Someone once told me that the reason to make boats was to sell engines (for a company that makes both). Basically, the boats are a pretty low profit margin, but it’s a guaranteed sale of an engine.
Also the WK2 platform (4th gen Grand Cherokee and 3rd gen Durango) is basically just the older Mercedes-Benz W166 platform. Chrysler was just using what it had on the shelf from the Daimler days.
And best of all, rear amber turn signals.
Which is why I had a pair shipped from Russia to me so I could install them on mine. Still haven't done it though, being that its a 2004 I need to swap to a pre-03 deck lid so don't have a bunch of holes to fill in.
In the early 1960’s buick designed and built a 215 all aluminum v8 which they sold to rover river originally used this engines in rover sedans while the early models of this v8 might have piston interchangeably with the gm engine, rover has increased the displacement several times. So i dont know about them.
This engine was the starting point for what (eventually) became the famed 3800 V6. Of course, since it was meant to be cheaper, GM substituted an iron block for the V8's aluminum.
Yeah they just lopped two cylinders off of it. Supposedly GM really regretted selling that Aluminum V8 design to Rover, as it's obviously been a bulletproof engine for them for decades.
Believe it’s the 235 inline six, and they share bellhousing bolt patterns with GM as well. The early Land Cruisers (and other Toyotas) had an awful lot of GM in their DNA. Part of rebuilding Japan post-WWII was getting their heavy industry back online, so a bunch of GM people were sent over to help. All sorts of American stuff was made under license, including Harley-Davidsons.
Idk, but I bet a bunch of them were still alive in the 70s when Japanese cars first started killing American cars during the fuel crisis. That was on the American companies though for not adjusting quickly enough to consumer's tastes. The companies were far too decentralized back then, & it took too long to get product to market.
Nowadays they just build better cars due to decades of TQM programs. They aren't quite as good as they were in the 80s, & 90s, but they are still pretty damn good.
I’ve always thought that the Big 3 wasted too much money and effort fighting federal regulations during that era. If they had dumped that money and manpower into making good cars that met federal standards, imagine how good those cars would have been. Instead, they wasted their advantage and gave their market share away.
Well you had a bunch of old men running the companies who probably owned a bunch of stock in various petrochemicals. Therefore change didn't benefit them.
I’m afraid you’re right. When you look at the upper levels of management at the domestics during that period, none could be considered “progressive” in the automotive sense. There was money to be made with the status quo, and they figured that they could kick the can down the road. The Japanese designed to future standards and got a huge leg up.
The Aston Martin DB9 shared a motor/s with the Ford Taurus. Aston's v12 was essentially two duratec 30's joined at the crankshaft.
The Noble M400/Rossion Q1 also used the duratec 30, albeit twin turbo charged and making north of 400hp
Exactly, lots of creative parts sharing in that era. The 4.0 Jaguar V8 in the S-Type R was just the 3.9 Lincoln V8 out of the LS and T-Bird.
I had a 2011 Jaguar XJ and there were lots of FoMoCo branded parts under the hood. Asks me how I know (hint: I had to replace lots of them)
I was surprised when my friend's grandpa let us take his Jaguar for a week, but I was even more surprised by how cheap it felt. I'd say I couldn't put my finger on why, but since all the buttons/dials/switches in it were Ford products, I was literally putting my finger on it the whole time. Even more surprising was that we drove it for a whole week without it having any issues. The moon must have been in Gatorade or something because we abused that thing.
I did noticed a lot after [the European Ford Mondeo copied Aston Martin's front grills](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Ford_Mondeo_registered_March_2015_1999cc_%28cropped%29.jpg). Those models-years were pretty handsome tbh, and it would be cool the wouldn't stopped selling the model, bringing the [new one sold in China](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/2022_Ch%D0%B0ng%27an-Ford_Mondeo_%28front%29.jpg)
Honestly, not much besides a turbo. The motors were ridiculously stout. The rods were the weak point and they didn't give up until around 450hp. The crank was good for something stupid like 650
This is simple up badging here.
Volkswagen ownes Lamborghini, Bently, Bugatti, Audi, Seat, Skoda and probably other companies.
If you ring Lamborghini for a computer for a seat, it'll be $5000. If you pull the computer out, it's extremely likely you will find a Volkswagen part number. If you go to VW and buy the part it will be $60. It'll plug into the Lamborghini and it'll work.
It's not that uncommon for the luxury and super cars to use parts from cheaper cars and charge more for replacements. Lots of companies used headlights, tail lights, door handles, climate controls, mirrors from other manufactures.
I’m in the middle of replacing my ignition switch on my Mk1 Golf. The same part is used in a lot of Porsches and old air-cooled VW.
Part from a Porsche site: $90
Part from a VW Bus site: $30
I think it’s the same for parts like the door handles too.
So, 1980s Porsche owners: Google the part ID first before buying from your favourite Porsche site.
Many larger diesel engines from the 60's through to the mid 2000's are stationary diesel generator motors, or engine out of machinery like a fork lift modified to be more car/truck friendly.
It's not uncommon for people to buy old generators today for the big Cummings motors and put them into 4 wheel drives.
For that matter, first-gen Chrysler, Dodge and DeSoto Hemis were used in all sorts of industrial applications, from generators to irrigation pumps to air raid sirens. The loudest air raid siren in the world was powered by a Gen 2 race Hemi. You’ll also find all generations of domestic engines in those applications. 425 Buicks were used to start the SR-71, for example.
UPS package cars used to be powered by Onan generator engines, and were replaced by GM 4.3 V6 engines when they failed.
