On 2009-12-16, Larry C wrote:

To the poster who mentioned about how Japanese made used to be a joke. When
I was a kid, I am 46 now, my dad owned a NAPA store. I can remember the
comments when a customer came in to purchase parts for a Datsun or a Toyota.
The joke was the price of the replacement part would double the value of the
car. Not so much anymore.

Then the pendulum swung the other way and Japanese products were
considered the best (cameras, electronics, etc) when, in fact, they
were no more great than when they were considered crap. I had a
closet full of dead Japanese stuff that barely made it to warranty.
Perception is a lot of it.

The price thing about car parts is a little more complicated. When
Japanese cars first hit our shores, parts were insane. $600 for one
CV joint for a Civic. Later, aftermarket mfrs/rebuilders got
into the act and drove prices waaaay down. I bought a PAIR of rebuilt
joints for the same car for $125. Later, when rebuilding a Honda
alternator, I got Honda parts cheaper from the dealer than the local
discount parts store. Pays to shop around.

nb