The '72 clear parking lamp assembly and the late '72 and '73 amber assembly are the same except for the color of the lenses. Sometime after Jan 1, 1972, the color change took place, but many owners of later '72 cars have reported that their cars came with clear lenses. They both used the plastic housings and the lenses were glued to the housings.
The metal housing was used in '70 and '71 only. For some reason, part houses such as Ames, have continued to incorrectly list the '70-'71 lenses for '72 also. I got burned by this years ago. They are not designed to work with the plastic housings and the metal housing for which they were made, was never used in 1972.
There doesn't appear to be any connection between the metal and plastic valances and the clear and amber lenses. It is believed that all '72 and '73 Firebird were produced with plastic valances anyway, although this has never really been confirmed. It wouldn't surprise me if some of those cars slipped out of the factory with metal valances, especially when you consider all the breakage problems that Pontiac experienced with the plastic valances.
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