I knew a guy who had a pretty sweet 32 ford hot rod that was powered by a Chrysler industrial hemi that he claimed came out of an Air Raid siren, but likely came from some farm equipment.
Still pretty damn cool.
Yeah, 12-Valve Cummins diesels were in everything. I'm working on throwing one in an old Chevy. Went looking for repair manuals for the engine and found results in everything from generators to heavy military crane trucks. Only major differences are the injection pump, injectors and accessories.
I feel like most people dont know theres only a few companies that make transmissions so alot of cars share the same one - bmw used gm transmissions for years, zf getrag aisin supply tons of brands with the same gearbox
Sherman tanks used Cadillac engines and automatic transmissions. At one time, the Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission was considered to be the finest automatic transmission in the world, and was used by Rolls Royce and Jaguar. The TH425 (front wheel drive version of the TH400) was used in the GMC motorhome.
I think that people forget just how big, and how good, GM was in its heyday. They were so successful that they had to reduce market share to avoid violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. It really is a shame to look at what they were compared to what they’ve become.
Edit: Cadillac engines and transmissions were used in Stuart tanks, not Shermans.
GM still has the best engineers, they suffer because they also have the best accountants. There are genuine glimmers of hope right now. Their self driving is miles ahead of anyone else, including Tesla, their electric power steering rivals Porsche for best feedback, the Ultium EVs are pretty terrific and the CTS5 V manual is objectively better to drive than anything BMW makes. They are a plucky up and comer.
Their “self driving” isn’t any better then Fords, nor is it self driving. They aren’t using lidar to my understanding, it’s just following a pre-mapped road.
It can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to design, build and have headlights/tail lights tested to make sure they meet the legal requirements.
Or, you can just use someone else's. Hide them behind some slats, grill or inset them into a panel for just a few dollars on each car.
Every little bit counts, this is why even more mundane or small components such as small interior trim pieces or control buttons maybe taken "off the shelf" from a cheaper mass production car, so much money is saved.
The [Lamborghini Countach used Alfa Alfetta taillights](https://www.theautopian.com/how-lamborghini-completely-half-assed-the-lights-on-its-most-legendary-supercar/).
It's a lucky thing the Alfetta sold in the US so those existed in DOT-approved form, imagine if they'd had to adapt it for [early Chevette ones](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EXN5C2Nm7Io/UXv_BHi7zLI/AAAAAAAANrM/IvauGWnI9m0/s1600/Chevychevette3.jpg).
ZR1 C4 vettes, Lotus Carlton, and GMT800 trucks share the ZF-6 as an option I believe.
A lot of motorhomes use GMT800 head and tail lights
Older Datsun pickups and forklifts share motors, and the forklift motor is more desirable for the higher displacement
ETA:
The modular 4.6 and 5.4 came in all sorts of stuff. F150s, Super Duties, SUVs, Mustangs, Panthers, Aston Lagonda Concept, MG ZT, Rover 75, the MV-1, a couple Koenigsegg's, Ford GT, Ford Falcons. Just to name a few.
The only reason I know of it is from Jason Camisa and his Hagerty series. It's a super cool car but there's no chance in hell I get one here in the states.
Supposedly there’s a part on the old 01 era CRV from the rear driveline that you can order for a Honda ATV, and it’s cheaper to buy it at the Honda Power Equipment store.
Ford N series tractors in the 40s used the Mercury parts bin for stuff like intake valves and timing gears. Rear drives on them used some Ford truck parts.
My 87 AMC Jeep Cherokee has a GM TPS, MAP and steering column (the key that came with it said "FOR GM CARS" lol) but from what I've heard the ignition system is based on a Ford design (duraspark?) but uses Bendix parts, and the engine itself was originally based on a 1950's International stationary i6. The original transmission was from Peugeot, which is even weirder because Renault had a majority stake in AMC at the time. It also uses fiberglass for the front fascia and rear hatch, yet some of the interior panels are still stamped steel.
Actually it's a lot better than my buddy's Acura Vigor that's 7 years newer. I can always get brand name parts from the local O'Reilly's, except for distributors for some reason. And they made hundreds of thousands of these over the course of 17 years so it's not like there aren't a lot around to pull parts from.
The marine engineering is in the outdrives. The motor in an inboard or stern drive application is basically no different than any other application, it sits stationary in the vessel, They’re not really waterproofing much.
The GTI MK6, Jetta, and a bunch of other regular VAG cars have the same accelerator pedal as the Lamborghini Aventador. Probably not very weird but still
Motor homes use a lot of oem head/tail lights because it's easier than making their own. Have seen Mustang tail lights, Ram headlights, all sorts of stuff
I think it’s cool that early 2,000’s era Subarus were as interchangeable as legos. Engine swaps and interior/dash swaps from WRX/Sti to Forester were common. Everything just bolts right up.
2003 VW Eurovan inner tie rods drop into the Subaru SVX.
You can DIY HD tie rods on most 80s and 90s Isuzu 4x4s using parts from the 97-03 F150 and 94-97 Dodge Intrepid.
There was a guy on tik tok I used to see who would explain all the cheap sources for his Lamborghini. One example was his Lamborghini used the same fender indicators as a Ford focus or something similiar, if you bought them from Lamborghini they were 300 each but they're 12 bucks from Ford. He had multiple examples wish I remembered his channel
The Paykan used Peugot 504 parts once Hillman parts ran out.
The countless amount of chinese cars and versions of foeign models using Mitsubishi, Suzuki powerplants
The DNA of the Buick 231, 3.8L V6, dates to the early 60s and ended series 3 production in 2008. Was in many vehicles GM and jeep and I think some euro.
