Many cars are made out of part bins and thus share controls. I remember my dads MK1 Punto had the same heating controls as a Ferrari 456.
My dads Fiesta shares some of the same switches as a DB7.
My Corsa's switch gear seem to be from:-
Steering wheel - Astra G, Zaferia
Stalks - MK3 Cavilier, Lotus Elise, Astra F, Astra G
Fog light/main beam switches - MK3 cav but possible found on the Carlton too.
Gear level - Vectra MK1
Electric window switches - Vectra but probably also found in other Opal cars
Rear head rests - Were also included in the Corsa C.
I always find it fasinating how a lot of cars are just made out of other cars. British leyland were of course experts at this.
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Hmmm
Perhaps "expert" is not a word to be closely associated with BL
jat
M
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Seeing those Astons with door handles/key holes from old Escorts/Orions always makes me smirk.
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Ford owned Aston Martin at one time so it's not surprising there were some common parts. Jaguar used Mondeo door locks and other bits on some of their models too. Far cheaper than designing bespoke parts.
Opal and Vauxhall are practically one and the same, I used to work for a car parts manufacturer who made bits for both and the only difference was the name on the box; and that the Vauxhall parts were considerably cheaper.
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I was amazed when I restored my wheel trims they all had the June 99 date stamped on them, they wear the Vauxhall badges but int he inside there is an Opal badge and a Holden badge stamped on it, no Vauxhall logo.
I always found my dads Lada quite fasinating because it shared a lot of switch gear with the classic Lancias and Alfas because of the FIAT connection. A lot of that switch gear is still being produced today. Who ever thought that an indicator stalk designed for a Ferrari or something would end up being produced for budget cars nearly 50 years later!
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I have a friend who drives a Rover 45, the 2005 model with the facelift and updated interior. The climate control/air conditioning panel is also used in the Zonda and the older Lamborghini Murcielago. Fun eh?
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I always find it fasinating how a lot of cars are just made out of other cars. British leyland were of course experts at this.
I find it fasinating how you have the time to go round numerous cars studying their switches and then making comparisons between various makes and models, and still have time for your working hours and your Backroom hours!
;-)
Edited by L'escargot on 08/12/2009 at 13:46
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I've always been fasinating by switches and electrical fittings, ever since I was very young. When other 6 year olds were messing about with footballs I was building lego villages which all lit up.
At four years old I could fix tourches and simple battery toys.
I tend to glance at car interirors when I walk past them so spot unusal things. Even when watching Top Gear or other car programmes my eyes are always drawn to the switches.
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I've always been fasinating by switches and electrical fittings ever since I was very young.
That's fasinating!
;-)
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>my eyes are always drawn to the switches
well its a good job we never let let you into a IBM360 or 370 machine room rattle
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The parts used on Aston and Ferrari were not designed for them-they were designed for Ford and Fiat and used on the more expensive cars.
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"I find it fasinating how you have the time to go round numerous cars studying their switches and then making comparisons between various makes and models, and still have time for your working hours and your Backroom hours!
;-)"
I think he would get on well with a man who has religeously plotted all his fuel consumption on a graph for the last 7 years? ;)))))
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Morris Marina door handles (which were designed for safety - being flush) were probably the most robust bits of the car appeared on dozens of models both within the BL range and far beyond at all strata of the automotive hierarchy as were their (then) splendidly designed multi function stalks that first appeared in the Marina - they were years ahead of what the opposition offered at the time being logical and sturdy (which sadly can't be said for the rest of the car !) - GM (Europe) and Ford appeared in any number of "exotic" cars. Honda switchgear appeared in the last Triumph and succeeding Rovers.
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Lotus went beyond using other makers switchgear and door handles. They used light units as well. The rear lights from a SD1 were used (turned upside down) i seem to recall.
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Come and sit in the Vitara, Rattolio, and savour the heater and column controls ripped straight out of a MK1 Micra.
Indicators on the right, of course, as they should be in a gentleman's carriage.
Confusing sometimes in the other car...often given other drivers a warning flash of the washers !
Ted
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I am guessing the Suzuki will have GM bits in too.
Even though I used own a Fiesta I am finding driving my dads car tricky, it took me a few minutes to work out the controls and had a funny look when I accidently flashed some pretty girls trying to find the windscreen wash!
AE plotting fuel consumption on a graph that is a very good idea! I know mines gone down to 32mpg now because of all this rush hour driving visiting my dad in hospital.
Edited by rtj70 on 08/12/2009 at 16:09
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had a funny look when I accidently flashed some pretty girls trying to find the windscreen wash!
I bet you did! When's the court date? ;)
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Oh, and you might want to use your *hands* to activate the windscreen wash in future...
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had a funny look when I accidently flashed some pretty girls trying to find the windscreen wash!
yeah right :-)
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The rear light clusters on a TVR Griffith are from a mk3 Cavalier, but turned upside down.
My friend's old Lotus Elise was a real mishmash of parts bin bits. Wiper mechanism from a Citroen AX, switchgear (what there was of it) from a mk1 Peugeot 306, indicator stalks and steering lock from a Vauxhall Astra, and various other bits which I recognised, but couldn't quite place.
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I was reliably informed that the door handles for sixties Lotus Elans come from the Commer (and presumably other Rootes vehicles of that era)
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Wasn't the first Noble fitted with rear lights from a MK1 Mondeo saloon?
I think it was sourced from South Africa from various old Ford parts bin leftovers, and it shows...
