Case in point: The ubiquitous Toyota/Lexus cruise control stalk that was emerged in the 1980s & is still being used today
by lifegoeson2702
Cars
Case in point: The ubiquitous Toyota/Lexus cruise control stalk that was emerged in the 1980s & is still being used today
by lifegoeson2702
![1988.5 Lamborghini Countach [4000x1848]](https://www.evshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/3a7ghjv12pxc1-770x515.jpeg "1988.5 Lamborghini Countach [4000×1848]")
49 Comments
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it
Ford 9 inch rear ends.
My Seat Exeo has almost the same style of level for cruise control
The Saginaw steering column – Designed in 1963 and put in nearly every GM and AMC and some Jeep products. This was used clear into the early 2000’s with minor revisions to allow for airbags and VATS ignition switches.
Volvo headrests
vw has used the same light switch next to the door for about 20 years, same with bmw but not as long
Mercedes “golf tee“ door lock knobs. Around 2010, a couple of them broke off in the W211 E320 my mom had at the time. I looked on Amazon and eBay for replacements, and they were listed as something like “fits 1960-2006”.
Honda’s “Morse code” door chime…used from sometime in the ‘80s to about 2017 on various models (2017 Odyssey was the last, I believe).
The bed floor was unchanged on the Ford Ranger 6 foot bed from 1983-2012.
Early Rangers had a rare option for dual fuel tanks, there are protrusions on the inside of the bed on the driver side to give clearance for both filler necks two decades after it quit being an option
Edit: also the Nissan Frontier and D21 Hardbody are similar enough in bed dimensions I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the case with them either, 85-06 tailgates are interchangeable
Best cruise system ever.
Okay, but that cruise control stalk is the GOAT
I sat in a 2021 Maxima once and found that the heated seat switches were the exact same as the ones in my 1998 Maxima.
The headlamp switch was the same on almost every chrysler/AMC between 1962 and 1981
The Twilight Sentinel is a feature that has been on Cadillacs since at least 1959.
Chevrolet small block. In nearly all GM cars for over half a century.
The ford 300 straight 6 made at the Cleveland engine plant from 1964-1994
I hate the position of that Toyota cruise control stick so much. I’m my mom’s can you have to move your hand off the wheel to use it because it’s so low. I’m lucky that my accord has cruise control right by the thumbs on the steering wheel.
Mercedes cruise control stalk. Similar to the Yota pictured, but a longer stalk with no buttons. It was a brilliant design and I hate that they stopped using it.
I much prefer the GM cruise control on the signal stalk. But I pretty much have driven GM all my life.
My Lexus ESh has the stalk. Super reliable. Super comfy when you press it.
JAPANESE QUALITY and RELIABILITY
renault d type engine, they use the same Basic block since 1997 in just about anything , from a tiny twingo to a kangoo https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_D-Type_engine.
BMW used the same sunroof switches (at least the front, probably not the plug) from ~1988 to 2010.
They used the same basic M30 engine from 1962 to ~1993.
Toyota A340F 4-speed transmission — Used as early as the 1985 4runner and as recent as the 2015 Tacoma
My 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee had a cruise control stalk too!
GM used the “oval to open, square to start” one-sided keys from 1969-2002 on the F-Body; the only change made was the addition of the VATS chip in the late ‘80s.
The manual shift transfercase stick that was the same in HD ford trucks from 88-16
The fiat FIRE engine platform was produced from 1985 until 2020 . started off as a carbureted engine and then moved to SPI and eventually MPI. This also included 8 valve and 16 valve variants and newer ones being vvt . However underneath had good parts compatibility with not to many changes . It was then phased out in 2016 and fully discontinued by 2020 and replaced by the fiat FireFly engine
Toyota has had totally confusing headlight controls for like ever
The gas pedal. It’s been used sooooo long.
The Toyota GR engine family has been in production for 22 years
It’s excellent I use it most days. Very good system. Always works on my Toyotas
The drivers seat
The Honda sunglass holder was used mostly unchanged from 94- at least 2022,
I have a Suzuki Samurai. It’s my second one and my previous one I daily drove and did an engine swap in. There are about 3-5 different types of bolts holding most Suzuki cars together. I could pull a bolt from my seat if a bolt fell out of the engine somewhere (my fault, I didn’t tighten the alternator bolt enough). Then I can go to a junkyard and just pull random bolts from any Suzuki vehicle from the 1980s to present and they all fit. I loved working on that thing, it was just so easy to fix.
There were many times I could pull a bolt from something nonessential in the Samurai to fix something essential. It’s the one of the most rewarding vehicles to work on. It’s a shame they left the North American market.
GM’s Ecotec engines
Best (most durable for regular hauling needs) longtime made light truck drivetrain change my mind…
* Ford 300 Inline 6 -1964-1994
* New Process (NP) 435 Transmission 1962-1997 OR Borg Warner T18 1965-1991
* If 4×4 NP205 Transfer Case 1971 – 1991
* Ford 9 Inch Rear End 1957-1986
* Dana 44 Front End 1953- Present (used in ford trucks till 1993 ((TTB)))
For Toyota the 1980s era clock they used for ages
Pretty much every car ever has had at least 4 Schrader Valves.
Until 2006 Jeep Wranglers used door handles from AMC, almost 2 decades after they got bought out. Also the grille/headlight panel on Grand Wagoneers was the same from 1963 to 1991, they just bolted different brackets on to change the grille and headlights.
i have a 2020 Aygo and it has this stalk 💀
That was in my 2001 Celica. 22 years later it’s in my 2023 Tacoma
Can I just say? I love this thread.
I have often thought how nice it would be to have every car uniform, or as uniform as allowed by the ever-changing techonlogyand legal requirements would allow.
This would streamline a lot, from maintenance and repair, to logistics of ensuring parts availability.…
Awww I love my little oldie Toyota cruise stalk
Ford steering wheel
GM had those chrome switches for windows and door locks from like the 1950s to the 1990s.
The Buick 215 aluminum V8 was introduced in 1961, later sold to Rover and used in Rovers, Land Rovers, MGs, and TVRs until 2006
GM combination turn signal and light stalks.
Saab
The Checker Marathon lasted almost 30 years with the same body