TiAgX5, that is some first class Car Porn right there. Only question is the pix are dated 2005. What does it look like under the valve covers today? :stickpoke

Its slow going, as I'm getting older and its hot as H E hockeysticks in GA right now, but I finished the hitch install by installing the electronic module behind the battery, ordered the OEM hitch shaft from ECS Tuning [proper length and drop], and changed oil [to Pennzoil Ultra 5w30], adding the Fumoto drain valve [with extender]. Fits great. I'll post pix of the Fumoto installed and the Blackstone on this 6k+ oil change when it gets back from Cleveland .... pending: refurbish headlights with the 3M kit and install the aux music input in the ashtray.

The European automakers have been successful building vehicles in China for China in joint venture plants. So much so that BMWs will soon be exported.

The quality of the parts supplier network is strictly controlled and monitored using the latest quality control processes. The plants have the latest mfg. equipment and German trained workers. The lower cost of labor affords BMW the opportunity to maintain the level of quality of parts previously made in Germany.

In many many cases our perception that China makes junk is absolutely true though luxury brands have learned their lessons from years of outsourcing to low labor rate countries like Japan and Korea were at one time.

That said, because German brands have touted German engineering so long, meaning to me all parts are also made in Germany, I don't want parts made in China either. Right or wrong, I am not ready to accept that from BMW.

There were plenty of people in markets other than USA - like Australia - that were VERY dubious about the BMW X5 e53 and the Mercedes ML w164 when they hit the market here, because they were made in USA. American-made vehicles are treated with GREAT suspicion over here. Yet conversely, there are heaps of "great wall" dual cab utes running around, and plenty of happy owners. They are cheap, basic, and at least a couple of generations behind the mainstream models....but also cost a LOT less.

I've owned vehicles made in Australia, USA, Germany, Japan, Korea and Thailand. In my opinion the country of manufacture of the vehicle or even components is nowhere near as important as the care of manufacture, and the quality control in place at the plant.

Those pics were taken yesterday. The battery in the Sony camera died, I didn't bother resetting the camera date after recharging.

I don't like it because of the total lack of EPA type regulation, and non-exisent human rights in China.

And then there's the way animals are treated in China. Ugh. :(

And the total lack of legal recourse when China steals intellectual property or uses tooling/manufacturing processes for their own gain. China LAUGHS at international laws.

I worked at a plastic injection mold design/manufacture Co in the '90s. We did a series of tool molds for DeWalt Tool. The molds cost several MILLION $s to produce and were designed to last over 1 million cycles (some molds were 32 cavity molds and therefore were designed to make 32 million parts during their service life). DeWalt saw issues with the parts at around 1/3rd mold life. We received the molds and found them WORN OUT!!!

After much investigation, DeWalt found the molds were being run with a different color plastic (with cycle counters to monitor mold life DISCONNECTED), parts were assembled with cheap internals and sold in bulk worldwide. Guess what country DeWalt used to run the plastic injection molds in..........CHINA!!!!

Clear violation of contract agreement and NO LEGAL RECOURSE!!! The crappy China outfit got away with it.

In China, "R&D" means "Receive & Duplicate".

.....and copyright means:

Copy, right!!!


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