Article AVG linked is 2006. My truck's 2003. Maybe it's one of the last of the mohican's. I can only hope. Thanks though, now you REALLY made my day. *sigh*

Gah! Ya stole my thunder! :rotfl2:

It occurs to me the same could probably be said of Harley Davidson. I saw some article some months back about them making parts in china or some such crap.

Apparently, NOTHING's made here anymore. Not even a basic item like fricking wooden shim.

I purchased a Nissan.

For good reason.

it was the most truck i could afford for the money. I tried for an hour to convince the GM dealer to give me the truck i already paid for with my tax dollars but he wouldnt budge.

The comparable ford was underpowered, the comparable toyota was over priced... so, i bought the Nissan...the better dog won the fight

Thankfully we do still grow our very own decision-makers. :yeah:


I can't wait until I can amaze young children with stories of what this country was like when I was their age. Yes kids, there really was a such thing as "Made In America", and it really did mean something. :damn:

Sorry if that came out the wrong way. My post was not meant to be taken so seriously.

But you do have other choices. You could drive further to find a store that does carry American shims. Find a friend who has some tools. Carve them with a pocket knife. Order them online. Find a way to do the job without them.

There are many ways to get them, the problem is that the other methods will be much more expensive and/or time consuming. You can get the Chinese product cheap, and you can get it now. Which is why Walmart is filled with "Made in China" labels, and the parts of your vehicle (and mine) are made elsewhere. Unless everyone stops buying foreign products and starts doing without or finding domestic substitutes, the foreign producers will always be here.


And I simply don't see too many Americans volunteering to go without or buy more expensive products.

It really is a world economy man. What can I say. VW is made in Mexico and now in South Carolina. Parts come from China! :o Even when they slap Made in USA on it the damn thing was created from parts in China or Mexico! There is just no winning unless you pull up to a shanty shack in the deep woods of GA were a man is whittling a stick. The stick becomes a cane to walk with. This, we can truly say was "Made in America." However, the whittling knife was made in China. :O:

You know a few weeks ago i was out in the production warehouse for my company. Not a very large warehouse, and its run by 1 guy. He needed help with something, so i volunteered and came in early to help him out. Now, in the far recesses of my cube, i rarely almost never, get to see the final product. So i was shocked to see, "Made in USA" on some of the old product boxes.

At first i was thinking, "COOL!!!!, Thats so awesome, and i've been contributing to it! HELL YEAH!!!". A split second later, that glimmer of pride came crashing to the floor as I realized it was a bunch of crap because all the parts for those systems came from china. :nope: I suppose we could say the application software those boxes use was designed and built here. But the physical units themselves.... all china.

很久以前，有一個國家叫美國，它是帝國主義的資本主義腐朽統治的獨裁者... :hmmm:

The world has gone mad...Live with it.

We import coal from France and Eastern Europe...but wait a minute the UK has still got a hundred years worth of coal to dig up. Reason, its cheaper from France and Eastern Europe than for us to dig up our own coal. :doh:

China is set for the top spot in 10 years time so watch out America. ;)

Now there's a funny coincidence... in the sense that only a month ago The Danish Technological Institute, http://www.dti.dk/23888, released a test report on... shims!? :88)

They tested 43 shims from 18 contries and after a comprehensive series of test, they conclude that chinese shims actually outperforms american shims.
Best shims were (of course) from Finland, American shims ranks at no. 42 (out of 43 for crying out loud!!), while Chinese shims came in a second place...


What is that ticking...

...

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...lies/hbomb.gif


Was that Duci? http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z...es/biggrin.gif


But seriously, I've taken a thorough look around to see what stuff I actually own from the States. And I had to search quite a while... :shifty:

Some books on Submarines and Warships... :D
A MagLite from California, a Loctite Design Handbook (Rocky Hill), Hubble: Imaging Space and Time (Washington) and...
Things from Pixar and Microsoft - though only in digital form.

All in all it fits in a medium sized shopping bag. A patheticly small, but very cool collection.

Otherwise most of the stuff is from UK, Germany, Denmark, Malaysia, Korea and yes, China. But China is in a minority here though.



Before posting I take one final, extra long look around and my eyes catches the box of Silent Hunter: "Wolves of The Pacific".
My beloved US Collectors Edition... hmmm... I wonder if... picks it down...

Yes! It's labelled Made in the U.S.A. :rock:

I had a very similar experience with my Honda. It is cheaper and more reliable than the domestic competition. Buying American is good and well, but I need a car that runs.

Nice thing about shims is that they have lots uses, in an emergency one can be employed to treat a broken leg.


You know........shim splints


I'll get me coat

I didn't think the word "Honda" and "cheap" could ever legitimately be used in the same sentence. As an aside, regardless of where the parts may or may not have been made at, i'm really happy with my Ford Ranger. Good gas mileage, excellent utility, great reliability, excellent design, easy to maintain, etc. I'd buy another one fresh off the lot if i could, and not bat an eyelash about it.

:har:

I got an incredibiliy good laugh from that!