All,

In preparation for re-installing my front trunk lid release cable, I was checking out the parts cars on the lot (to make sure I ran the cable correctly), and I noticed an interesting thing. My car, a 1974 2.0L (non-LE) has a support shelf between the headlight buckets (pictured below) that was not present in any of the other cars I looked at ('70, '72 & '76).

When I looked up the nailed "Front Trunks" thread on this forum, there are several cars pictured with the same support shelf, and they are all 1974 MY. Was this design confined to the 1974 cars? Was it in '73s? It seems like it would be desirable from a rigidity perspective.

*NOTE: Ignore the battery/battery tray in the picture... this is a driver restoration.

It's a support brace. I have the same in my '74 2.0L. It was added in '73 on US models when the inner nose panel was modified for the new bumper guards. In '75, the brace was deleted and the nose panel revised to accept the new style bumpers.

Paul

Paul,

That makes sense with the bumper guard addition in '73. I figured it was removed in '75 to accommodate the bumper shocks. Thanks for the info!

I have them in my 73 2L too!

a neat thing to know is that the 70 71 body structures were identical, the 73 74 body structures were identical and the 75 76 body structures were identical. The only odd ball is the 72 and actually there were two different bodies for the 72 models! anyone know the difference in the 72 bodies?

I will take a wild guess....

70 71, no front trunk crash reinforcement, no adjustable passenger seat, tail shift linkage mounts on the firewall
72, add adjustable passenger seat
73 74 front trunk crash reinforcement, change to side shift linkage mounts on firewall.
75 76 delete front trunk crash reinforcement and other changes for new bumpers

In short the 72 was the only year to have tail shift firewall + mounts for adjustable passenger seat? This is just a guess as I have no clue how the fixed position passenger seat attaches to the body. For all I know it was the same for all years.

Interesting battery location ..seems to work good ! can still carry spare! i like it

So far so good...and the two differences in the 72 model early and late bodies??

No clue. I have a 72, but I can't seem to remember what the early/late changes were.

The 72 started life as a 71, in that the passenger seat was fixed and the seatbelts non-retractable. Not sure at what point in 72 that things changed, but by June the moveable passenger seat & retracto belts were in place. Like earlier years, the 72 model has it's production quirks, though not as many as the earlier years.
Pat

George,
I have to admit that you have me intrigued. Two different bodies for 72? Assuming that you are talking about fours, and are taliking about body structure only, and not interior differences, you have me whipped!

What are the diff's?
Pat

The rubber end piece on the side window squegee is different mid way through 72.

The R. Deck lid torsion bars passed thru a "loop" central mounted on the inside top of the eng compartment.

If we are still guessing on what the last difference is in the 72 body, I think I know what it is. Mid year they moved the storage location for the jack in the trunk. So I would assume that the bracket is in a different location for early/late 72 cars.

the lower dash panel was changed in mid 72 if i recall they added the outer air vents to the dash.
thats my guess..

besides the Passenger Seat', retractable seat belts and Jack location thats all i can think of..

What do you mean by identical?

In '70, the rear fender lip return is flat across the bottom, then
in '71 they are 'rolled'.

The two differences in late '72 body from earlier body:
Indents in rear interior panel for belt retractors and change to accomodate movable passenger seat. (I think!)

Have a pic?
Pat

When did the doors get the crash bars and the changed window mechanism? Was that a mid-year or model year change?

I believe that was MY 1973 for the door change.

George? Where are you?

We've had some perfect reponses for the 72 model. All are correct, to my knowledge.

You dangled the carrot, so respond!
Pat

The carpeted spare tire cover board slides right in under it with no mods, too.