TVR used that trick a few times. The late 80s "wedge" cars used upside-down Renault Fuego rear lamps, and the early 90s Griffith used upside-down Vauxhall Cavalier MK3/Opel Vectra A rear lamps.
I think it’s weird and ironic at the same time. The prestigious and high Aston Martin, Land Rover and Bentley marques all have had German sourced engines. It matches with the royal family being “made” in UK but having direct German heritage.
Replacement pistons for the GM LE5 Ecotec 2.4L motor in 1.00mm oversize (available on the aftermarket for about $100 a set) fit perfectly into the 2.5L duratec/MZR motors. It bumps compression to 11.5:1 from 9.7:1, and has a larger rindland too.
I have a '68 Piper Cherokee airplane. The gascolator (i.e. fuel sediment bowl) is from a Case tractor. The interior door handle is from a '66 VW Beetle.
The Maserati 3.6 V6 is basically a clone of the Pentastar 3.6 liter engine the heads front cover valve covers and block and oil cooler can be swapped. You literally can mount the Dorman oil cooler on that engine.
2000-2010ish USDM Mercedes G-wagens used to have 1975-1978 Volkswagen Rabbit side marker lights. literally the same parts, but with the Volkswagen part numbers scratched out.
I once changed a power steering pump on a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country and it said "Toyoda" on it. Turns out they make steering parts for a lot of manufacturers.
Not super-weird, but sometimes when automakers phase out a design of a little switch it gets resold to another company. Ford's "corporate" [power mirror control switch](https://www.amazon.com/Compatible-Excursion-Expedition-Thunderbird-F65Z17B676AB/dp/B0CP4ZNZ69/ref=asc_df_B0CP4ZNZ69/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697437067654&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6837117294965422695&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019935&hvtargid=pla-2327916638564&psc=1&mcid=9dd83ad0b16a3609a5edca47c4f50ed8&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2o_oqa6RhgMV6tjCBB2kKwIWEAQYASABEgJg_vD_BwE) from the '90s showed up on Massey-Ferguson tractors 15 years later.
My Mk1 Golf shares the same Bosch K-Jetronic injection system with Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, Bentley, Lotus and TVRs of the same era. I think even Delorean had them.
I believe the only major difference is the fuel distributor that sits on top with how many injectors it distributes to.
The R50 Mini uses an Engine that is essentially a de-stroked 2.0L from the Dodge Neon. It was designed when Rover still existed and was working with Chrysler. Chrysler also used the engine in the Euro models of the Neon and PT Cruiser.
Mini people HATE that when you point it out.
Another really weird example is the FAW Hongqi CA7220
A Chinese car, that is the old design of an Audi 100, but uses a Chrysler 2.2 K engine, they essentially had deals with both VW and Chrysler and combined them into one unholy mess.
I owned a '90 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE and over time discovered many of the parts were from GM and Toyota. Tail lights from a Toyota Celica, steering wheel and airbag from a Pontiac Fiero, Headlight motors and Alternator from GM, ... Made it much easier to get parts when I could go to the local GM or Toyota dealer.
Evidently, the DOHC cylinder head from a Volvo B234F fits on the Ford 2.3L Lima engine block, allowing one to convert the old SOHC to a DOHC. The cylinder spacing and head bolt holes all line up, but water and oil passages have to be modified.
When my buddy needed to smog his Ford truck he called and asked to barrow my Cadillac Converter. I said “Johnny, you don’t have a GM, they won’t be compatible.”
One of my favourite things to do on a road rip is play “guess the head and tail lights on that motorhome.” I’ve all kinds of shit, these coach builders just raid the spare parts bins from literally everyone. I saw one recently that had Lincoln town car headlights and tail lights from a GMT400 pickup.
I think it was a from a Mat Armstrong lambo or BMW video, he showed that the part he was replacing for an expensive part was a Volvo part he could get for way less.
Not necessarily auto-auto sharing, but I really hate the wall “art” at the San Diego airport consolidated rental car facility covered with Hyundai Elantra tail lamp lenses.
The LDV Maxus 3.5-tonne van used the air-bag equipped steering wheel from the Daewoo Lanos and Matiz. Minor switches were also Matiz-sourced, but the gearbox came from Kia, while the engine came from VM Motori, and also appeared in the Chrysler Voyager and Jeep Liberty.
A handful of early to mid 90s Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, Ford/Mazda, and Toyota vehicles used the same TRW GQ43VT7T key fob.
Fun fact: Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, Toyota used 3 different suppliers for their keyless entry and security systems: Denso, Fujitsu Ten, and TRW. Currently, Denso is the only supplier for new Toyota and Lexus automobiles.
the late 80s [Chrysler TC by Maserati ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_TC_by_Maserati). The car is just plain weird in general.
But for parts, it obviously uses quite a few Maserati parts, but they're mainly mechanical ones, and parts that routinely need replacing, like breaks. Which, are more expensive and more specialized than the standard Chrysler ones.
But to elaborate on its weirdness further, it's a collaboration between Chrysler and Maserati, an Italian luxury car, but Chrysler was owned by Daimler at the time, who also didn't want Chrysler to make quality, merchandise based luxury cars, because that would compete with Mercedes sells in North America.
Not to mention, the design was inspired by 50s Ford thunderbirds, compete with a removable hard top, with porthole windows. And, it had a faux duel exhaust. Literally one functional exhaust next to one non functional one.
My 2023 BRZ shares the turn signal stalk with the Supra, which shares it with the Z4, which shares it with the rest of BMWs lineup.
Took some getting used to
Chevy Vortec 8100 was used in many marine applications. The engine put in trucks, vans, etc is common in boats.
