Parts sharing in auto industry

I'm very curious just how many parts are shared in the big 3 in new car manufacturing. Do you think or know they all use the same a/c compressors, starters, maybe even lifters and other engine parts? I know they aren't manufacturing their own stuff like they use to. The days when you could tell a Chrysler starter from a Phord or Chebbie are gone. They all sound the same to me. And we hear of lifter problems with Chrysler stuff and same for Chebbie.

Anyone know if they all have the same suppliers for many items?

Buying parts off the rack, so to speak, ha been going on for a LONG time.
Saves the company the expenses of designing, testing, building, stocking, etc for something where that's already available, right ?

The factory radio in our family's '57 Plymouth was made by Philco, owned at the time by Ford.
Budd & Motor Wheel wheels are another example, and there are probably dozens more.

The high idle solenoid on the '69 A12 3x2 Holley carburetors is a Delco Remey HIS as used on the Pontiac trips of that era. Don't think it's just the big three, look at the Bosch, Keihin, etc. EFI, several manufactures of automatic transmission, Brembo brake system of Italy, on and on and on. It's been a World market for parts and components for decades and decades we Americans sometimes don't like to hear that. And don't get me started on Harley Davidson and Indian and the non-USA components on them like the electronics and instruments, EFI and previously Keihin carburetors and KYB shocks and front forks and again on and on and on. Remember when there was a shortage of paint metallic from the Pacific Rim or was that just Japan?

mopar has been using saginaw steering columns for at least 50-60 years in the newyorkers and imperials, and all of the k-car derivatives had saginaw columns in them, i believe.

I understand the outsourcing that's been going on, but are all of the big 3 now using same components on a lot of stuff, such as starters, alternators, lifters a/c compressors and more when traditionally while they did source stuff out, most major engine and electrical components were in house? I mean is it occurring much more now than before in order to cut costs or do you thing it's about the same?

I'm sure some of these components you speak of come from the same supplier but aren"t exactly the same part. As in direct bolt on. Everyone has their own engineering department and their own specification of what they want.

All
Makes
Combined

Everything old is new again........

What used to be Detroit's big 3 have become pat of the worlds big 5 or 6 (and maybe less then that). Many parts and pieces are shared within each mega corporation's branches. Those major parts (picking on starters and such) may have mounting points and other minor changes from one vehicle to the next, but the over all part has the same design and probably the same world manufacturer. The minor changes are probably part of the thought process so those parts have to be bought from the car branch sales department, or their approved sales outlets. The automotive aftermarket parts companies are always fighting with the auto manufacturers to be able to sell those brand specific parts to the general public.

Its all part of the plan from the major auto companies to squeeze more money out of the people. The plan is working well for them.

This is kind of what I figured. As I mentioned all starters sound the same, granted different mounting, and I figure so many other things shared.

Wondered if anyone in the industry might know about specific shared parts too, like lifters etc.

Ain't it ironic though how when AMC did it, they were chided for it. Today, the companies are doing it simply to survive.... and they're lauded for it.
Though I do wish we could get back to maybe a dozen type of headlight bulbs and half a dozen mufflers. That would save money.

I think it is happening more and more that there are global manufacturers making the same sort of parts for multiple companies. The parts themselves might be a bit different but they all seem to have very similar components and in some cases the same sort of failures.

Those GM steering columns in Chryslers happened with pretty much all the Chrysler cars in the 80s and there were some other parts too. i think in some cases it does make sense especially when it's a common part like that or if one manufacturer has a part that's proven to be reliable that others need, why reinvent the wheel. Years later it helps too because when it comes time to rebuilding those parts there were a lot more of them made and more of a chance of replacement components being available.

AMC was an amateur compared to IHC. I remember buying points for a '64 Loadstar with the 304 and the counterman asking if it had the Delco, Prestolite, Holley, or Autolite distributor.

