just been down to me local branch of Andrew Pages where i have a trade account (and everything is cost price to me ummmmmmmmmmmm) and bought 2 transit van TRE (92 onwards) and 2 vaxhall astra bottom ball joints (no cortina ones and astra ones had the same taper and thread on the joint) and it came to 56 quid inc vat i nearly passed out.

mind you, they aint cheepo ones, Quinten Hazel for me everytime so thats 4 more things off the shopping list - which is nice

http://www.gtscougar.freeserve.co.uk/locost.htm

I know you wanted QH products but i've got QH and direct component transit drag links and the only difference is the packaging.I'm sure they are al made in the same place,unless someone else can tell me otherwise.

i went to Pages in Leeds for a cortina ball joint, £17...

bloody rip off.

joel - i can get em for 12.53p each them lol

i prefer either QH parts or genuine ford items bob - dont trust other makes as have had a few bad do's with cheeper brands and parts failing

most people 'in the know' know most major manufacturers sub-contract work out. It's knowing what, where and how much.

For instance a German (?) Smart Car hub unit is made in Barnsley, by a Japanese subsidury. Explain that one?

baaaaaaarnsley - the land of funny talkin folk - speeking of which, i'm driving the 17:05 235 to huddersfield from there tonite

Stop off at the Koyo factory on the A628 Penistone road and collect yourself a couple of hubs for a Smart then

[Edited on 11/2/04 by andyps]

I guess some people just know...

But then some others don't...

Besides the hubs for Smart are so thin that, put those on a locost and they would snap!

But ya reet, the do al tak lak that at Baaarnsley... y'allreet pal? Yet very gentle and cosmopolitan simultaneously... very odd!

[Edited on 11-2-04 by Hellfire]

Ball joints from Q & H are made in Colwyn bay Wales or from India.

Don't let anyone fool into thinking they all come from Nuneaton that's only where the trains stop

I thought Colwyn Bay was more of an assembly and packaging plant than true production, but I may be wrong. Used to sell them the bearings for rear radius arm repair kits for the 1100/1300. Demand was getting fairly low when I stopped doing that job role about 8 years ago!

They still make ball joints in Colwyn Bay although they tend to go for smaller batch runs min of about 200 or special requirements. They continue to produce standards although the big runners ae made in India because it,s cheap.

Mark

As I've said elsewhere I bought my 'bits' from Lolo. Very good price and hopefully good value! As far as I'm concerned, the car, (if I ever finish it ) will only be driven for fun on the few good days a year we get up here so I am prepared to accept that pattern parts, (if this is what they are), might wear more rapidly than those produced by major manufacturers, but if they do I can still replace them more than once for less than the initial outlay for the equivilant parts as offered by others.

So what is the average mileage of a completed locost compared to a Cortina or Transit ??

Mick