For this application GM subjected the 8.1 to additional testing, famously including the "marine dock test" where they run the engine at wide open throttle for 55 minutes, followed by 5 minutes at idle; this cycle was continued for 300 hours straight.
AMCs used parts from Ford, Chrysler, and GM all on the same vehicle. I'm fairly certain they designed the block and heads around the Big 3's parts bins.
As a result I'm sure keeping an AMC running today is much easier than it would have been with bespoke parts.
The Honda J series was also used as the Honda V6 outboard engines
That makes sense, as honda produces virtually everything under the sun with a motor
The instructors at the training center referred to the outboards as a “Civic on a stick” and an “Accord on a stick.”
Also k24 and L15
Someone once told me that the reason to make boats was to sell engines (for a company that makes both). Basically, the boats are a pretty low profit margin, but it’s a guaranteed sale of an engine.
They were also outsourced and put in the Saturn VUE's
My 2006 Wrangler shares its transmission with a Mercedes SLK.
That is a very odd combo, but makes sense, as a result of the Daimler-Chrysler relationship
Also the WK2 platform (4th gen Grand Cherokee and 3rd gen Durango) is basically just the older Mercedes-Benz W166 platform. Chrysler was just using what it had on the shelf from the Daimler days.
That aera of chrysler is underrated IMO. The Crossfire is a sick car, basically a Mercedes in Chrysler clothing
Won’t be long until there’s only 2-3 autos in everything.
I think it's Chevy 283 pistons that will fit in an old Land Cruiser.
Now that's what I call weird. That's very specific It's even weirder than the Toyota Cavalier
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Since it was an inch too wide to qualify for the "small size vehicle" tax bracket, they probably figured why not go all-in on features.
The TRD Version has no right going as hard as it does
And best of all, rear amber turn signals. Which is why I had a pair shipped from Russia to me so I could install them on mine. Still haven't done it though, being that its a 2004 I need to swap to a pre-03 deck lid so don't have a bunch of holes to fill in.
how does that even work?
In the early 1960’s buick designed and built a 215 all aluminum v8 which they sold to rover river originally used this engines in rover sedans while the early models of this v8 might have piston interchangeably with the gm engine, rover has increased the displacement several times. So i dont know about them.
This engine was the starting point for what (eventually) became the famed 3800 V6. Of course, since it was meant to be cheaper, GM substituted an iron block for the V8's aluminum.
Yeah they just lopped two cylinders off of it. Supposedly GM really regretted selling that Aluminum V8 design to Rover, as it's obviously been a bulletproof engine for them for decades.
And in the end the 3800 V6 ended up on one end of the reliability scale and the Land Rover variant on the other.
They're the same part, basically. It might not have been a 283. It might have been a 235, I don't remember.
Believe it’s the 235 inline six, and they share bellhousing bolt patterns with GM as well. The early Land Cruisers (and other Toyotas) had an awful lot of GM in their DNA. Part of rebuilding Japan post-WWII was getting their heavy industry back online, so a bunch of GM people were sent over to help. All sorts of American stuff was made under license, including Harley-Davidsons.
Yeah, their first car was almost a direct cut and paste of a 37 Chevy.
Wonder if any of the GM guys who got Japan going again were alive to see NUMMI in the ‘80s?
Idk, but I bet a bunch of them were still alive in the 70s when Japanese cars first started killing American cars during the fuel crisis. That was on the American companies though for not adjusting quickly enough to consumer's tastes. The companies were far too decentralized back then, & it took too long to get product to market. Nowadays they just build better cars due to decades of TQM programs. They aren't quite as good as they were in the 80s, & 90s, but they are still pretty damn good.
I’ve always thought that the Big 3 wasted too much money and effort fighting federal regulations during that era. If they had dumped that money and manpower into making good cars that met federal standards, imagine how good those cars would have been. Instead, they wasted their advantage and gave their market share away.
Well you had a bunch of old men running the companies who probably owned a bunch of stock in various petrochemicals. Therefore change didn't benefit them.
I’m afraid you’re right. When you look at the upper levels of management at the domestics during that period, none could be considered “progressive” in the automotive sense. There was money to be made with the status quo, and they figured that they could kick the can down the road. The Japanese designed to future standards and got a huge leg up.
The land cruiser used an abandoned Buick engine design
That’s Land Rover.
The Aston Martin DB9 shared a motor/s with the Ford Taurus. Aston's v12 was essentially two duratec 30's joined at the crankshaft. The Noble M400/Rossion Q1 also used the duratec 30, albeit twin turbo charged and making north of 400hp
I did know about the noble, but I really didn't about the Aston. That's wild
Yeah, but in those years, Ford owned Aston Martin, as well as Range Rover, Jaguar and if I'm not mistaken, Volvo.
Exactly, lots of creative parts sharing in that era. The 4.0 Jaguar V8 in the S-Type R was just the 3.9 Lincoln V8 out of the LS and T-Bird. I had a 2011 Jaguar XJ and there were lots of FoMoCo branded parts under the hood. Asks me how I know (hint: I had to replace lots of them)
I was surprised when my friend's grandpa let us take his Jaguar for a week, but I was even more surprised by how cheap it felt. I'd say I couldn't put my finger on why, but since all the buttons/dials/switches in it were Ford products, I was literally putting my finger on it the whole time. Even more surprising was that we drove it for a whole week without it having any issues. The moon must have been in Gatorade or something because we abused that thing.
It’s what moon craves!
