Raiding the parts bin
Raiding the parts bin
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Discussion

shed driver

Original Poster:

2,800 posts

181 months

Thursday 11th December 2025
quotequote all
One of the common traits of the motor industry has been using parts from other models (and manufacturers). Door handles from the Marina were used on the Lotus Esprit, the Jaguar XJ220 used Citroen CX mirrors. What other examples are there, and which was being used for the longest period after the original donor was discontinued?

SD.

Bomma 996

15,429 posts

146 months

Thursday 11th December 2025
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I believe the Pagani Zonda was fitted with a climate control unit from the Rover 45.

Sebring440

2,997 posts

117 months

Thursday 11th December 2025
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shed driver said:
One of the common traits of the motor industry has been using parts from other models (and manufacturers). Door handles from the Marina were used on the Lotus Esprit, the Jaguar XJ220 used Citroen CX mirrors. What other examples are there, and which was being used for the longest period after the original donor was discontinued?
In the industry, it's called "carry-over", and has been standard practice for decades.

So quite difficult to answer your question!

Here's an obscure one for you: the Jensen S-V8 also used Citroen door mirrors, and Corvette brake calipers! (And a Ford Cobra SVT engine...)



MattsCar

1,982 posts

126 months

Thursday 11th December 2025
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Ahhh not this again.


Mr Tidy

28,632 posts

148 months

Thursday 11th December 2025
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A Ferrari Daytona had the same handbrake lever as a Fiat 125.

Sebring440

2,997 posts

117 months

Thursday 11th December 2025
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MattsCar said:
Ahhh not this again.
Poor bd.

richhead

2,855 posts

32 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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Bomma 996 said:
I believe the Pagani Zonda was fitted with a climate control unit from the Rover 45.
I had a rover 45, and it had a very good climate system

rodericb

8,372 posts

147 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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Bomma 996 said:
I believe the Pagani Zonda was fitted with a climate control unit from the Rover 45.
The Lamborghini Diablo had it too yeah?

Mr Ben

299 posts

198 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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I’ve got a TVR Chimaera… guess it’s a long list biggrin

Lotobear

8,453 posts

149 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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I could bore you for hours on the parts carry over on the original Elan and Plus 2.


Dapster

8,574 posts

201 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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Caterham in 2025




Still using these from 50 years ago...



And dashboard swtiches...



More 70's BL



Edited by Dapster on Friday 12th December 10:26

Castrol for a knave

6,724 posts

112 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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A lot of it is not so much from a specific car, but from the Valeo or Bosch catalogue. Parts suppliers will often get parts homologated and EU approved then offer them into the supply chain.

Styling led parts like lights might vary, but a lot of general parts, especially switchgear, is lifted straight from the "catalogue".

robemcdonald

9,659 posts

217 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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Lamborghini mucrielargo (sorry about the spelling I couldn’t be bothered to check) has MK1 focus side repeaters.


LightweightLouisDanvers

2,665 posts

64 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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Discovery 1 used a lot of old BL stuff, Marina door handles, Metro switchgear, Maestro van rear lights, i know the headlights were from another BL product, Sherpa perhaps? Mini handbrake lever/ grip. (This has been used in a multitude of different cars, and even the orange space rocket built by Wallace and Grommit!, look out for it, it will probably be on at Christmas). Probably loads more but those just off the top of my head.

Benmac

1,624 posts

237 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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rodericb said:
The Lamborghini Diablo had it too yeah?
Yep, although it wasn’t specifically designed for the Rover. It was a generic climate control panel produced by an Italian company that they all just happened to buy IIRC.

cobra kid

5,466 posts

261 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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MattsCar said:
Ahhh not this again.
Yep, it's happening....

ThingsBehindTheSun

2,819 posts

52 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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MattsCar said:
Ahhh not this again.
I thought the exact same thing. Aston Martin DB7, MX5 door handles plus loads of other parts from Fords.

m3cs

377 posts

194 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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ThingsBehindTheSun said:
I thought the exact same thing. Aston Martin DB7, MX5 door handles plus loads of other parts from Fords.
Mazda 323f rear lights on the db7

CraigyMc

18,046 posts

257 months

Friday 12th December 2025
quotequote all
shed driver said:
One of the common traits of the motor industry has been using parts from other models (and manufacturers). Door handles from the Marina were used on the Lotus Esprit, the Jaguar XJ220 used Citroen CX mirrors. What other examples are there, and which was being used for the longest period after the original donor was discontinued?

SD.
Lotus stopped building the elise and exige at the very end of 2021. The wing mirrors of all of them are off a Rover Metro, circa 1990-1998, so that's ~31 years from start of the relevant generation of Metro production. Lotus were still fitting them ~23 years from the point the donor car stopped production in 1998.




crofty1984

16,694 posts

225 months

Friday 12th December 2025
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Bomma 996 said:
I believe the Pagani Zonda was fitted with a climate control unit from the Rover 45.
Aye.