I had an alignment done today. $50, while you wait. I previously swapped out a steering rack that soiled itself just after the warranty ended.
I'm mad and I'm not taking it anymore I came to the conclusion this morning that I'm keeping the stock 15" aluminum wheels on my 92 Tbird. After looking everywhere for new wheels I refuse to pay for wheels made in China. I'm sick and tired of paying for things that are not made at least in north america. I'm done. I will either go without or or have my parts rebuilt. I don't buy Craftsman tools or Snap-On for the same reason. I'll buy Mexican rather than Chinese made products. AAARRRGGG!!!! I'm mad and I'm not taking it anymore. This just ticks me off. I'm sick of employing folks outside of US.
Agreed, but it sure is hard to pass up a deal on cheap junk. I bought a set of cheap metric offset wrenches, broke the 15mm one the first time I used it. Of course it would be the one for which you bought the set....:banghead3:
I call it 'Voting with my dollars'. My government and many others are on this kick with the Global Marketplace. The modern Tower Of Babel, as I see it. Even if all countries were on a level playing field, and wages were equally competitive, the cost of running China, India, Russia or Canada, just for maintaining the country's natural resources, is beyond scope. These land masses are huge. Japan can eat our lunch, productivity wise, Germany with their advanced robotics and high-end machinery firms. But here we all are with huge mineral resources and we don't take advantage of our own skillsets, ingenuity, and advances in using Vertical Manufacturing models, like Henry Ford did. He made his own axels, fenders, frames, from his own smelters, at one end of his 1.5 mile plant, and shipped them at the other. No wonder he could drop the price of a 1935 convertible, by $200 LESS than a 1908 Model T! We're just dumb stupid to be selling our resources, shipping them to Asia (huge emissions content) and then blaming the offshore countries for their high emissions. Plus! I won't buy anything Chinese, unless and until they get North Korea on a meaning dogleash. The US and Canada paid dearly in the Korean War. We don't need to be fighting China, via Kim Jong wacko and his family. You can get good Mexican hand tools, under the 'Foy' brandname. Chrome Vanadium, like grandad used to have. Good tools. Gray tools are good too, if you can find them. Snap-On and Mac tools are right up there too, and US made.
I really don't care if folks buy foreign stuff so long as it's at least assembled on this side of the ocean. I just think we need to reject the products made in China and other countries "dumping" products here. In addition we need to stop selling our resources only to reimport them as something else. (Like what Norm said). Does it make sense to export boxite only to reimport the steel. Rediculous. Yup I got on a tangent.:banghead3:
The Mustang Cobra R five spoke wheels are pretty popular on the MN12 body style and readily available in 17". You could probably find some old used wheels that were made in USA if you want to go that way. The Mustang Bullitt wheels (basically Torque Thrust D's) also look good, but I don't think they are available in the T-Bird bolt pattern. I used to have 89-91 Cougar XR-7/96-97 Cougar Sport 16" wheels on my '92 base T-Bird and they looked pretty good even at stock ride height.
My wheels aren't bad, they do need to be repainted. I hear that Keystone manufactured the originals for Ford. It's off to the alignment shop tomorrow. I'm seriously considering Michelin Hydro Green tires. I can get them through the Navy Exchange for $75 each. They have a 90,000 mile tread rating. All weather tires are all I usually buy for my driving style. My wife calls it "old man". I call it careful and economical...
You know what the best feature of the Tbird is? Select A/C (I chose normal vice Max), slide the lever to Auto, then set the temperature. This morning I set the temp to 72 on the way to work. It was 36* this morning. Nice and warm. I only wish my old Cougar had that feature. AAAHHHH!