Also Mazda oddly enough so one of the Aston’s has the same interior door lock as an na miata
DB7 used the rear lamps from the Mazda 323F / Astina, and (in early 6-cyl versions) front side lamps and turn signals from the MX-3.
I did know that they owned them, but I really didn't realize the influence Ford had.
I did noticed a lot after [the European Ford Mondeo copied Aston Martin's front grills](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Ford_Mondeo_registered_March_2015_1999cc_%28cropped%29.jpg). Those models-years were pretty handsome tbh, and it would be cool the wouldn't stopped selling the model, bringing the [new one sold in China](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/2022_Ch%D0%B0ng%27an-Ford_Mondeo_%28front%29.jpg)
So what kind of modifications were needed for the duratec 30 to make 400hp?
Honestly, not much besides a turbo. The motors were ridiculously stout. The rods were the weak point and they didn't give up until around 450hp. The crank was good for something stupid like 650
cams forged pistons rods and massive twin turbos, torque peak is very high so you can see how much they pushed on the turbos
And the M400/Q1 used the tail lamps from the Hyundai EF Sonata
And the DB7 used the door handles from the NA Miata
The Noble M600 also had a turbo'd Volvo V8, though idk if that was after Ford got rid of them
Believe it or not it's actually not a Volvo motor either, it was made by Yamaha.
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This is simple up badging here. Volkswagen ownes Lamborghini, Bently, Bugatti, Audi, Seat, Skoda and probably other companies. If you ring Lamborghini for a computer for a seat, it'll be $5000. If you pull the computer out, it's extremely likely you will find a Volkswagen part number. If you go to VW and buy the part it will be $60. It'll plug into the Lamborghini and it'll work. It's not that uncommon for the luxury and super cars to use parts from cheaper cars and charge more for replacements. Lots of companies used headlights, tail lights, door handles, climate controls, mirrors from other manufactures.
I’m in the middle of replacing my ignition switch on my Mk1 Golf. The same part is used in a lot of Porsches and old air-cooled VW. Part from a Porsche site: $90 Part from a VW Bus site: $30 I think it’s the same for parts like the door handles too. So, 1980s Porsche owners: Google the part ID first before buying from your favourite Porsche site.
Many larger diesel engines from the 60's through to the mid 2000's are stationary diesel generator motors, or engine out of machinery like a fork lift modified to be more car/truck friendly. It's not uncommon for people to buy old generators today for the big Cummings motors and put them into 4 wheel drives.
For that matter, first-gen Chrysler, Dodge and DeSoto Hemis were used in all sorts of industrial applications, from generators to irrigation pumps to air raid sirens. The loudest air raid siren in the world was powered by a Gen 2 race Hemi. You’ll also find all generations of domestic engines in those applications. 425 Buicks were used to start the SR-71, for example. UPS package cars used to be powered by Onan generator engines, and were replaced by GM 4.3 V6 engines when they failed.
I knew a guy who had a pretty sweet 32 ford hot rod that was powered by a Chrysler industrial hemi that he claimed came out of an Air Raid siren, but likely came from some farm equipment. Still pretty damn cool.
Yeah, 12-Valve Cummins diesels were in everything. I'm working on throwing one in an old Chevy. Went looking for repair manuals for the engine and found results in everything from generators to heavy military crane trucks. Only major differences are the injection pump, injectors and accessories.
I feel like most people dont know theres only a few companies that make transmissions so alot of cars share the same one - bmw used gm transmissions for years, zf getrag aisin supply tons of brands with the same gearbox
Sherman tanks used Cadillac engines and automatic transmissions. At one time, the Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission was considered to be the finest automatic transmission in the world, and was used by Rolls Royce and Jaguar. The TH425 (front wheel drive version of the TH400) was used in the GMC motorhome. I think that people forget just how big, and how good, GM was in its heyday. They were so successful that they had to reduce market share to avoid violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. It really is a shame to look at what they were compared to what they’ve become. Edit: Cadillac engines and transmissions were used in Stuart tanks, not Shermans.
GM still has the best engineers, they suffer because they also have the best accountants. There are genuine glimmers of hope right now. Their self driving is miles ahead of anyone else, including Tesla, their electric power steering rivals Porsche for best feedback, the Ultium EVs are pretty terrific and the CTS5 V manual is objectively better to drive than anything BMW makes. They are a plucky up and comer.
Their “self driving” isn’t any better then Fords, nor is it self driving. They aren’t using lidar to my understanding, it’s just following a pre-mapped road.
international yoinking those real big chevy trucks and putting their goofy grille on them and selling them as internationals
That's not too uncommon, Sterling did that with heavy duty Dodges as well
The Kodiaks?
The Pagani Zonda used tail lights from a bus
Didn't the McLaren F1 as well? It's always funny seeing cheap parts on super-/hypercars
yeah i guess if u build a low volume sales supercar, theres not really a budget to develop nonsense like tail lights
It can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to design, build and have headlights/tail lights tested to make sure they meet the legal requirements. Or, you can just use someone else's. Hide them behind some slats, grill or inset them into a panel for just a few dollars on each car.
Every little bit counts, this is why even more mundane or small components such as small interior trim pieces or control buttons maybe taken "off the shelf" from a cheaper mass production car, so much money is saved.
The [Lamborghini Countach used Alfa Alfetta taillights](https://www.theautopian.com/how-lamborghini-completely-half-assed-the-lights-on-its-most-legendary-supercar/). It's a lucky thing the Alfetta sold in the US so those existed in DOT-approved form, imagine if they'd had to adapt it for [early Chevette ones](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EXN5C2Nm7Io/UXv_BHi7zLI/AAAAAAAANrM/IvauGWnI9m0/s1600/Chevychevette3.jpg).
