So I am going through all my Chevelle stuff and discovered an oddity. I have numerous front turn lenses for my 72 ... all of them are amber except one is clear?!? The side does have the insert that is amber but the whole thing is clear. Can anyone help me understand this please??? Certain models, options, SS???
dashboard said
Sep 22, 2012
The clear lens takes an amber bulb. The 72-assembly manual shows the amber lens going on the wagons and Elkys with the clear lens going on the coupes and verts.
4-door Chevelle said
Sep 22, 2012
It doesn't make sense then that all my Chevelles have had the amber lens and I see yours does as well???
SShink said
Sep 22, 2012
I think Kevin is correct from a factory manual perspesctive, but I've had two '72 Chevelles now that have had the orange lenses. The vert we have now is a virtually untouched original, so I'm pretty sure it came from the factory with the orange lenses that are on it now.
I'm sure it goes back to the good ole days when the factory was out of a part and had something else available to use to finish a car, they used it. I've been in manufacturing for almost 30 years, and have been involved in many a 'fit, form, function' decision to keep production lines running.
That's how some Chevelles ended up with Buick interiors when there was a parts strike back in the early 70's from what I remember...
RICKS70SS said
Sep 22, 2012
i THOUGHT the clear lens only went on the SS models
4-door Chevelle said
Sep 22, 2012
At the car show today all 72's had the amber lens, except one and it was a base model. I think Stan is on to something and I also heard that happened with inner fenders where you may get a metal one or a plastic one or even one of each!?!
SteveS said
Sep 23, 2012
I had heard it was a early or late model difference. I can't remember when they switched, or which one was first, but I think Stan is right, what ever they had at the time. I'm not sure what mine had originally, I tried both colors and liked the clear better on my car.
bowtie said
Sep 23, 2012
I think Stan could on the right path, but it's not as simple as grabbing something else they had available. The assembly lines would have had materials planning ahead of the assembly and would have the pieces on-hand and ready. Not sure if the different version cars were even build on the same line/facility. Most likely it was a mid-year production change because the '71s were a clear lens with a small amber secton. I would bet the DOT determined that it wasn't enough of an amber color and that dictated the full change sometme in mid '72 production as well as replacement lens production. We see things along those lines even now with notations on parts that say "must replae in pairs due to appearance" (sometimes it's not DOT, it's just production or materials change).
I can't guantee mine were original, but mine are solid orange and I had a later 72 which had the fasten seat belt light on the dash.
66 RAT said
Sep 24, 2012
Threads like this are interesting to me. My first new car was a 1968 SS396 (Chevelle of course) but I'm learning a great deal by reading through the current as well as the old posts in this forum.
bowtie said
Sep 24, 2012
I know the 70s had a amber/clear differetiation depending on SS or not. At one time, I had a couple pairs of original unused ones. Gone now.
So I am going through all my Chevelle stuff and discovered an oddity. I have numerous front turn lenses for my 72 ... all of them are amber except one is clear?!? The side does have the insert that is amber but the whole thing is clear. Can anyone help me understand this please??? Certain models, options, SS???
I think Kevin is correct from a factory manual perspesctive, but I've had two '72 Chevelles now that have had the orange lenses. The vert we have now is a virtually untouched original, so I'm pretty sure it came from the factory with the orange lenses that are on it now.
I'm sure it goes back to the good ole days when the factory was out of a part and had something else available to use to finish a car, they used it. I've been in manufacturing for almost 30 years, and have been involved in many a 'fit, form, function' decision to keep production lines running.
That's how some Chevelles ended up with Buick interiors when there was a parts strike back in the early 70's from what I remember...
i THOUGHT the clear lens only went on the SS models
I can't guantee mine were original, but mine are solid orange and I had a later 72 which had the fasten seat belt light on the dash.