Spare Parts

Boeing Co. said production snags continue to impede deliveries of its updated 737 jetliners, a family of revamped aircraft that were intended to showcase advanced manufacturing techniques. Official certification of the "next-generation" 737s by U.S. and European aviation authorities has taken longer than expected, said Boeing spokeswoman Susan Bradley. In addition, the rapid increase in production has created parts shortages, behind-schedule work and overtime.

Japan has not lived up to commitments made in a 1995 agreement to open its market to more U.S.-made autos and auto parts, the Clinton administration said Thursday. Officials urged the Japanese to increase efforts to deregulate the auto-parts market and provide dealership opportunities for cars made in the United States and elsewhere. They did not say what Washington would do should expectations for American sales continue to fall short.

Cerplex Group Inc., an electronic repair services and spare parts supplier, posted a second-quarter loss of $9.4 million, or 30 cents a share, compared with a year-earlier profit of $702,000, or 5 cents a share. Revenue fell 23% to $39.3 million from $51.3 million. The company said its second-quarter results included a $6.6-million gain from the sale of its Peripheral Computer Support Inc. subsidiary and charges of $4.3 million for restructuring expenses and $7.

Severe shortages of palladium and platinum have led a top European auto parts maker to warn of potential shortages of catalytic converters and other products made with the precious metals. Palladium has surged to a 17-year high and platinum has reached a seven-year high, largely because Russia hasn't exported any since December, leaving stockpiles critically low. Traders also say some big investors have hoarded both metals. On Friday, palladium rose $17.

There's no doubt that Jim Gaye runs an auto-wrecking yard. Pneumatic tools chatter and roar as workers strip parts from crumpled cars on the 2 1/2-acre lot in an industrial neighborhood near Orange County's civic center. But look beyond the stacks of used wheels and racks of salvaged parts in the drafty front office and you're likely to see a grizzled yardman tapping an inquiry into one of several computers lining the front counter at Gaye's Wrecks West.

There's no doubt that Jim Gaye runs an auto wrecking yard. Pneumatic tools chatter and roar as workers strip parts from crumpled cars in the 2 1/2-acre lot in an industrial neighborhood on the outskirts of Orange County's Civic Center. But look beyond the stacks of used wheels and racks of salvaged parts in the drafty front office and you're likely to see a grizzled yardman tapping an inquiry into one of several computers lining the front counter at Gaye's Wrecks West.

It's 8:30 a.m. and workers at Bonded Motors Inc. in South-Central Los Angeles pore over the company's daily financial report. Every morning, they search for ways to pump up the bottom line by cutting the cost of materials, equipment and even subscriptions to trade publications. At most companies, it's an exercise reserved for top executives. But at Bonded, where employees are eligible for four productivity bonuses each year, everyone gets into the act.

A relative gave Lisa Smock an expensive hand-me-down toy kitchen set when her daughter was young, but Smock debated about whether to keep it. Stickers marking the different parts of the kitchen were torn and faded, a door was broken and some other parts had come loose. In short, the toy looked too tired to use.

After a yearlong investigation, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office has declined to file charges against four current and former Pasadena city employees who prosecutors say were involved in the sale of more than $500,000 worth of helicopters and parts to the city's Police Department. Investigators found insufficient evidence that Pasadena Police Lt.

Three Orange County men were given federal prison sentences Wednesday after admitting they took part in a scheme to sell counterfeit aircraft parts to the commercial airline industry and Defense Department. The parts, which did not meet standards set by the Federal Aviation Administration, consisted mainly of bushings and bearings used in landing gear, authorities said. Federal authorities have initiated prosecutions nationwide against distributors of unapproved parts.