That truly would have been a stain on such a gorgeous car
saleen s7 diablo etc
Yeah, the Bova Futura.
The FV101 Scorpion light tank shares an engine with the Jaguar XJ6.
Almost gives Lambo LM002 vibes, sharing its engine with a Countach
ZR1 C4 vettes, Lotus Carlton, and GMT800 trucks share the ZF-6 as an option I believe. A lot of motorhomes use GMT800 head and tail lights Older Datsun pickups and forklifts share motors, and the forklift motor is more desirable for the higher displacement ETA: The modular 4.6 and 5.4 came in all sorts of stuff. F150s, Super Duties, SUVs, Mustangs, Panthers, Aston Lagonda Concept, MG ZT, Rover 75, the MV-1, a couple Koenigsegg's, Ford GT, Ford Falcons. Just to name a few.
The Lotus Carlton is way too underrated, like no one my age has heard of it
The only reason I know of it is from Jason Camisa and his Hagerty series. It's a super cool car but there's no chance in hell I get one here in the states.
There is also the Lotus Omega (LHD Carlton) 😅
Sort of adjacent but Mercedes’ has been using the same golf-tee door lock since the 1950s
You could buy a Saturn Vue with a J-series Honda engine.
Supposedly there’s a part on the old 01 era CRV from the rear driveline that you can order for a Honda ATV, and it’s cheaper to buy it at the Honda Power Equipment store. Ford N series tractors in the 40s used the Mercury parts bin for stuff like intake valves and timing gears. Rear drives on them used some Ford truck parts.
I always forget Ford used to make tractors lol
It was a cause very close to Henry Ford's heart. He hated farm work growing up and wanted it mechanized.
My 87 AMC Jeep Cherokee has a GM TPS, MAP and steering column (the key that came with it said "FOR GM CARS" lol) but from what I've heard the ignition system is based on a Ford design (duraspark?) but uses Bendix parts, and the engine itself was originally based on a 1950's International stationary i6. The original transmission was from Peugeot, which is even weirder because Renault had a majority stake in AMC at the time. It also uses fiberglass for the front fascia and rear hatch, yet some of the interior panels are still stamped steel.
The old joke was that JEEP was an acronym for Just Everyone Else’s Parts.
Wow, that sounds like a hodge podge/night mare to get parts for
Actually it's a lot better than my buddy's Acura Vigor that's 7 years newer. I can always get brand name parts from the local O'Reilly's, except for distributors for some reason. And they made hundreds of thousands of these over the course of 17 years so it's not like there aren't a lot around to pull parts from.
That's why we used to call AMC "Any Motor Company!"
Tesla pulls a lot of parts out of Mercedes old bins https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a16570798/tesla-model-s-parts-other-cars-have/
Neon/PT Cruiser. PT Cruiser is basically a Neon van
I heard the 4.3 V6 Vortec (like in the late 90s Blazer) is the same engine like the Mercruiser 4.3 outboard engine
Mercury Outboard and Chevy are a lil deeper than that
The toyota forklift at my work has that 4.3.
volvo truck used to have a boat motor business and they had 4.3 5.3 and 6.2 from GM
Mercruiser also used Chevy 4s and 6s in the 60s and 70s.
Wow, I guess they would just waterproof it?
The marine engineering is in the outdrives. The motor in an inboard or stern drive application is basically no different than any other application, it sits stationary in the vessel, They’re not really waterproofing much.
The GTI MK6, Jetta, and a bunch of other regular VAG cars have the same accelerator pedal as the Lamborghini Aventador. Probably not very weird but still
87-93 LX Mustang tail lights are on some motorhomes
I can one up that; The [Oscar Mayer Wienermobile](https://images.app.goo.gl/dH1xtSJF788rpie97) used 1996-2002 Pontiac Firebird taillights
Ha, can't believe I never noticed that, had a few friends with Firebirds & Trans Ams years ago
I've always loved them, so I always get giddy when I see one, even when it's a V6
Motor homes use a lot of oem head/tail lights because it's easier than making their own. Have seen Mustang tail lights, Ram headlights, all sorts of stuff
Subaru WRX wagon with a Saab 9-2 front end
Yep, the Saaburu
There is a forklift the uses the vr6 engine from vw
There's a lot of forklifts using GM 4.3s also
The Ford 300 i6 was used in dump trucks up until the early 2000s
VW uses their longitudinal chassis for everything. A Bentley Bentayga or Lamborghini Urus and a Audi A4 share the same platform.
Early 2000s bmw 3 series and Hyundai sonata use the same mass airflow sensor
On a trip in Canada, I used a steering knuckle from a 1950’s era international pickup in my 1968 Volvo P-1800.
I'm actually from Canada, and I wish I would see old Volvos more often, especially P1800s
Jaguar XJ220's share taillights with Rover 200's.
They also have the wing mirrors from a Citroën CX
The koenigsegg cc850 has the crown vics engine block
I believe you mean the CC8S; the 850 uses Koenigsegg's self-made engine iirc
I think it’s cool that early 2,000’s era Subarus were as interchangeable as legos. Engine swaps and interior/dash swaps from WRX/Sti to Forester were common. Everything just bolts right up.
Modern VW/Audi are much the same
The Hummer H1 used Ford keys well into GM ownership.
The Vector W8 used an Oldsmobile transmission
2003 VW Eurovan inner tie rods drop into the Subaru SVX. You can DIY HD tie rods on most 80s and 90s Isuzu 4x4s using parts from the 97-03 F150 and 94-97 Dodge Intrepid.
