To quote Frank Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond) "Holy CRAP". I guess I'm a communist. Time to come out of the closet, or garage rather, and admit that I'm communist, or at the very least support them. Boy I hate the sound of that. So what you ask has brought me to this earth shattering revalation. A new radiator for my hot rod. I've been running an old modine out of a model super 66 Oliver tractor, that I modified. Well It's summer, almost. And it runs a little hotter than I would like. Radiator probably needs to be rodded. It was full of raw cotton when I got it and I flushed it several times. Well I stumbled onto 32 Ford aluminum radiators on e-bay for less than $200.00. Gonna cost at least $100.00 to rod mine. And pray the core doesnt disentergrate. So I buy a chopped one, so I can move grill shell closser to engine, and shorten engine bay. Radiator arrives on Wensday, right down side of box, Yeah you guessed it, Made in China. Well I was sure that it would be, but I cant afford $800.00 bucks for a Walker. It looks good. All welds look nice. All furnaced brazed, no epoxy. Cool.

Anyway I put it in, and I'm sitting in my chair, in front of my floor fan, (Made in China), looking at the rod and it occurs to me most of the damed thing was made in china. I shop wal-mart, there is really no other place in town, and I hate it. I call it China-Mart. But I don't make alot of money, so you do what you have to. Back to the rod. I start listing and can't believe it.
Radiator, Radiator electric fan, pulleys, timing cover, oil pan, probably valve covers, dust cover, trans pan, diff cover, pushrods, probably valves, probably valve springs, roller rockers (Comp) but probably, almost every nut and bolt, stainless, grade 5, and grade 8, probably half of all hose clamps, wire ??, new wheel cyl for 48 ft brakes (were name brand walker or ?) but made in china, half my gauges, one moon gauge I just got, probably all the new steel I bought, those heim joints and clevis from Speedway (probably), dist, plug wires ??, hog rings for upholstry (probably).

Anyway you get the idea. It's hard to touch anything that is not at lest partially from china. Oh lets not forget all those Harbor Freight tools I could not otherwise afford. Now don't get me wrong. I really have nothing against China, even if it is still Communist. But anymore I can't seam to buy anything that is made here. And I laugh when I see made in Japan, and think "Oh this is high quality"

So there it is. Like it or not I MUST Be Communist. There is no other explanation. How do you say Rat Rod in Chineese?

Holy CRAP, even the racoon tail on my antenna is from China, although for all I know it's probably a dog tail spray painted.

Just Shoot Me!