Quote:
Originally Posted by north
If I'm not mistaken the presence of 400 emblems on the rocker make it not a GTO as they used no rocker molding emblems?
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'72 was an odd production year, what ended up being an unplanned for model year. An end of the line for many parts for the 4th Gen Pontiac A-body. On as originally built cars, have ran across original alum rocker trim with 400 emblems several times on '72 GTO's. Cars that had been in long time ownership, back into the 70's.
The style of tailamps originally installed was another one that doesn't always go by the book on '72 GTO's. The common '70-72 smoothie style, as well as the fragile Ribbed '71 GTO/ '72 Lux LeMans style were both installed originally in '72 GTO's. The rhyme or reason to that is basically up to conjecture. Was it excess supply of the ribbed style, who knows?
Over the last few years another anomaly I've run into on '72 model Pontiac A-body's involves one of the late '72 model seatbelts. This was a planned parts deal.
A little history, there were no optional custom (brushed buckle belts) for late '72 A, F, G, X bodies. In preparation for the 3 point seatbelt/ Fasten Seatbelt Federal regulations, Irvin Industries produced a distinctive buckle type seatbelt that ALL late '72 Firebirds & Nova/Venturas received. The button on the buckles of this style belt have a large rectangular dark grayish blue background with a floating blue & silver GM logo. Late '72 A-body's used thir own style of belts belts receiving the first of the small exploding buckle design seatbelts.
The extreme oddball deal came about as '72 F-body's quit being built due to the UAW Strike that ended '72 Norwood production on April 6th. Someone @ GM was in close communication with Irvin Industries & with a large excess supply of the already manufactured late '72 model F/Xbody buckles & male ends, Irvin came out with multiple colors of A-body seatbelts that utilized these distinctive style buckles.To use them up, these A-body belts were only used on Fremont plant builds, basically in May & June. Not by coincidence, the rear lap belts for those late '72 Fremont built A-bodies used the exact same model number retractor as had been used in late '72 model X-bodys.
After putting a lot of work restoring my late '72 T/A belts, I'm very happy I don't have to try & put together a flawless set for a late '72 Fremont built 455 HO GTO or LeMans, that would be another great challenge.