Original is expensive. Chinese reference is not.

Original is expensive. Or at least more expensive than 'reference'.

This applies to sheet metal, but also to other parts. More expensive than Reference Made in China. And that 'reference' could really be taken literally in the past. But somewhere it is in the Dutch genes that things should be able and done as cheaply as possible.

In any case, that has given the Dutch supermarkets a horrible reputation.
When we recently had a French visit taste the difference between cheese from the market and cheese from the supermarket, the bewildered reaction was: "On mange ça?". " Food you that? "
The fact that sheet metal inserts have had a bad fit since the year of jug is known. Complete imitation panels are also not top pieces of haute couture. After all, that sheet metal has been made since time immemorial on the press molds that had been written off by the original manufacturers. For English classics, the British at that time already had India as their own low-wage country. Quite a lot of sheet metal came from that did not share anything with the original.
Since China has advanced in the speed of the nations, the whole world has been inundated with imitation stuff. From scaffolding cloth fastening patches to As Good As Rolexes. New classic Dinky Toys in new classic cardboard boxes. Everything. And mind you: Chinese stuff can be good. When you have invested in your local contacts and if you have a trustee on site to keep fingers on various wrists.
The problem usually lies in the fact that Westerners come to business on Chinese stock exchanges and that Chinese people are just as born traders as we are.

They can do anything and always want to sell. Making a deal come off is for a Chinese loss of face.

And on sale, there must be a profit margin.
If the Western buyer has talked the price down so far that the Chinese party is actually on the bottom and if the negotiations are then conducted even more sharply ... Then the transaction will continue as normal. The Westerner proudly goes home and gets ... What he paid for: Bagger.

Usually, in Chinese transactions, the first 50% is paid upon delivery of the prototypes. The other half is transferred before the container goes on board. And then, as a cunning businessman from Aarsmaderveen, Brussels or Duisburg, see once again getting your money back. That will not work, there is no more Chinese to remember you.
The shame is that such batches of junk are not scraped. The trader who has been duped by his own cleverness usually sells the clutter in batches. And so a nice element roams new, but virtually useless parts in the market. A few years ago, a whole bunch of incompatible 2CV platforms appeared. And we recently saw two of them at a trade show. The salesperson - who was not an 2 resume specialist - was 'not amused' when he heard what he offered for sale. If you had bought such a platform, two people would have been 'not amused'.
The advice is to buy things from brand specialists. That is more expensive. What you buy there may also be a reference. But the specialist cannot afford to sell junk.

We buy parts - except when it really doesn't matter - from well-known professionals. Because halogen lamps from Bokkiebokkieland or Verweggistan often have a light image of a Gouda candle. And those very cheap Timken or SKF bearings on that stock exchange or the Internet? The people who made it don't even know what SKF means.

And the Lambo under construction? Made in China ...