CJ2A product review section? I think we need it!

Hello,

I have been meaning to bring this topic up before, but after getting some disappointing parts in the mail lately, I was really driven to mention this. 

I can't tell you how valuable I find honest consumer reviews, and I want to hear the good and the bad about reproduction CJ2A parts!  Sean's review, a while back, about the "FUBAR" pre-bent brake line kits for the CJ2A, is an excellent example of a thorough, and honest review, that fortunately saved me from making an expensive mistake when I considered purchasing this kit.

I want to make it clear that I do not wish to bash or slander any of our parts vendors.  I have been helped out favorably by many of them, as I am sure that you folks have, BUT... they all seem to carry a few items that are simply disappointing.  I feel that we need a place that we can get reports and reviews of what parts the vendors carry, with items rated in terms of both functionality, and how well the parts compare to the original parts.  This would very important to me, as I have very little money to spend on my jeep, yet when necessity dictates that I have to actually buy some replacement part, I would love to spare myself the disappointment and frustration that comes with receiving a substandard or misfit part. 

As an example, the order of parts I received last week was a small order if little parts, steering bushings, gaskets, etc., HALF of the items were substandard and I will NOT be using them, these items were listed on the vendor's site as NOS, but they were not.  It is incidents like this, that most of us may be able to relate to, yet if we know ahead of time about the parts stocked at certain vendors, the situations may be able to be avoided all together.

It would be great to see a review section that was organized like our parts list for easy reference, I know I would be an active contributor.  Perhaps I am just too picky, but I have a long list of parts that I would love to review. 

There may be an added benefit to a reproduction parts review section... perhaps our vendors will take note, and use it as a tool to gauge the desirability of the products they offer.  Forgive me as I break into my "dream speech" here, but maybe our voice in the form of a parts review section, can actually help drive the reproduction parts market, instead of it being solely driven by the cheapest method of manufacture or cheapest materials.  After all, unless we start complaining about these parts, and stop purchasing the parts that do not work or fit well anyway, the manufacturers have very little motivation to quit watering down the whiskey, so to speak.

OK...I am off my soapbox for the moment, and headed back out to the garage to install some good parts that came in today's mail, that are replacing the junk that arrived in last week's mail!!!

Daniel






Edited by uglyjeep - 15 Feb. 2011 at 10:23pm

I believe you have a great idea. This is the kind of thing that at the end of the day drives the market to better quality. Vendors DO notice and they WILL respond to negative feedback, Maybe this could somehow be part of the "parts project" ?

GaryArf wrote: ... Maybe this could somehow be part of the "parts project" ?

A product review section would be a great idea.

WELL...RUSSNJ WILL BE READING THIS AND I AM SURE HE WILL MAKE THE RIGHT MOVE ON THIS ONE....AS I AGREE WOULD MAKE THINGS A LITTLE EASIER ONLY BUYING THE GOOD STUFF AND SAVING TIME AND $$ SENDING BACK THE GARBAGE...

A new section where we could post our opinions, positive and negative, about purchased parts for our Jeeps would be great.   I like the idea of organizing it similar to the Parts List, but I'd omit the detailed list of Sub Forums that is included below the Parts List forum on the Forum Home page because I think it invites newbies to post their questions about whatever in the wrong section.  This is the list I'm referring to:

Sub Forum(s): Body Group, Brakes, Bumpers, Cooling System, Clutch, Electrical Group, Engine Group, Exhaust System, Fenders, Frame, Front Axle, Fuel System, Hood, Instruments, Muffler, Paint, Propeller Shaft, Rear Axle, Shock Absorbers, Special Equipment and Accessories, Springs, Steering, Tools, Transfer Case, Transmission, Wheels, Non-Willys Accessories

I would still decompose the review section the same way - just not provide those links at the top forum page where newbies could see it and jump to both the wrong conclusion and the wrong place to post their questions!


Edited by samcj2a - 17 Feb. 2011 at 12:36pm

I like the idea. However it should be kept to naming the manufacturer of the part and not the vendor who supplied it. Because the parts that a vendor carries is not static.

This comes up all the time. One guy calls part A from XYZ vendor junk and another member or two will come on and say that used to be true but they switched to a supplier here in the U.S. and they are much better.

I would like to see both vender and manufactuer listed and the quality of material used as well as how correct the item looks to the original.  I don't want much do I?    JIM

If you put this in the "parts project" which is what we are talking about here "parts" maybe it could be set up kinda like the sub heading like FAQ is in the tech section...In other words a person can go look at the original part, find out what has been learned of that original part, then go to the subheading and find out what is available and who has what and how close it is to original... Maybe even compair them side by side..