Ford stamping on NSX rear suspension parts?

[SWFL_NSX]

Earlier today somebody posted to the NSX Prime Facebook group that they had found a Ford stamping on a rear upper control arm that they removed when having a ball joint replaced. The owner says that to his knowledge the UCA is original to his car-a 1994. In the same thread two other owners mentioned that they had also seen this-one also on a rear UCA, and another on a rear bearing carrier.

Assuming this isn't a (somewhat elaborate) prank, nobody seems to have an explanation. Did Honda outsource any of the manufacturing or design to other brands?

 

[Hass]

Are you sure? I replaced my UCA ball joints few years ago, I don't recall seeing a ford stamp.

 

[SWFL_NSX]

Just passing on what was said on FB. Usually I'd say hoax but [MENTION=9035]titaniumdave[/MENTION] from Cedar Ridge Fabrication said he had seen it as well.

 

[ralph cerbone]

I do not buy this ,not original, why would you stamp a forged part .

 

[Jinks]

Looks legit, like everything else posted on Facebook. It has to be real. But naw, I saw this on FB this week. Some people will do anything for attention...

 

[docjohn]

I think that was Roger......:tongue:

 

[alum04org]

Everybody loves a mystery!

:biggrin: I have a plausible explanation to account for why this might be for maybe a 1991, a 1997, and a 2002=newer models NSX's, but cannot account for why there would exist multiples of any of those years.... . .

I'll withhold pending additional inputs from forum members. :smile: 'cause everyone loves mysteries.

 

[SWFL_NSX]

:biggrin: I have a plausible explanation to account for why this might be for maybe a 1991, a 1997, and a 2002

I thought the same thing-it's very possible that Ford purchased a new model NSX for competitive intelligence...but that doesn't explain the 1994, or that two other people claim to have seen it.

I'll withhold pending additional inputs from forum members. :smile: 'cause everyone loves mysteries.

Same here-but without corroborating evidence from @titaniumdave or one of the other posters, I'm leaning toward this being a FB prank.

EDIT-It's also notable that Christian Mittendorf hadn't seen it...he probably handles more spare UCAs than anybody else I know.

 

[titaniumdave]

I’ll post a pic when I get back from Rolex 24, once I dry out...

 

[drew]

Does anybody know the OEM?

If YSK, both Honda and Ford use them. I can see some worker derping along stamping/packing a batch that s/he thought was for Ford and not wanting to get into trouble. Ford likes to mark every part they make and Honda doesn't seem to care.

 

[SWFL_NSX]

I’ll post a pic when I get back from Rolex 24, once I dry out...

Looked like a wet one!

Does anybody know the OEM? If YSK, both Honda and Ford use them.

Hmm. It looks like YSK currently produces aluminum die-cast products, including transmissions and suspension parts:

https://www.yanagawa-seiki.co.jp/en/company/profile.html

It's also notable that in the early 90's Ford had a program that focused on producing more parts out of aluminum. It was called the Aluminum Intensive Vehicle program-they got so far as to make an entire mercury sable from aluminum panels in 1994:

https://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26...ed-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/

 

[dirtbag]

Are we allowed to guess conspiracy theories?

Here's my take. Stickers with Calvin urinating on other brands was all the rage in the mid 90's. You can pick up one of these Ford logo'd metal stamps fairly easy. A disgruntled die hard Ford fanatic named Calvin working an oil change bay decided to stamp every non-Ford that entered the shop in the mid 90's to early 2000's. Calvin has since retired.

 

[austrian type-R]

What he heck?! FORD-imilated again! 2 bolts of the Bose are hidden with melted plastic with a Ford symbol. Only on the left spaker assy...... This out of an Euro German spec. NSX 1991

 

[SWFL_NSX]

This out of an Euro German spec. NSX 1991

If you look at the date on the white sticker, it appears to say 5/19/94. It looks like the speaker itself was made in 1994, no?