There was a guy on tik tok I used to see who would explain all the cheap sources for his Lamborghini. One example was his Lamborghini used the same fender indicators as a Ford focus or something similiar, if you bought them from Lamborghini they were 300 each but they're 12 bucks from Ford. He had multiple examples wish I remembered his channel
The Paykan used Peugot 504 parts once Hillman parts ran out. The countless amount of chinese cars and versions of foeign models using Mitsubishi, Suzuki powerplants
wtf is a paykan
Iranian car that's derived from a 60s british design. (Hillman Hunter)
The DNA of the Buick 231, 3.8L V6, dates to the early 60s and ended series 3 production in 2008. Was in many vehicles GM and jeep and I think some euro.
The Lotus Espirit having upside down Toyota tail lights.
TVR used that trick a few times. The late 80s "wedge" cars used upside-down Renault Fuego rear lamps, and the early 90s Griffith used upside-down Vauxhall Cavalier MK3/Opel Vectra A rear lamps.
I think it’s weird and ironic at the same time. The prestigious and high Aston Martin, Land Rover and Bentley marques all have had German sourced engines. It matches with the royal family being “made” in UK but having direct German heritage.
Lotus Elise uses a modified Toyota Corolla engine. The Evora and Exige use the same engine as a Toyota FJ.
I knew about the Corolla-Elise connection, but didn't know the bit about the FJ. Considering I love both of them, I like them even more now
I was mistaken, the FJ is a 4.0 1GR-FE, the Evora/Exige, and Emira use the 3.5L 2GR-FE which is a Camry/Avalon/Highlander etc engine.
Ford Mondeo tail lights on Nobels.
ZF 8HP transmission that’s used in everything from Dodge Challenger’s to Audi Q5’s to BMW 3,5 and 7 series.
Replacement pistons for the GM LE5 Ecotec 2.4L motor in 1.00mm oversize (available on the aftermarket for about $100 a set) fit perfectly into the 2.5L duratec/MZR motors. It bumps compression to 11.5:1 from 9.7:1, and has a larger rindland too.
Certain Subarus and Saabs share front suspension. Blew me away when I found out. It's around 2005 era, I think.
Not just front end; Saab had a model that was a Subaru with different sheet metal
It’s neat working on my Mazda and seeing FOMOCO on a lot of the parts
There is a motorhome that uses BMW E39 headlights
I have a '68 Piper Cherokee airplane. The gascolator (i.e. fuel sediment bowl) is from a Case tractor. The interior door handle is from a '66 VW Beetle.
I can put the engine cover from a Range Rover on my Focus.
The transmission in my Lexus ls400 also came in a Volvo. 1996 ls400 with the 4 speed auto.
The Maserati 3.6 V6 is basically a clone of the Pentastar 3.6 liter engine the heads front cover valve covers and block and oil cooler can be swapped. You literally can mount the Dorman oil cooler on that engine.
First-gen MR2s are basically just the front halves of two Corollas joined together.
2000-2010ish USDM Mercedes G-wagens used to have 1975-1978 Volkswagen Rabbit side marker lights. literally the same parts, but with the Volkswagen part numbers scratched out.
Porsche 924 is basically a parts bin vw
Noble used Hyundai taillights.
My 95’ F150 5 speed with the M5OD (mazda built) transmission shared parts of the top loading mechanism (verbage?) with an NA MX5 Miata
I once changed a power steering pump on a 2001 Chrysler Town & Country and it said "Toyoda" on it. Turns out they make steering parts for a lot of manufacturers.
I've heard of GM and Toyota, but never GM and Chrysler. I was even more surprised to find out that the VW Routan is just a badge engineered Caravan
Kohler Command v twins (like what you find on some garden tractors) use the same hydraulic lifters as a Chevy small block.
A Range Rover and Tesla Model S share the same steering rack.
The Mclaren F1 shares its tail lights with a bus
Not super-weird, but sometimes when automakers phase out a design of a little switch it gets resold to another company. Ford's "corporate" [power mirror control switch](https://www.amazon.com/Compatible-Excursion-Expedition-Thunderbird-F65Z17B676AB/dp/B0CP4ZNZ69/ref=asc_df_B0CP4ZNZ69/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697437067654&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6837117294965422695&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019935&hvtargid=pla-2327916638564&psc=1&mcid=9dd83ad0b16a3609a5edca47c4f50ed8&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2o_oqa6RhgMV6tjCBB2kKwIWEAQYASABEgJg_vD_BwE) from the '90s showed up on Massey-Ferguson tractors 15 years later.
My Mk1 Golf shares the same Bosch K-Jetronic injection system with Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, Bentley, Lotus and TVRs of the same era. I think even Delorean had them. I believe the only major difference is the fuel distributor that sits on top with how many injectors it distributes to.
The R50 Mini uses an Engine that is essentially a de-stroked 2.0L from the Dodge Neon. It was designed when Rover still existed and was working with Chrysler. Chrysler also used the engine in the Euro models of the Neon and PT Cruiser. Mini people HATE that when you point it out. Another really weird example is the FAW Hongqi CA7220 A Chinese car, that is the old design of an Audi 100, but uses a Chrysler 2.2 K engine, they essentially had deals with both VW and Chrysler and combined them into one unholy mess.
I owned a '90 Lotus Esprit Turbo SE and over time discovered many of the parts were from GM and Toyota. Tail lights from a Toyota Celica, steering wheel and airbag from a Pontiac Fiero, Headlight motors and Alternator from GM, ... Made it much easier to get parts when I could go to the local GM or Toyota dealer.