Years ago I bought a NOS Delco Remy Mag Pulse distributor for an International IH V8-549. The brown D309 distributor cap (cha ching) and the mag pulse pick-up was the same for Corvette, but the epay seller had no idea that those items would fit anything other than another IHC.

Studebaker was along the same lines as AMC. Black Prestolite electronic ignition boxes in 1963 and 1964, Delco distributors in 60 and 61. Delco coils back to 57. Dana 27, 44, and 45 rear axles. Transmissions from Borg Warner. About the only thing that was 100% Studebaker in the drivetrain was the engine.

ohgodohgodohgod

Suddenly recall taking care of a fleet of IHCs.
without a line setting ticket
fun fun fun

Hmm, the flathead in my 51 Plymouth came with a Prestolite generator, distributor, starter and wiper motor. A borg warner OD could have been had and was common in many other makes as well.

When did AMC come about?

Ford used to put Dodge engines in the Model T.

When did AMC come about?

Not a new idea by a long shot. Not even close

The engineers could've saved a ton of money by doing a better job of using common parts but they just didn't do it. They were smart enough to figure it out but I think the management team got in the way and prohibited them from doing it. The aftermarket doesn't have the same ego problem so it is now very common to see high performance engines using proven components such as 2.200 rod bearings.

Mopar engineers could've built a killer muscle car engine in the early 70's by combining the 400 block with a 3.75 or 3.90 crankshaft, 2.200 rod bearings, a Chevy big block rod with a 0.990 pin and a set of Max Wedge heads and a big Holley 4bbl. All of those parts were available and the resulting 451 or 470 inch engine would've made Mopar muscle cars the most powerful on the market. I'm sure the engineers knew how to build stuff like that but for some reason the management team wouldn't let them. Ford got around some of this thinking by outsourcing stuff to Shelby. GM had Duntov to help drive performance. I don't think Mopar really had anyone working in that capacity with that much power.

It really comes down to "don't put all of your eggs in one basket". The more options an auto manufacture has the better they can survive especially if a single source wants to squeeze them on pricing and costs. Not only that but what if the component source for instance has labor issues and they go on strike? There are so many things that can keep a manufacture from keeping the assembly line running that it's only smart business to have multiple sources for just about everything that you don't have total control of.

Too much space to build everything needed under one roof so subcontractors/specialists are hired to do specific things offsite. Those specialized companies likely make parts for more than one manufacture.

I have a neighbor who said he got a job as a youngster at a stamping plant that did nothing but make oil pans and valve covers 7 days a week for several car manufactures back then. That is all they did in that building was to make the dies and stamp out parts per the specifications requested.

New Process transfer cases and Dana axles come to mind.

Those were under almost every heavy duty truck and 4x4 regardless of the name on the tailgate.

If someone knew Brand X and Brand Y both bought lifters from Bob's Lifter Supply, and they all failed at a certain point past
3/36, what could we do with the information?

Having had past access to behind the scenes systems that identify suppliers at Chrysler and Ford
I will say, yes, that kind of scenario is super common. The OEMs purchase parts not only from the same suppliers but quite often
directly from each other.

I can still obtain that kind of info through friends and past co workers, but in most cases I have found
that sort of knowledge to be very much like my fascination with foundry marks: It's just trivia, and does not affect the usage or outcome of anything
enough to be worthy of mentioning. Even if I were unprofessional enough to make a huge stink about something like that it
wouldn't prove anything, nobody would change, and nobody
would get in trouble.

I totally understand wanting to know, and I always try to dig for the same info myself (especially with many aftermarket parts which come from
very few sources), but most people just don't seem to care about any of it.

Back in the late 80’s early 90’s I had a Kawasaki Ninja. Was at a biker get together and a Harley guys walks up and starts telling me he wouldn’t be caught dead riding a [censored] Scraper. Bystander overhears this and promptly rattled off all the none Milwaukee stuff his Harley was built with, told him that Ninja was built in I believe Lincoln Nebraska, tank, body, frame and assembled there. Made for a short conversation.