My pop was a sewing machine mechanic and my first gig was digitizing parts catalogs. Being a mechanic having serviced many machines, he knew which competing brands have the same internal parts for key functions. Sewing machines are magical things and Singer who had the novel idea of a better up and down and Wilson had the clever idea of the rotary bobbin. Before that a shuttle would be used, it flew laterally and could produce a consistent mechanical stitch. The mechanics on these early machines is insane... it was a great way for me to get into computing.

Also part reuse happens all over... Lamborghini’s have used Mazda headlamps.