Instead of an oink, a moo…

In the late 1970s, General Motors was caught in the act of putting Chevrolet V8 motors into other models in the GM lineup — Oldsmobile in particular. The swap was discovered when a Chicago man went to the dealership and was told by his mechanic that a part that had been ordered for his Olds “Rocket V8” wouldn’t fit, but that a similar part for a Chevy V8 would.

The matter ended up in a lawsuit and in the end General Motors agreed to pay purchasers of Chevrolet-engine Oldsmobiles prior to April 10, 1977 refunds of $550, while those who purchased one afterward got nothing. Furthermore, there would be no punitive damages assessed against GM. Total settlement cost to GM: $8.2 million.

In fact, engine swapping between brands at Ford and Chrysler had been going on for some time as well, but it didn’t raise the rumble that the GM motor swap did.

I remember years later buying various GM vehicles that had a disclaimer that engines might be supplied by “various General Motors” divisions.

The reason I mention this is that I discovered a parts swapping incident involving my body earlier this week.

As some may recall I had an aortic heart valve replacement four and one-half years ago to fix a murmur that I’d apparently had since birth. The procedure went well, and at my last echo cardiogram, I was told that my new heart valve was doing so well that I no longer needed annual ECGs — I could wait three to five years before I should get another one.

But during the discussion of my results, my doctor casually mentioned that he thought I had received a “bovine” heart valve in the procedure.

Whoa! I had been told when I scheduled the surgery that I would likely get a valve from a pig. I envisioned it would come fresh right before a festive Cinco de Mayo pig roast in Dona Ana, where the remnants of the swine were ultimately turned into chicharrónes.

So the doctor double checked, and sure enough, I had been given a heart valve from a cow. He told me that cow heart valves were a bit more durable than ones from a pig, and that it should last me several years before I might have to have it replaced again.

So instead of finding out that I got a cheapo Chevy engine in my Olds, I guess I got a Cowdillac engine. (It’s okay, you can groan).