake pads and shoes this Summer. I can handle that just fine by myself.

Gerry N.

Ritchie said...

Like so many other things that are only meant to last until the statistical fat part of the curve is past trade-in time.

SordidPanda said...

Where did you find the steel handle? I have an 89 GMC Sierra that needs one...

Firehand said...

At this place:
http://www.carpartswholesale.com/cpw/ford~tailgate_handle.html