Indian replica parts and a sad discovery!

[unclerob]

I've just been looking at some of the parts you see on ebay from India, they look fairly good in pics but don't think I'd want to buy without seeing first.....Then it occurred to me (can be a bit slow sometimes) that a chap I deal with quite often brings in marine parts by container from India ...will be seeing him soon and I was wondering whether its worth considering talking about getting some brought over to see? So, does anyone think its a good idea, or maybe someone is doing it already?
Sad find yesterday...was helping to clear some wood at the yard and this was lying underneath, not disturbed for 20+ years apparently, very much doubt there is a single useable part from a quick look so far....

[muskrat]

 G'day unclerob, you have just replaced all the monsters in my nightmares with that pic.
Would make a good front yard ornament (I have a '32 Blue Star frame). As long as it doesn't fall apart when you pick it up. Makes you think how many ended up like that.
 I got a bare front guard from India. It looked good on the screen but it really looked like it came from a 1st year apprentice panelbeaters class. Was cheap but took a couple of cans of spray bog before I could use paint. But to be fair I have seen some very good stuff from there.
Cheers

[a10 gf]

you have just replaced all the monsters in my nightmares with that pic

excellent wording

Good thing about ebay & internet in general, I believe people have stopped throwing things away to rot in the back of their garden.

[duTch]

 Yup that above, but you may be totally surprised at how it may(?) turn out, After I had to leave mine unattended for a few(10) years under semi-cover(dampish enviro), was surprised it weren't that bad, but not under mulch!!!
 Keep us posted, good luck- could be a RGS, or SF

[Sparky]

It seems like quality control is largely lacking with the Indian after market parts.  Some items I've purchased have been OK, but many are not.  My personal experience has been that at least half of the Indian parts I obtained for my A10 restoration had to be reworked or even replaced due to poor fit and quality.  I try to avoid them whenever possible, but that's not always possible since sometimes there just aren't any other options.  I suspect that even getting your hands on a particular part to determine if it is satisfactory does not guarantee that the next one out of the same production facility will be.

15 years ago, most of the stuff coming out of China was of similiarly poor quality, but I have noticed a steady improvement through the years , so perhaps there is hope that the Indian-made parts will get better.  In the meantime, however, expect to be frustrated.

Pity to see that old machine reduced to a boat anchor...

[metalflake11]

What a shame! Poor old Beeza.

[RichardL]

Unclerob,

I hope you'll dig inside of it keep us posted as to what you find. I'm no expert on longstrokes, but that's what it looks like to me. I seem to recall hearing that longstroke cranks are rare.

Richard L.

[bikerbob]

HI there. I ordered a petrol tank for myA65 from a dealer here in the UKit cost about £300 and when it came it was well wrapped wih loads of bubble wrap and underneath that the tank had been coted with what looked like red grease and then wrapped in cling film. It took me quite a while to clean it all off and on first inspection I was quite pleased the chrome was of a good standard and evrything looed OK but then I noticed around the inside of the fuel inlet what looked like red paint on closer inspection the whole of the inside of the tank had been coated with this paint. I shone torch inside and you could see that the inside had been badly corroded then covered with this paint which was still wet,Ithen tried to fit the pear shaped badges which fitted okay into the recesses but the fixing holes were out of place so that you could not fit the badges correctly. You can't move the tapped holes in the tank and you can't elongate the holes in the badges, and then to cap it all the bosses for the petrol taps were the wrong size. Fortunately I had ordered from a reputable dealer in the UK and received a full refund I do not know what would have happened if I had ordered direct from India via ebay.

[Goldy]

I think that the Indians are quite good at metalwork. They don't always get the dimensions correct, but considering the price, I think that it is value for money, when considering the other options. The main thing is to purchase the items through an importer (and there are many) rather than dealing with companies in India direct.

[Rocket Racer]

I too bought an Indian front guard for my '60 SR and it was pretty terrible and in my opinion a complete waste of money.
So I then managed to track down a genuine rear guard in poor condition and along with a battered tank dropped them in to a good panel beater. who did a lovely job, but the cost was staggering and will put back the build significantly due to damage to my over draft.
So it sometimes seems we're damned whatever we choose when it comes to tin wear.
Am quietly considering when the budget might stand getting the tank and guard chromed 

Mind you was chatting to a mate who builds exotic car parts and the prices for those put my cost blow out in the shade.

[pato08]

Hey unclebob, I like your idea of importing some hard to get parts. I for one would love a genunine rear guard for my 57 plunger, as the original is in very poor condition.

I did buy one from India (a repro) and am happy with what it is, although it lack the rivits, as it's all welded, and the hinge is a bit sloppy. But I figuare I can knock the rivets out of the original and mock them in place, and transpose the hinge from my original to my repro.

Pato

[Gerry]

Hi guys, Thought I'd add my little bit re Indian made parts.....I found a set of stainless rims on Feebay from India and quite cheap, so I sent them emails re all the specs' on my A10, everything required to get a pair that would suit. Bad mistake, when they came I found they were for single sided spool hubs (as in Royal Enfield) and no way that they would match my spoke pattern. Also found where the welded seam was they had been finished leaving a slight dip. Every email was answered with "try lacing them again in a different pattern". In the end sent them a scan of my rear hub showing it as a full width cast hub. After many emails and getting rather annoyed and showing it in my replies, they refunded me the cost of the rims and told me to keep them as the cost of returning them was more than the purchase price. So only out of pocket for the postage. Can't get mine chromed as they are buckled and with flat spots and chroming here in Adelaide can cost upwards of $700 a pair!! Cheers. Gerry

[a10 gf]

With the workmanship skills available there (remember the stunning striping videos? http://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php/topic,6262.0.html ), for sure they should be able to make 1st class products of all sorts. Someone must make some contacts, supply a complete set of original parts to replicate, and demand quality and nothing else.

Anjimehra, work for you to do! Organize quality production, and get a flamboyant export business going.
 

[Gerry]

Hi A10GF, Sounds like a good idea! I could send them my old rims and get them to supply in stainless and probably get a s**t load made up complete with exactly the same buckles and flat spots eh lol. There are two different suppliers in India and I think I chose the wrong one. Just my luck. I think that after a bit of researching the other one supplies the correct ones for full width hubs. Will get onto them and enquire. Cheers. Gerry.....S**t any one want a bit of this bloody extremely hot weather??? 44 degrees C day before yesterday and going to get that again in a couple of days time. Need a coldy bad...

[muskrat]

I know what you mean about the rims Gerry. I did one for a mate a few months back. 95% of the rim I had within 10 thou but the bit with the weld was about 1/8" flat and wide. A few good hits with the mallet (read 5lb hammer & block of timber) got it down to 1/16". Only for a trihard tiger cub.
Cheers
Lots of molten tar around here too.