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Replacing my spark plugs. Every plug has to be ordered, the only ones in stock off the shelf are champion, autolite and ngk.... Which one should I buy? They're all equally priced.
I honestly don't know if Champion or Autolite are true manufacturers any more or just brand names, like AC Delco.
I switched over to NGK a few years back and like them. NGK is a true ignition component manufacturer from Japan with very high quality control, in my opinion.
I agree with NGK.
A lot of forum members dont like Champion but I disagree with that general sentiment. I use them and they work fine. But I would get NGK as my first choice.
Watch length too..
ac delcos are way longer than original.
ngk non chinesium, buy from reputable dealers..
my experience here, 5 years later ver 20000 miles no issues https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-question.html
I honestly don't know if Champion or Autolite are true manufacturers any more or just brand names, like AC Delco.
I switched over to NGK a few years back and like them. NGK is a true ignition component manufacturer from Japan with very high quality control, in my opinion.
autolite is offshore junk now that honeywell owns them.. I bought a set of four for a vw kit car I had and they came from 3 different countries. they didnt even look the same but they were the same part number. also watch for fakes!
And of those choices, just go with the standard, old-school "V-Power" line (UR4 6630). No reason to spend $$ on iridium and platinum. Our ignition systems and driving characteristics just don't justify the exotic metals.
And of those choices, just go with the standard, old-school "V-Power" line (UR4 6630). No reason to spend $$ on iridium and platinum. Our ignition systems and driving characteristics just don't justify the exotic metals.
The autolite 403 is actually made in America.... Hmmm I thought , so I did some research.
Quote"Autolite Spark Plugs are manufactured by FRAM Group, a company that also offers oil, air, fuel filters, as well as PCV valves and transmission modulators. FRAM Group is a subsidiary of the Rank Group, a New Zealand–based private investment company owned by Graeme Hart, the richest person in New Zealand.
The manufacturing location of Autolite Spark Plugs depends on the product line they are producing and the market demand they want to meet. But most of the manufacturing of Autolite Spark Plugs takes place in China, where FRAM GROUP OPERATIONS LLC Imports from SHANGHAI SWEET AUTO PARTS COLTD in China through the Port of Oakland.[2] Some of the Autolite Spark Plugs are also made in the United States in FRAM Group’s factories in Greenville, Ohio, and Albion, Illinois."
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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Originally Posted by 67:72
And of those choices, just go with the standard, old-school "V-Power" line (UR4 6630). No reason to spend $$ on iridium and platinum. Our ignition systems and driving characteristics just don't justify the exotic metals.
I went with iridium for one reason. I figured at my age that would make it the last tune-up..
The autolite 403 is actually made in America.... Hmmm I thought , so I did some research.
Quote"Autolite Spark Plugs are manufactured by FRAM Group, a company that also offers oil, air, fuel filters, as well as PCV valves and transmission modulators. FRAM Group is a subsidiary of the Rank Group, a New Zealand–based private investment company owned by Graeme Hart, the richest person in New Zealand.
The manufacturing location of Autolite Spark Plugs depends on the product line they are producing and the market demand they want to meet. But most of the manufacturing of Autolite Spark Plugs takes place in China, where FRAM GROUP OPERATIONS LLC Imports from SHANGHAI SWEET AUTO PARTS COLTD in China through the Port of Oakland.[2] Some of the Autolite Spark Plugs are also made in the United States in FRAM Group’s factories in Greenville, Ohio, and Albion, Illinois."
I have autolite plugs from china India and one other country I dont recall other than the US. I dont doubt there may still be a US based factory since it was a US manufacturing company before frams parent company honeywell bought it. Honeywell specilized in buying older well know companies and continuing to sell things under those brand names even though they may be farmed out entirely to a different manufacturer.(This is HUGE in automotive aftermarket parts) Rank bought Honeywell back in 2011 according to what I found online.
I had a couple clients that were bought out by Honeywell and it didnt really go well for them. (Like prestolite and allied signal)
The reality is so many of these brands are owned by who we believe to be a competitor even still today... Just look at competition products who is a division of the same company that owns both Lunati and Edelbrock
I typically buy NGK but beware there are a lot of Fake drastically inferior NGK knockoffs sold online. Ive run into this myself. theres also some greymarket boxed stuff meant for foreign markets being sold cheap.
So many aftermarket name shuffling and rebranding going on in some cases its hard to know what is what.
Timken in Ohio was a customer of mine and I was shocked when someone in their engineering dept told me they contracted a japanese company to make much of thier automotive bearings these days so they could focus on the real money maker for them now which was industrial bearing applications. Oddly though all the timken bearings Ive bought since still say made in the USA on the box so?? Yet I had a conversation with a race shop that said they definitely changed in quality a number of years back. I dont kno if the US manufacturers are actually run by Koyo now or what.. Dunlop tire is local to me and was a customer for years... In that time they were sold to sumitomo rubber then to Goodyear, then back to Sumitomo who owns them now... They also own the japanese brand of tires on my c3 "Outzu" I believe...
And dont even get me going on the Games GM played at the old Harrison radiator manufacturing facility which is now Delphi thermal..
Last edited by augiedoggy; Jul 8, 2024 at 09:34 PM.
I have autolite plugs from china India and one other country I dont recall other than the US. I dont doubt there may still be a US based factory since it was a US manufacturing company before frams parent company honeywell bought it. Honeywell specilized in buying older well know companies and continuing to sell things under those brand names even though they may be farmed out entirely to a different manufacturer.(This is HUGE in automotive aftermarket parts) Rank bought Honeywell back in 2011 according to what I found online.
I had a couple clients that were bought out by Honeywell and it didnt really go well for them. (Like prestolite and allied signal)
The reality is so many of these brands are owned by who we believe to be a competitor even still today... Just look at competition products who is a division of the same company that owns both Lunati and Edelbrock
I typically buy NGK but beware there are a lot of Fake drastically inferior NGK knockoffs sold online. Ive run into this myself. theres also some greymarket boxed stuff meant for foreign markets being sold cheap.
So many aftermarket name shuffling and rebranding going on in some cases its hard to know what is what.
Timken in Ohio was a customer of mine and I was shocked when someone in their engineering dept told me they contracted a japanese company to make much of thier automotive bearings these days so they could focus on the real money maker for them now which was industrial bearing applications. Oddly though all the timken bearings Ive bought since still say made in the USA on the box so?? Yet I had a conversation with a race shop that said they definitely changed in quality a number of years back. I dont kno if the US manufacturers are actually run by Koyo now or what.. Dunlop tire is local to me and was a customer for years... In that time they were sold to sumitomo rubber then to Goodyear, then back to Sumitomo who owns them now... They also own the japanese brand of tires on my c3 "Outzu" I believe...
And dont even get me going on the Games GM played at the old Harrison radiator manufacturing facility which is now Delphi thermal..
In 2011, Honeywell sold its automotive Consumer Products Group to Rank Group. They no longer own autolite.
And of those choices, just go with the standard, old-school "V-Power" line (UR4 6630). No reason to spend $$ on iridium and platinum. Our ignition systems and driving characteristics just don't justify the exotic metals.
They came out with a new metal I never heard of rutherium!!
Spark plugs!
