Genuine AC Delco Plugs

[Fu Manchu]

*Edit:
The purpose of this thread is to give a basis of comparison for others.
Bought through Holden, I can only assume the security of their supply chain is assurance enough that these are the real deal.
I’m not posting to compare costs at all. Yes they cost me a bit, but if that’s what it takes to be assured they aren’t fake, then that’s what it costs.

Intro:

What AC Delco say:
https://www.acdelco.com/counterfeit-auto-parts

Counterfeit parts have found their way into mainstream outlets in the past. Fakes are becoming very good and it’s now at the point that to really tell, they have to be cut down the centre to reveal the cross section.

This is also true of NGK and Champion, as well as other major manufacturers.

Related topics:
https://gmtnation.com/forums/threads/counterfeit-acdelco-plugs.19291/

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forum...-iridium-spark-plugs-real-vs-counterfeit.html

So to further the topic of counterfeit spark plugs and the difficulty in identifying genuine from the knockoff, here are my AC Delco Irridium spark plugs for my LS1. These were purchased through Allan Mance online store.

First the box.
(Barcode is for pack of 4)

Of note, the cut, the silver line, the barcode, the letter placement and the date of trade mark registration.

 

[losh1971]

And the conclusion was, real or counterfeit?

 

[Fu Manchu]

Next is the plugs themselves.

I laid these out so you can see all of what’s written. How it’s written. Letter spacing and placement. Part number. Shade of blue. Clarity of lettering.

When laid on their side, the laser etching facing up, the side electrode faces the same way on all of them. The photo sort of looks like that’s not how it is, but that be how it is. Looking at them they are exactly the same. In the photo it must be the lens distorting it maybe?

Of note is the insulator shape.

 

[Fu Manchu]

These are genuine, bought from Holden.
So now people can have something to compare with what they have bought at the cheap price that seems to be too good to be true.

I paid $160 (including postage and GST)

I bought from Holden to be sure these actually are AC Delco plugs and not Chinese knockoffs that can cause long term engine damage or constant ignition gremlins like misfires, rough idle or generate other codes due to poor combustion.

 

[vywgn]

I recently brought some plugs from them too for my SV6. The address details on the box listed Salmon Street, Port Melbourne

 

[VS_Pete]

First the box.
(Barcode is for pack of 4)

The barcode is the part number which can be scanned for order picking.

 

[Deuce]

Price seems high for these LS1 plugs.
I got 8 plugs from summit racing for under $20usd for the 304/355.
So cheap I got another set next time I ordered something from summit.

 

[Fu Manchu]

First the box.
(Barcode is for pack of 4)

The barcode is the part number which can be scanned for order picking.

That’s what I wrote.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Price seems high for these LS1 plugs.
I got 8 plugs from summit racing for under $20usd for the 304/355.
So cheap I got another set next time I ordered something from summit.

This is my point. Why are they so cheap?
How can we be certain we are getting genuine plugs?
I bought these from Holden for peace of mind that these are genuine.

 

[Immortality]

I remember years ago I knew my local parts store guy really well, anyway we were talking about spark plugs as I was buying a set and my brother had just done a set on his Nissan. Parts guy laughed, he supplied the dealership the plugs at about $2.50, said dealership then sold them via the service department for $20 ea to their customers.

Unfortunately so much **** is manufactured in China these days that there is a chance counterfeit **** comes from the same factory as genuine, or the shop next door. It is also not uncommon to be able to buy the same part from different suppliers with different logo's on the box but the part inside the box is completely identical and came from the same factory.

I buy my plugs from the US, Autolite plugs, costs me about US$20 a set of 6 but I'm sure the plugs are probably made in China. Still, If I'm getting **** from China, I'd rather pay US$20 for a set than $80 locally.....