[Transamric]

Ok, I'll bite. You mentioned the air cleaner is wrong. Looking at the engine pic, I'm not seeing anything that differs from mine. What am I missing?

Congrats on a nice car, nearly the twin of my own. It predates yours by only about two weeks production (03B) and has the second design EGR system too.

[Transamric]

[QUOTE=johnta1;5561110]The 73's would have the plastic valence, which would have covered the bottom of the nose lip.
(so it would not be black?)


That is my understanding too. No factory sprayed black on '73's.

[Transamric]

FWIW, mine has no black paint on the hood latch. The plating appears the same as '70-72, although it is faded some. Pics didn't turn out the best, but hopefully you can see enough.

Also will attach a couple pics of the date code & part number stamping from the upper rad support. Curious to see how close our two are.

On the second design EGR systems, there was a yellow, circular decal attached to the depression in the center of the EGR valve that had a black "B" on it. This designated the second design or "B" design. Most often these are long gone or on occasion, like mine, it was affixed to the RH valve cover.
Not sure if this procedure was done clear through the end of '73 production or just for a short time to further identify the second design system.

[Bentwheelbob]

Hah, I was going to ask about the hood latch. The air cleaner On the car has an extra hole in the right rear for a vacuum switch used in later models. As I understand it the '73 - '74 only had a hole for the PCV.

Love to see some engine pictures and the EGR.

I'll check the date code on the core.

[Held for Ransom]

Originally Posted by Transamric

Ok, I'll bite. You mentioned the air cleaner is wrong. Looking at the engine pic, I'm not seeing anything that differs from mine. What am I missing?

Yours looks like this?
http://www.forums.maxperformanceinc....d.php?t=734713

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Held for Ransom

Yours looks like this?
http://www.forums.maxperformanceinc....d.php?t=734713

Thankfully, no!
That is an interesting base, maybe a late '74 or early '75?

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

Love to see some engine pictures and the EGR.

I'll check the date code on the core.

I'll attach a few random underhood pics. Hope you can see something helpful through all the grime, this TA has many more miles than yours. Engine paint on the intake, valley cover & LH valve cover are an incorrect spray bomb shade, but the scratchy RH cover is factory paint. Also, these pics are shot under fluorescent light, so that doesn't help the colors show very correctly either.
Notice the "CS" tag printed with red letters on the MC bail, remains of paper/foil sticker on the PS pump.
Is my air intake hose the "highly coveted hairy hose"? Didn't know there was such a thing until I saw you guys talking about it. Also notice the hex head screw holding the plastic adapter to the air cleaner. Incorrect? It's been there since I bought the car from the second owner in May 1990.

[Transamric]

And a few more.

[Bentwheelbob]

Looks like our core/rad support is about a month apart 0312 73. I'll need to pull a few bolts and see what under them. If a painted hood latch is the worst I find then I'm home free. Here's a picture of date code, and of a correct air cleaner I found at Frank's that has the absolute perfect patina. I've bought a bunch of parts from this car at Frank's for the Black Car restoration. It must of been pretty nice because all the parts have been rust free and in great shape.

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

Looks like our core/rad support is about a month apart 0312 73. I'll need to pull a few bolts and see what under them. If a painted hood latch is the worst I find then I'm home free. Here's a picture of date code, and of a correct air cleaner I found at Frank's that has the absolute perfect patina. I've bought a bunch of parts from this car at Frank's for the Black Car restoration. It must of been pretty nice because all the parts have been rust free and in great shape.

Hmmmm, I see the same 5/16" hex head screw that I asked about above. Nice parts! Can't be too many that nice out there any longer.

[Transamric]

BTW, perhaps you know this already, the radiator supports were not spray painted at the factory but were dipped in a process where they floated the black paint on top of a water base. The runs/streaks you should find will run from side to side since they were dipped hanging from one end.

[Bentwheelbob]

Ric (Rick?) - Thx for the pic's. Engine looks great and very correct. Hairy hose - Check. MC paint - Check. TCS and other emission plumbing - Check. Hex screw on air cleaner - Check.

I am interested in the striped vacuum hoses. Surely those are replacements. What's their origin and correctness?

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Bentwheelbob

Ric (Rick?) - Thx for the pic's. Engine looks great and very correct. Hairy hose - Check. MC paint - Check. TCS and other emission plumbing - Check. Hex screw on air cleaner - Check.

