[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]

[CaptCrunch]

beautiful..............

[Formulabruce]

Originally Posted by njsteve

SOOOOO NICE!! Im so happy its all back together, its such a huge deal really, all thats involved, think of it, Norwood needed a whole plant to get it done!!

[superdutybob]

Originally Posted by Formulabruce

SOOOOO NICE!! Im so happy its all back together, its such a huge deal really, all thats involved, think of it, Norwood needed a whole plant to get it done!!

And even they put the emblem on the wrong part of the dash bezel! LOL

[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.

[TA455HO]

Just looking at your photos from today you can see how much overcast skies changes the shade of the white. It looks much darker than in your post number 1181, for example.