[Transamric]

Originally Posted by tajohn

One question, shouldn't the parking lamps be a clear housing with amber bulbs not the amber housing(I thought they were 73 only).

You mean like this early '72??

[njsteve]

Originally Posted by Transamric

You mean like this early '72??

By the way they sit so close to the front of the opening, those looks like the steel valance lenses in the plastic valance. Do you know much about the history on that green car?

The valance and lenses are the originals to my particular car.

Then again, anything is possible with a Pontiac!

[tajohn]

Steve,

I just wondered if the clear/amber lights might be another early/late difference. Similar to the early cars having the single brake warning lamp at the speedo bottom(like 71)and the Dec/Jan build cars picking up the extra lamp for the seat belt.

I understand about the 2-piece for the 70-71 cars but I have a couple of sets of the clear plastic lens/grey plastic back housing units. Like your ambers, the clears were original to my Blue 9D car.

Ahh, Pontiac....

Again, thanks for your efforts to undertake and document your 72's restoration. I hope to use many of your processes and solutions on my car.

John

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by njsteve

The valance and lenses are the originals to my particular car.

Then again, anything is possible with a Pontiac!

Steve, the Green Esprit I bought from the original owners family & it has 44K original miles, never wrecked, never restored. It is a 10D build. I also have an 09A '72 Formula which, although somewhat rough, still possess it's original Sundance Orange plastic valance. Both these early cars were built with clear park lenses & amber bulbs.
Many years ago owned a fairly low mile TA that was an 03B. It had amber lenses with clear bulbs.
Also have parted about 6 or 7 '72's, & I'd say the change in colors came around the first of January. The same basic time as the seat belt design change & the addition of the cluster belt warning lamp.
The change in the socket/harness design came before the change in lens/bulb colors.

I'm forgetting, what is the build time of your TA?

[njsteve]

It's a 12A car shipped last week of December, '71. So the end of year theory sounds plausible for the changeover. Are your cars' lens assemblies the one piece, all plastic units?

[Transamric]

Originally Posted by njsteve

It's a 12A car shipped last week of December, '71. So the end of year theory sounds plausible for the changeover. Are your cars' lens assemblies the one piece, all plastic units?

I've never had a reason to take apart the Esprit's assemblies, so ran out to the shop to see. And yes, they are one piece assemblies, the socket being part of the wiring harness.

The Formula I probably can't vouch for being totally factory. Even though the valance is original, it had been curbed, as I see fiberglas repairs on the back side over many cracks. This car has lamp assemblies identical to the '71 design. Perhaps since it is an 09A build this may be factory, but I can't swear that based on this one car.

[njsteve]

The Jan 1st 1972 could have been a mandated date for the newer lamp assemblies based on the new Federal safety laws - i.e. all front signal lamp lenses now have to be amber, all tail lenses have to be red.

[njsteve]

I pulled it out of the garage today, just in time for it to start raining of course...

Here's a shot from 2004:



and one from today:



Doesn't seem like a helluva lot of difference other than the honeycomb rims, the fixed front spoiler and an empty bank account!

[njsteve]

Originally Posted by njsteve

The Jan 1st 1972 could have been a mandated date for the newer lamp assemblies based on the new Federal safety laws - i.e. all front signal lamp lenses now have to be amber, all tail lenses have to be red.

Now that I recall, I remember that Chrysler changed all their side marker lenses on their cars in 1972 to the big, standardized rectangular red and amber reflective lenses. The same Federal guidelines that required the Chrysler change might have been part of the reason for the Firebird change to the amber lenses as well for '72.