I am interested in the striped vacuum hoses. Surely those are replacements. What's their origin and correctness?

Yes, they are replacements that I got back in '90/91 from Peter Serio's company Precision Pontiac. Got the colors I knew I'd need in bulk to cut to the lengths I needed. The painted stripes have held up fairly well, but are now rather brittle & have started to flake off. It may have been an enamel based paint which while being somewhat flexible, didn't have good penetration. A lacquer might have worked better.
BTW, keep in mind my TA is an M40, so some of what you see will be different for your M21.

[Bentwheelbob]

I appreciate your help in the '73 learning process and figuring this car out. You'll need to show us a little more of your car - +25 years of ownership is pretty cool. Have you ever posted pictures of it or the PHS?

[Held for Ransom]

Originally Posted by Transamric

I'll attach a few random underhood pics. Hope you can see something helpful through all the grime, this TA has many more miles than yours. Engine paint on the intake, valley cover & LH valve cover are an incorrect spray bomb shade, but the scratchy RH cover is factory paint. Also, these pics are shot under fluorescent light, so that doesn't help the colors show very correctly either.
Notice the "CS" tag printed with red letters on the MC bail, remains of paper/foil sticker on the PS pump.
Is my air intake hose the "highly coveted hairy hose"? Didn't know there was such a thing until I saw you guys talking about it. Also notice the hex head screw holding the plastic adapter to the air cleaner. Incorrect? It's been there since I bought the car from the second owner in May 1990.

Air cleaner decal is correct and in the correct place. Hex screw is correct (my '74 has no head markings). It would be interesting to know how many hose clips are underneath the air cleaner base. Is the air cleaner valve white or a greenish tint color (they are painted black, but clean off when using products such as Gumout). Of course, you have to see if you can read the assembly date code of the master.

[Held for Ransom]

Bob, when you had the car up in the air, did you look to see if you could see the date code of the honeys (on the inner rims edge)?

[Bentwheelbob]

I hate to admit this, but I may as well for complete disclosure. I spoke Sunday night to East Coast Guy ("ECG").who owned the car before WCG. He bought the car through a Michigan car dealer (Car Planet) who I now believe bought the car and had the title assigned from the long term owner without ever titling it himself. When ECG bought the car the orginal honeycombs along with the original Wide Ovals had been removed for wheel restoration and tire replacement. This replacement and restoration had not been completed so the dealer swapped them for a set from a '74 Super Duty he had on the lot that were restored. He was supposed to send these to ECG and swap them after the car was delivered, but never did. ECG has a few pictures somewhere of the original wheels and Wide Ovals and is trying to find them to share with me. The car has an orginal wide oval that was he spare. I need to check the wheel that is in the trunk and now has a BFG.

I now believe the long term owner parked the car in 1980 for some reason based upon the inspection sticker date and other dots that can be connected, and then it was sold 31 years later to Car Planet. I have tried to track down the long term owner - Greg Anderson of Marion, Indiana, but have had no luck. He would be 63 today and should still be around, but I can't get a hit. The original 1973 lessee is a Marion Urologist that I have numbers for, but haven't spoken to. He's 74, but only had the car for one year.

[Held for Ransom]

The stamping is on the backside of the valve stem. Mine is...
M 1............8....9
\3/

[Bentwheelbob]

Originally Posted by Held for Ransom

The stamping is on the backside of the valve stem. Mine is...
M 1............8....9
\3/

I have to admit that I don't know what is in the HFR compound car wise. I'd love to hear about your ride. I am digging this '73. The 455 HO cars are becoming blasé, with most of the details known, 1973 L75 is where its' at....

VIDEO Link - This car sounds so good.

.....and my neighbors hate me.

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by Held for Ransom

Air cleaner decal is correct and in the correct place. Hex screw is correct (my '74 has no head markings). It would be interesting to know how many hose clips are underneath the air cleaner base. Is the air cleaner valve white or a greenish tint color (they are painted black, but clean off when using products such as Gumout). Of course, you have to see if you can read the assembly date code of the master.

Ok, looks like three clips. Air cleaner temp valve looks more like Baby Blue to me, but I may have replaced that way back when.

Master cylinder dates are a bleep to read on these, so tiny. Underneath the casting number is 5470409-1B*017, and the stamping by the front pipe is CS309 for sure, but the last number could be most anything. Should be a '3' based on the datings of other parts, but looks more like a 'T'.