What are some of the most interesting borrowed exterior parts?

"ToyDeathbot" (ToyDeathbot)
01/22/2014 at 09:52 • Filed to: None

When small car companies need to keep their costs down, they generally turn to larger OEM manufacturers for a pair of rear lights or the side mirrors. This means that the headlights of an econobox might pop up on a supercar or the side mirrors of a brown, 5-cyliner diesel, AWD family wagon might be the same as the one of a luxury grand tourer. I've tried to keep out some of the parts binning (otherwise we'll be stuck in the VAG loophole), but he's some stuff that I've found.

GT40 rear lights come from a Chevrolet Corvair because speed

Noble M400's rear lights come from a Hyundai Sonata

Lamborghini Diablo has Nissan 300ZX headlights

Later models of the GT40's rear lights are shared with the Fiat 850, Lancia Stratos, and Lancia 037

McLaren F1 has the same wing mirrors as a VW Corrardo

The independently developed New Stratos concept has the same rear lights as the 599

DISCUSSION (15)

André - Volvo4Life > ToyDeathbot
01/22/2014 at 09:54

Those Headlights on the Noble....cannot be unseen...

. . > ToyDeathbot
01/22/2014 at 09:55

The Jaguar XJ220 uses Rover 200 rear lights, the TVR Cerbera used Fiesta rear lights, and the Aston Martin DB7 used Mazda 323F rear lights. That's what I could quickly think of off the top of my head.

Also, many supercars use generic fixtures you can buy off the shelf. It's not uncommon to see Diablo or Zonda lights on a caravan.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > ToyDeathbot
01/22/2014 at 09:59

Kinja'd!!!

Lotus Esprit uses Toyota AE86 hatchback tail lights, although a custom trim piece between them.

Kinja'd!!!

dogisbadob > ToyDeathbot
01/22/2014 at 10:04

Doesn't Lotus do this with all their cars? The Esprit has GM door handles and steering wheel, Toyota tail lights, etc. Even before GM and Toyota partnerships, Coil Chapman was said to have gotten ideas from his employees' cars. Of course, Lotus could be a borderline case of parts-binning/not binning

Also, ever US-market car from 1940-1983 have interchangeable headlights because our jealous backwards government required sealed beams on all the cars.

Mattbob > André - Volvo4Life
01/22/2014 at 10:05

tail lights?

ToyDeathbot > . .
01/22/2014 at 10:13

Wow I didn't know about the Jaguar-Rover one, mainly because it's hidden under all that rear grille. I kinda expected the TVR, since their earlier Griffith shared it's lights with the Cortina.

Kinja'd!!!

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > ToyDeathbot
01/22/2014 at 10:15

Tangentially related...

I am not sure if other cars use these... but I want to build a Simpson Design Italia Classic GTB coupe from a NA Miata. (incidentally, they also usually use the Fiat/Lancia 2-element round tail lights that later GT40s also use)

Kinja'd!!!

And these are the parts I would really like to use from other cars.

BMW 2002 combination tail lights. The Fiat lights are nice... but the BMW lights are fantastic. There are LED boards available that can upgrade these fixtures.

Kinja'd!!!

Mopar 1968 side markers (curved housing style, the first year side markers were standard features, repops would be fine, I wouldn't insist on taking NOS parts out of the hands of Mopar guys.)

Kinja'd!!!