[Drew W]

Pat, Mike & Lloyd,

Is it possible that Pontiac used up their '71 inventory before switching to the '72 castings?

[PB]

Originally Posted by Drew W

Pat, Mike & Lloyd,

Is it possible that Pontiac used up their '71 inventory before switching to the '72 castings?

One thing I've learned here on the boards, anything is possible. Some cars may have received the 71 lights...may have been the only thing left in the parts bin on that day, who knows. Some may have come like that, but that certainly isn't the norm.

[PB]

Originally Posted by gtoric

So, to recap our findings:

1970--
T37, GT37, LeMans - no s/s trim, no dividers
LeMans Sport, GTO - s/s trim on outside edge, no dividers

1971--
T37, GT37, LeMans - no trim, no dividers
LeMans Sport, GTO - no trim, two vertical dividers w/painted edges on dividers and outside edge of lens

1972--
LeMans - no trim, no dividers, no paint
Luxury LeMans - no trim, two vertical dividers w/painted edges on ribs and outside edge od lens

There is still a question on inboard mounting screw lengths with two different designs. Do two different lens designs require specific bumpers because of the mounting tab locations?

The mounting screws should be the same in either design. IIRC, the longest screw is the one next to the reverse lamp, with the other screws the same length. The variation, if you will note on HFR's picture post, is the depth of the lense mounting hole with the housing. Screws should be the same, Mounting tabs should be the same, same bumper....you just need to mate the correct housing to the correct depth lens. They are a matched set. So a shorter depth lens would not mount correctly to that housing, not because of the screw or bumper, but because they do not mate up.

The relationship is between the lens and the housing. On the shorter lens, the housing mount had the longer area built on it...on the longer lens, the housing mount was shorter. So, the over all distance is the same.....so same length screws. It would be easier to explain with a pic of the housings.

[gtoric]

Originally Posted by PB

The mounting screws should be the same in either design. IIRC, the longest screw is the one next to the reverse lamp, with the other screws the same length. The variation, if you will note on HFR's picture post, is the depth of the lense mounting hole with the housing. Screws should be the same, Mounting tabs should be the same, same bumper....you just need to mate the correct housing to the correct depth lens. They are a matched set. So a shorter depth lens would not mount correctly to that housing, not because of the screw or bumper, but because they do not mate up.

The relationship is between the lens and the housing. On the shorter lens, the housing mount had the longer area built on it...on the longer lens, the housing mount was shorter. So, the over all distance is the same.....so same length screws. It would be easier to explain with a pic of the housings.

O.K., that makes sense.

[blip]

A look in my Pontiac parts book, and a look at the fisher body service manual, there are two different part numbers for tail lights. 1970 GTO and LeMans Sport (except station wagon) use part numbers 5964078 (RH) and 5964077 (LH), and 1970 and 1971 Tempest and LeMans (except station wagon) use part numbers 5964076 (RH) and 5964075 (LH) and all station wagons from 1970 to 1972 use part numbers 5964032 (RH) and 5964031 (LH).

But there are two part numbers for 1971 LeMans Sport tail light lens one set 5964078 (RH) and 5964077 (LH) with a side note of "Less 3 exposed ribs and minus silver paint on periphery" and the other set 5964570 (RH) and 596469 (LH) also with a side note of "w/ 3 vertical ribs & silver paint on periphery".

So if I am reading this correctly the 1970 GTO/LeMans Sport would have the same part number as a 1971 Lemans Sport, but not be the same design (w/o the 3 vertical ribs).

(also the 1971 GTO does not use the same part number as the 1971 LeMans Sport)

[davesjudge]

'71 repop lenses from our host. As you can see no silver on the ribs. Also, not seen in pic, but not the best fit at the inside edge. There is a 1/4-1/3 inch gap on both sides where the lens meets the bumper.....

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by hopper146

Mine too...except im 99.999% sure they've never been changed....sooo...i'm thinking the 72 GTO's had the dividers with the silver on them.

My own experience, most '72 GTO builds had the "smoothie" style rear tailights. End of the model year, with different plants, hard to say, what came in them. Also pulled a few very nice stainless trimmed '70 GTO/ '70 LeMans Sport lens out of early built '71 LeMans Sports. In the mid '80's when I began pulling '70-72 tailights, wheels, AM-FM's, rally gauges, swaybars, boxed arms, fenders, hoods, etc, every once in a blue moon I'd find busted rib but otherwise intact "'71 GTO" taillight(s) in a real '72 GTO, but those were usually on '72 GTO's that had been through quite a few owners. If I ran into a fellow who had owned a 72 GTO at a local show, he typically had owned it for years and as collectible cars, they were just beginning to come out of the daily driver (crash & smash) era. During the late 80's-90's, '72 T41 LeMans were fairly common in the local and regional yards, & I eventually picked up well over a dozen as parts cars. Only occasionally one would come across a '72 in a yard, that actually had the GTO option. Either which way, while yard hunting, I usually "cleaned" em, if the yard wasn't crazy on their prices.

[AJD1964]

Originally Posted by 'ol Pinion head

Also pulled a few very nice stainless trimmed '70 GTO/ '70 LeMans Sport lens out of early built '71 LeMans Sports.

01D (4th week - Jan. '71) Ser# 121XXX Is that considered early?

I could use a better pair of tail lamp lenses - My ribbed ones (likely original) are in poor condition. I would switch to stainless/smoothies if technically correct. I've seen nice reproductions. Might have to win an argument "Hey you got the wrong tail lamps!"

Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, but ribbed are hard to find fair priced in good used condition, and they seem to re-pop more of the smooth ones.