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4-door Chevelle


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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???



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Darren - Crystal, MN
1972 4-door Chevelle driver/racer
2003 Silverado 1500HD Crew Cab
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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.


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Kevin

Northwestern Ohio
4-door Chevelle


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It doesn't make sense then that all my Chevelles have had the amber lens and I see yours does as well???

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Darren - Crystal, MN
1972 4-door Chevelle driver/racer
2003 Silverado 1500HD Crew Cab
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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...



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Stan S.-Twin Cities 'South Metro'

1972 Malibu Convertible 2nd time around 

2001 Mustang GT Convertible 

Forum influenced terms: 'Link Paste', 'Stanitized', & 'Revolving garage door...' 

 
RICKS70SS


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i THOUGHT the clear lens only went on the SS models dunno



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Ricks70SS

1970 Chevelle
4-door Chevelle


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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!?!

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Darren - Crystal, MN
1972 4-door Chevelle driver/racer
2003 Silverado 1500HD Crew Cab
SteveS


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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.

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Steve S. - Fountain, MN

 

1972 Chevelle - 383 stroked LS1/4L60E - SOLD!
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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.

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Bryan-NW 'burbs
1972 Malibu
Vaguely stock appearing, and the opposite of restored.
1999 std bore 5.7, Vortec heads, Holley Stealth Ram, GM cam
700R4, Viking coilovers, 12 bolt 4.10 posi, and a whole bunch more
66 RAT


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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.

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Ron - Twin Cities

'66 Malibu
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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.

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Bryan-NW 'burbs
1972 Malibu
Vaguely stock appearing, and the opposite of restored.
1999 std bore 5.7, Vortec heads, Holley Stealth Ram, GM cam
700R4, Viking coilovers, 12 bolt 4.10 posi, and a whole bunch more
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