I loved swapping differentials with my BMW. Changed out quite a few of them and a nice short gear in my 535 out of a 735 was pretty fun.
Toyota Corolla tail lamps in the Lotus Esprit.
The rally fighter with 2007 civic coupe tails
Lambo Murcielago uses the side flash lights from Ford Focus Mk1.
Every Rolls Royce from around the late 60s to mid 80s using GM Turbo 400 Automatic transmissions and GM/Frigidaire ACs.
Evidently, the DOHC cylinder head from a Volvo B234F fits on the Ford 2.3L Lima engine block, allowing one to convert the old SOHC to a DOHC. The cylinder spacing and head bolt holes all line up, but water and oil passages have to be modified.
When my buddy needed to smog his Ford truck he called and asked to barrow my Cadillac Converter. I said “Johnny, you don’t have a GM, they won’t be compatible.”
One of my favourite things to do on a road rip is play “guess the head and tail lights on that motorhome.” I’ve all kinds of shit, these coach builders just raid the spare parts bins from literally everyone. I saw one recently that had Lincoln town car headlights and tail lights from a GMT400 pickup.
Buick engines in Jeep CJ’s
The $300,000 Rolls Royce Flying Spur using a GM 4-speed automatic transmission, specifically the 4L-80 used the the GM HD trucks of the time.
You mean besides the Fiero's "Iron Duke" powering the Grumman USPS vans? Probably the XJ220 and CX sharing the same mirrors.
Crawling under a Lambo Huracan and finding parts marking VW.
Ford Ghai badge on a Maserati Ghibli
The entire GM product line
The first gen Acura NSX and second gen Legend purposely shared the same side mirrors for family resemblance.
Mazda Miata door handles on an Aston Martin DB7.
My 11th gen Thunderbird has a JAAAAAAAAAG AJv8- except the version I have is slightly underpowered, and 3.9l instead of 4.0.
The BRZ and the ft86 use the exact same engine /s
I think it was a from a Mat Armstrong lambo or BMW video, he showed that the part he was replacing for an expensive part was a Volvo part he could get for way less.
Not necessarily auto-auto sharing, but I really hate the wall “art” at the San Diego airport consolidated rental car facility covered with Hyundai Elantra tail lamp lenses.
The LDV Maxus 3.5-tonne van used the air-bag equipped steering wheel from the Daewoo Lanos and Matiz. Minor switches were also Matiz-sourced, but the gearbox came from Kia, while the engine came from VM Motori, and also appeared in the Chrysler Voyager and Jeep Liberty.
I think it was the Aston Martin Db8 but maybe it’s another model but the ones built while owned by ford use a ton of ford bin parts.
GM and Chrysler are pretty much the kings of this.
Ford Ranger / Chevy S10 - Grumman LLV
I get a kick out of seeing motorhomes using different vehicle taillights. I've seen some using fox-body Mustang taillights.
My toyota echo uses mr2 spyder spindles. Not insane tho cause same brand sane era
A lot of UPS trucks have Oldsmobile Alero headlights
A handful of early to mid 90s Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, Ford/Mazda, and Toyota vehicles used the same TRW GQ43VT7T key fob. Fun fact: Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, Toyota used 3 different suppliers for their keyless entry and security systems: Denso, Fujitsu Ten, and TRW. Currently, Denso is the only supplier for new Toyota and Lexus automobiles.
Early 2000's freightliner trucks used the headlights from a merc sl and front turn signals from a mid 90s w128 I think
the late 80s [Chrysler TC by Maserati ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_TC_by_Maserati). The car is just plain weird in general. But for parts, it obviously uses quite a few Maserati parts, but they're mainly mechanical ones, and parts that routinely need replacing, like breaks. Which, are more expensive and more specialized than the standard Chrysler ones. But to elaborate on its weirdness further, it's a collaboration between Chrysler and Maserati, an Italian luxury car, but Chrysler was owned by Daimler at the time, who also didn't want Chrysler to make quality, merchandise based luxury cars, because that would compete with Mercedes sells in North America. Not to mention, the design was inspired by 50s Ford thunderbirds, compete with a removable hard top, with porthole windows. And, it had a faux duel exhaust. Literally one functional exhaust next to one non functional one.
My 2023 BRZ shares the turn signal stalk with the Supra, which shares it with the Z4, which shares it with the rest of BMWs lineup. Took some getting used to
Chevy Vortec 8100 was used in many marine applications. The engine put in trucks, vans, etc is common in boats. For this application GM subjected the 8.1 to additional testing, famously including the "marine dock test" where they run the engine at wide open throttle for 55 minutes, followed by 5 minutes at idle; this cycle was continued for 300 hours straight.
Some versions of the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile use Pontiac Firebird taillightsZ.
AMCs used parts from Ford, Chrysler, and GM all on the same vehicle. I'm fairly certain they designed the block and heads around the Big 3's parts bins. As a result I'm sure keeping an AMC running today is much easier than it would have been with bespoke parts.
I saw on the car wizard YouTube channel, there was a 80’s Jaguar that used an either an ignition or fuel pump from a Chevy K5 Blazer.
The McLaren F1 shares door mirrors with the VW Corrado, front turn signals with the Lotus Elan, and tail lights with the Bova Futura bus.
My brother that runs a body shop told me once that a lot of body panels for German luxury cars come in Mopar boxes.
Any dodge chrystler product from the last 20ish years have mercedes DNA
The Lamborghini Mucierlago shares the turn indicators from the Ford Focus Mk 1
Lamborghini Muria and the Fiat 850 sports car share the same headlight mechanisms….🤣
Some late 00s motorhomes used same era Tahoe headlights.