I just bought a set of gas shocks for my C-3 car I have been running the old AC Delco shocks on it for years. As I am not going to have it judged any more, and have started to drive it again. I thought that I would pick up some new AC Delco gas shocks, well looking into the archives and go over some past post I found that some people think that the new AC Delco shocks or made by Gabriel well in fact they are. So I did some more research on the basic gas shocks and found that you can pick up a set from Auto Zone for 19.99 each front and rears. The AC Delco shock were about 33.00 each retail. With both part numbers I call Gabriel and ask them if they build the AC Delco shocks, well yes and that there were also made in Mexico. So why would any one buy the AC Delco shocks at 13.00 dollars more than the same shock with a Gabriel a label on them and not even made in the USA?
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Re: shocking question
Kelly-----
They're not necessarily the same shocks, although I do strongly suspect that they are. There is a number embossed on the side of the Delco shocks. It would be interesting to see if that number is the same for the Delco shocks as the Gabriel-branded shocks. If it is, that virtually guarantees that the shocks are the same. If it's not, then the shocks may or may not be the same.
Also, although the Delco shock may carry a list price of $33.00 from Delco (the GM list price is $42.34), they can be purchased for about $25 each. So, the "spread" between the Autozone price for the Gabriels and what you can actually buy the Delco-branded shocks for is not really very great.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: shocking question
Joe..
do you have a set or one of the AC Delco shocks with the number? then I can look on the ones I have and see if it also has the same number. the man I spoke with on the tech line said that those shocks were one in the same the Delco part number was a 530-4 for the rears, any way alot of what you buy now days is just a brand name, in a diffrent box with a higer or lower price.Comment
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Re: shocking question
Kelly,
I also recently purchased a new set of Delco Gas shocks for my C3. They are part numbers 88947653 fronts, and 88945172 rears. They are both stamped "Made in U.S.A. Although I live and purchased them in Canada, I wonder why yours would be made in Mexico.
Robert
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Re: shocking question
Kelly------
No, I don't have any of the 530-4, rears, or 530-315, fronts. They've never been on my "shopping list". I have enough original Delco-manufactured shocks [none for sale] so that if I live to be 500 years old I'll never run out. So, I have little need to acquire the current shocks. I have looked at them, though, and know that they do have these non-GM-appearing numbers stamped on them.
I would not doubt, at all, what you were told, though (although I am a little surprised that they were so frank about it; GM might not like that sort of information being disseminated).
Sometimes parts are, indeed, the same except for branding; sometimes they are not. The "trick" is to know when they are and when they are not. For example, Gabriel has the capability to manufacture shocks to a GM specification and sell those shocks exclusively to GM for Delco-branding. They can also brand the same shock as they sell under the Gabriel brand for Delco without any other differences.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: shocking question
Robert-----
The numbers that you have mentioned are, indeed, the GM parts system part numbers for the Delco 530-315 and 530-4 shocks. It may be that the manufacturing location for these shocks has recently changed. Yours may have come out of warehouse stock that's been around for awhile.
These days, manufacturing plants for automotive parts change quite regularly with a definite trend for "migration in a soutward or westward direction". In fact, some of the industry information I've been reading lately seems to indicate that even Mexico is not now looked at as the most "cost-efficient" manufacturing location and some work formerly shifted to Mexico is now going to be shifted to the "far east". I mean, the "$5-a-day-guys" can't compete too well with the "50 cents-a-day-guys".In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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