I'm trying to bring my 1972 454 Coupe back to respectability. Bought it from a guy I met at Carlisle two years ago. While taking it apart piece by piece, sandblasting, painting and reassembling (hope I remember where all these things go!) I noticed a few things that have me perplexed. The VIN on the car indicates a true 1972 big block car and it does not to seem to have any major work done on the fiberglass, though it has been re-sprayed (I don't think the guy who did it knows what masking tape is if you know what I mean) Anyway, I digress...when taking off the front grills I notice the "guide" stamping on the back of the parking lamp housing says"Guide SAE1970" and they have the junction for the fiber optic cable, which I know was discontinued in 1972. Also on the rear tail lamp lenses, the guide number is 71. I'm concerned that this car may not have any bodywork evident but could have been fit with a whole new nose, or perhaps someone replaced all the lenses and front grills? Am I overly suspicious? Is it common for the rear and front lenses to have different years than the VIN? Oh and speaking of VIN, my VIN tag was almost rusted in half since the windshield frame was pretty rusted. After removing It I learned this was a big no-no, so to compensate I tried to document with photographs the windshield frame before and after the repair. Still I replaced the original VIN tag but am told I should have used special rivets? Nobody seems to sell them or if they do it seems to be an underground thing for people building clones or falsifying cars. Anyone ever heard of what a legitimate owner who needs to replace the VIN tag is to do? Thanks!

I read that Chevrolet used a special rosette rivet that they kept quite secure and would account for all at the end of a shift to make sure they weren't getting in circulation improperly.  I'm thinking you should have gone through your state DMV for advice on properly fixing the VIN tag.  Some states may even require they provide a new VIN tag and they'll also provide a new VIN.

As far as the lenses and housings, anything is possible after all these years.  The molded in number on the lens itself may be nothing more than the year that lens was approved by DOT and not the year it was molded or model year car it was intended for.  I've seen many cars with lenses with the year different from their model year. 

The housing may simply have been leftover stock until newer design housings without provisions for fiber optics were available.  If your car is an early build car for the '72 model year I would believe that's entirely possible.  GM, as most companies, saved money wherever they could.  It's like big block cars used chromed valve covers in '68 and '69, but went to painted orange valve covers for the 1970 model year...but more than a few early build '70s have chromed valve covers.  They were simply using up what's in the parts bins.

The park/tailight housings have the date of the ORIGINAL design, not necessarily the date of the vehicle, or even the date the light was actually produced. In other words, you can absolutely have a light dated 70 in a 72 car. If the lights had no changes, then they were used as is. For instance, the '74 cars have side marker lights dated in, like '71 or '72, since that's when the design changed.
Your lights are fine for you car.

As far as the VIN tag...I am aware of at least one place that does have the rosette rivets available, even tho it is supposedly illegal to possess them loose. The problem you may have down the road is: if for some reason, a State Trooper, or other law enforcement official ever takes a good look at your VIN, and notices the incorrect(non-rosette) rivets, your car could very well be impounded, and you would have to prove the car was legit in court, or other in legal manners. Not really a good thing here...
My suggestion, if you cannot find the correct rivets, is to make SURE the pillar trim completely covers/hides the rivets from view. I would, however, try to get the correct rivets, install the VIN tag properly, and NEVER speak of it again...
You might try to contact your local DMV, and just pose a "theoretical" question about the VIN attachment...just don't give them too much info...don't want them showing up in your driveway with a flat-bed wrecker to haul your baby away!!

                             Adams' Apple2008-08-13 10:00:56

In 1970, the bottom of the front grilles had two studs that went through the body, with a nut on the back.  In 71 and 72, there were screws through the grille into a U-nut on the body.  They interchange with no problem.  If you have the 1970 style grilles, they are hard to find, and worth selling and replacing with correct ones.

Larry

[QUOTE=Gunslinger]...I read that Chevrolet used a special rosette rivet that they kept quite secure and would account for all at the end of a shift to make sure they weren't getting in circulation improperly....[/QUOTE] Correct.  Thieves would have loved to have had a supply.

Hey guys thanks for the info. I feel a lot better about the numbers on the lenses not matching now, And I understand the point about GM using up the prior years parts if they had them left over, but my car was built in October 71 according to the trim tag, and the fiber optics were cancelled in July 1971 so it seems to be stretch but I guess anything is possible. Also if they were 1970 grills I think they would have clear parking lenses. As far as the rivets on the Vin tag , I just replaced the windshield (ugh) do I would have to remove it again to switch to the right rivets which I found on ebay for $45. Is that a rip off?

Unless thay changed the style of the tailights all should say 71. At least thats what I found on the 70-73 Camaros

[QUOTE=persico]...As far as the rivets on the Vin tag , I just replaced the windshield (ugh) do I would have to remove it again to switch to the right rivets which I found on ebay for $45. Is that a rip off?...[/QUOTE] 6880Mike2008-09-15 08:15:55

The correct 72-73 tail lights do not have fiber optics.  They are a different part than used in 70-71.  But it is entirely possible that they were still using up old parts three months later.

Larry