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The headlights on my Renault 4 are the same as some Lotus model, can't remember which.
The Jowett shares a few things, brake shoes..Mk 1 Consul, Brake cylinders, some electrics, front door handles...Austin Healey 100 and those lovely embroidered ankle straps just in front of the rear quarter lights were common on many 50s cars...Rover P4 ,etc.
Ted
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Civic FK3 - most controls from NASA I think
BMW E91 - BMW and no-one else
Audi A4 B7 - just about every other VAG car from a Skoda to a Bentley
Ford Mondeo / Focus - cf VAG, only this time a Transit Van (or a Jaguar S-Type if you're fussy)
Vectra A (?) 1996 Vintage - why from a Cavalier 1995 vintage of course
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there was a program on telly years ago where some young whipper snapper ( bout 10) could recognise any make and model of any car just by seeing the photo of the brake light...could of been on jim'l fix it or was it record breakers?.....was'nt you was it rattle?
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The rear light clusters on a TVR Griffith are from a mk3 Cavalier but turned upside down.
Correct, I used to have a Griffith. Also the door mirrors were from a Jaguar XJ220 (or Citroen CX if you want to be more humble), the side repeater indicators from a Fiat Panda, driving lights from a BMW E30 3 Series, front indicators from the Chieftain Tank, brakes from the Sierra Cosworth, indicator and wiper stalks from the same Cavalier that supplied the rear lights and the speedo from a tractor. The unit, not the dial obviously.
For a more obscure example, I recently saw a Communist era Czech Tatra 613 and I would swear the rear lights were from the Mk2 Ford Capri but I can't find anything on the net to prove this.
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For a more obscure example I recently saw a Communist era Czech Tatra 613 and I would swear the rear lights were from the Mk2 Ford Capri but I can't find anything on the net to prove this.
Naw.. I dont think so...
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/1976Ta...g
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Naw.. I dont think so... upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/1976Ta...g
No, the Tatra 613 I saw had different rear lights. More like this one:
tatraklub.tatraportal.sk/t613-2zm.jpg
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I have to laugh , being heavily involved with older motorcycles , the switchgear on the h/bars of a royal enfield bullet (india)is made by a company called "minda" , those switches are available on ebay , from india for about £15, the same switch gear is fitted to modern triumph m/bikes and sells at £120 + vat ,
incidentally , india is where lucas have ended up , making tat
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incidentally india is where lucas have ended up making tat
putting the tat in tata probably
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yes they are still making ign coils and altenators for bikes , sad innit , i served my apprenticeship with "globe and simpsons" , a lucas group company , started it in 71 , finished with them in 1980
I can still remember the part Nos for bearings on a "B90" recon dynamo
oh look , lucas india ,, www.lucas-tvs.com/tvsgroup.html
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>> incidentally india is where lucas have ended up making tat putting the tat in tata probably
Have you ever been to India? Tata cars may have their faults but they are extremely robust-they have to be survive the horrors that are known as 'roads' in India. If I were in India I'd much rather have a Tata than anything else-in some countries its not luxury or refinement that matters but the ability to survive!
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>>> india is where lucas have ended up , making tat <<<
nuffink new there then!
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often given other drivers a warning flash of the washers! Ted
Jimny too. laugh
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Some years before Aston Martin were taken over by Ford they built a huge white elephant of a saloon, the last car (I think) to be called a Lagonda. It was very plush and expensive: most of it didn't work but one part that as far as I know did was the indicator stalk which was unmistakably from.....the humble Vauxhall Chevette.
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Got a shot of a Chevette Ecosse round Snetterton once. I think it would have liked to have been an Aston when it grew up.
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 08/12/2009 at 22:29
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For a 'white elephant' they sold well!
I believe 8792 were built, and the later cars were pretty much sorted, and mostly enjoyed by their owners.
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645 sold actually, according to wikipedia.
Over a 13 year production run thats what, less than 1 a week.
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645 sold actually according to wikipedia. Over a 13 year production run thats what less than 1 a week.
Strange..I got that figure of the AMOC web site, against the model names is a number, i assumed that was the total of that type built.
I wonder what the number really means?
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Don't always trust Wiki :). It has lots of experts, I have just written one about the Nuclear powered route masters which were on trial in 1964 on the greenline but I think I may have got that wrong :p.
In otherwords any nutter can write and do write for it.
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In otherwords any nutter can write and do write for it.
Nuclear powered buses ?
When stepping out with future SWMBO, we looked in the gas showroom and there was a telly in the window.....I convinced her it was a gas telly...never been forgiven !
Ted
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haha well a gas TV would work if it had its own generator built into it. A TV which requires a large flu won't make a commercial sucess though.
Didn't one of the American car companies toy with the idea of a nuclear powered car at the same time as they were messing about was gas turbine cars?
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Some years before Aston Martin were taken over by Ford they built a huge white elephant of a saloon the last car (I think) to be called a Lagonda.
Lagonda wedge...I transported one to Plymouth, ( sorry, no photo ) for a customer and brought this back...
tinyurl.com/ybes2es
Also took an envelope with about £30K in it in cash to do the trade.
Brought the ragtop back via Newport Pagnell where it was to be re-trimmed...didn't need it !
Drove it down a few times for hand-made panels after the owner bumped it on posts, etc...nice summer blast with the hood down and back on the train......and paid too !
Must be 20 yrs ago.
Ted
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For what it's worth, the rubber drive couplings of early Lotus Elites were the same as those fitted to the Hillman Imp range.
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