Wix filter

[AndyF]

Excellent point....by the term

overseas

did u mean Taiwan?

An oil filter made in Taiwan, even to the specifications of NASA (or Clark's - which may or may not be higher) has a different consequence than say ummm....a trim item....

I'm forwarding this article (published in Taiwan) to Clark's in the hopes of his organisation disclosing the manufacturer's country of origin. This, is by no means knocking the fellows (including yourself) who maybe fond of Taiwan made products...I like Wix filters and would gladly buy them from Clark's once he switches to a reputable manufacturer....

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ ... 2003486859

Regards,


Andy

[bbodie52]

For more than 40 years Clark's has had to find sources and have items reproduced that were important to Corvair owners, but were no longer available from the declining traditional Corvair sources. With decades of experience in finding reliable, cost-effective sources in Taiwan, Korea, and many other locations, I would expect Clark's buyers to know what they are doing. I have heard of Clark's canceling contracts and discontinuing products if the items received failed to meet their stringent quality standards. And I believe it is more than a fear of potential lawsuits that motivate them. Cal Clark has developed an excellent business model that has maintained a strong customer base for many decades. Obviously Corvair owners talk to each other, and if Clark's sources were producing faulty or substandard parts we would be hearing about it! Clark's generally satisfied customer base with decades of active "testing" by consumers is th best test of all -- much better than some generic, non-specific criticism in a newspaper that may amount to nothing but hearsay evidence. Who are you going to believe? Thousands of Corvair parts consumers over decades of use, Cal Clark, or reporter Hou Chien-chuen?

Did you read Clark's comments about oil filters posted earlier in this thread? They have sold over 15,000 oil filters, learned more as they went forward, and chose to make even more improvements in the 2nd generation of filters. They also address WIX filters in their opening paragraph, and document their history with Corvair filters.

Wix also has a good reputation that is well-earned over many years of production. But I don't have an automatic expectation of better quality simply because the Wix products are made in America. I will continue to have confidence in Cal Clark and his business practices, and will assume that Clark's Corvair Parts has their customer's best interests always a primary imperative.

[AndyF]

Who are you going to believe? Thousands of Corvair parts and supply consumers over decades of use, Cal Clark, or reporter Hou Chien-chuen?

Again excellent points....I suspect since you do not have much trust in [ reporter Hou Chien-chuen ]....you'd probably have less trust in [ Hou Chien-chuen ] if he/she were the factory Assembly line fellow for the oil filter in Taiwan.

I'm not making light of the commitments to quality & service by Cal Clark but one could easily author the same heroic piece for Eric Smidt (founder of harbor freight)

Regards,


Andy

[Bobby65]

well i went into my car quest and they told me $12 and i told them forget it, then the guy behind the counter said he could get it for like 7 and i told him i would just get one through my work, and then he typed a whole bunch of stuff in the computer and then told me like 4 and some change and i bought it, i didnt anticipate dickering with him but hey it worked

[Scott V]

I'm forwarding this article (published in Taiwan) to Clark's in the hopes of his organisation disclosing the manufacturer's country of origin.

doesn't the country of origin have to be labled on the part?

This, is by no means knocking the fellows (including yourself) who maybe fond of Taiwan made products...I like Wix filters and would gladly buy them from Clark's once he switches to a reputable manufacturer....

are you saying that you know the filter manufacturer is not reputable?

-Scott V.

[bbodie52]

This thread is taking some interesting twists and turns. It started as a recommendation for saving a little money on oil filter purchases. I tried to do some actual cost analysis in comparing that perceived "savings" against some actual facts and figures from Clark's Corvair Parts, and I believe that I had shown that when comparing actual comparable volume purchases the savings offered by one volume vendor was very similar to the savings offered by Clark's in that same volume.

Now it has evolved into the question of reputation and what constitutes a 'REPUTABLE MANUFACTURER". Is one manufacturer better than another simply because one is based in America and the other is in Taiwan? What is the basis of that reputation? What makes a "reputable manufacturer"? If you Google the term, you will find numerous articles on what it takes to become a "reputable manufacturer", and you will find that a business has evolved to help manufacturers to develop that coveted perception among consumers.

In this instance, I would suggest that Wix and Clark's have both established a good reputation among consumers. In the case of Clark's Corvair Parts, Clark's takes the responsibility of determining their sources and suppliers, and we as customers must defer to Clark's experience and expertise in this area that has been proven over time. Why would we want to try to influence Clark's to change their filter source based solely on a consumer perception? The fact is that there is no actual track record that points to poor quality in the Clark's filters. Some consumers choose Wix, some choose Clark's, and both appear to be quality products. Should Clark's cancel their contract with what has proven to be a solid supplier from Taiwan based on unfounded negative consumer perception? I would not think so.

[AndyF]

doesn't the country of origin have to be labled on the part?

On beef, pork & other meat products

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_of_Origin_Labeling

are you saying that you know the filter manufacturer is not reputable?

Are they reputable? - in my opinion Cal Clark (as well as Wix) are reputable, having said that, I'm almost certain someone (perhaps yourself) would chime in on the [ reputation ] of the filter manufacturer in Taiwan

[AndyF]

This thread is taking some interesting twists and turns. It started as a recommendation for saving a little money on oil filter purchases.

The subject is " wix filters ".... I dunno who twisted it (or turned it) into Cal's filters -- plus, I suspect others are also saving a little money on oil filters by having 'em manufactured in Taiwan (sorry...overseas)