Unfortunately things have only seemed to have gotten worse. Originally it was just trim and sheet metal parts (what FEW pieces were available for 71-73's) that were evidently designed and manufactured by blind people. Now things have spread to functional parts such as electrical parts, switches, engine components and gaskets, etc.
China is capable and does build quality products, but somewhere in the line we are just not getting what we pay for. My guess is the ordering business is having these parts built at the very minimum spec's as possible and then nailing us at the prices for a premium product.
I do have to give credit to Don @ Ohio Mustang Supply. He is involved in a lot of behind the scenes work with different vendors/suppliers/manufacturers trying to get parts built that actually fit and work. There is much he does that many are not aware of.
As long as the quality of the repo parts remain like they are, I'm afraid OE parts will continue to spiral sharply upwards like we've seen happen. Have a GM buddy with a 69 Z28 that needed both quarter panels. After trying for days to get two different sets of repo panels to fit, he finally gave up and paid $3,500.00 for two OEM panels. It's a original numbers matching powertrain car so he went ahead and spent the big $$$!
To Chuck and Ray. Here is what I have used on the 302's. Ford went to a one piece pan gasket around 12/94 early in the 1995 production year. Ford part # is F5TZ-6710-A and is something I have used with no problems. Fel pro lists two different numbers for their one piece gasket. The OS-34508-R shows 1986/ fitment. OS-13260-T shows prior to 1986 fitment. Both have what Fel Pro calls "Snap Ups" which they claim will hold the gasket in place while you install the pan bolts. Not sure what the difference is as I have used the Ford gasket on a 85 GT and a 95 SVT Cobra.
I have also used the valve cover gaskets listed for the 87/ 5.0 (Ford F1ZZ-6584-B) to cure a car with leaking cork gaskets. They have a steel core with a rubber coating and worked great.
If you do contact Fel Pro about the problems you experienced with the gaskets you were using, would be a good opportunity to ask about the one piece gaskets.
F5TZ-6710-A
F1ZZ-6584-B
L
Fel Pro
China is capable and does build quality products, but somewhere in the line we are just not getting what we pay for. My guess is the ordering business is having these parts built at the very minimum spec's as possible and then nailing us at the prices for a premium product.
I do have to give credit to Don @ Ohio Mustang Supply. He is involved in a lot of behind the scenes work with different vendors/suppliers/manufacturers trying to get parts built that actually fit and work. There is much he does that many are not aware of.
As long as the quality of the repo parts remain like they are, I'm afraid OE parts will continue to spiral sharply upwards like we've seen happen. Have a GM buddy with a 69 Z28 that needed both quarter panels. After trying for days to get two different sets of repo panels to fit, he finally gave up and paid $3,500.00 for two OEM panels. It's a original numbers matching powertrain car so he went ahead and spent the big $$$!
To Chuck and Ray. Here is what I have used on the 302's. Ford went to a one piece pan gasket around 12/94 early in the 1995 production year. Ford part # is F5TZ-6710-A and is something I have used with no problems. Fel pro lists two different numbers for their one piece gasket. The OS-34508-R shows 1986/ fitment. OS-13260-T shows prior to 1986 fitment. Both have what Fel Pro calls "Snap Ups" which they claim will hold the gasket in place while you install the pan bolts. Not sure what the difference is as I have used the Ford gasket on a 85 GT and a 95 SVT Cobra.
I have also used the valve cover gaskets listed for the 87/ 5.0 (Ford F1ZZ-6584-B) to cure a car with leaking cork gaskets. They have a steel core with a rubber coating and worked great.
If you do contact Fel Pro about the problems you experienced with the gaskets you were using, would be a good opportunity to ask about the one piece gaskets.
![[Image: 6710-f5tz-a.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/4Nf0s3G/6710-f5tz-a.jpg)
![[Image: 6584-f1zz-b.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/KLm5sM2/6584-f1zz-b.jpg)
L
![[Image: FEL-PRO.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/9hNJt2z/FEL-PRO.jpg)
Steve
No Officer...I really don't know how fast I was going, my speedometer stopped at 140!