Road Runner Nest

Something has always bothered me about the front bumper on my 72. It dawned on me today that there are no provisions for the "slot" type bumper jack on it. Does this mean I have a 71 bumper? Are they different? Thanks,
EaglesCall

Yes the 71 did not have the slots for the jack. It was a different jack with a large hook to cradle the bumper from under.

I think you have a 71 bumper on a 72 car. That is probable the only difference.

Dang, I wish you were closer! I'd trade you the '72 bumper on my '71 for the '71 bumper on your '72!

Bruce, I have a spare 71 front, but it will need minor straightening and a rechrome....you'll have to come up for the nats next year and pick it up.

The Nats, eh? Hmmmmm....

As it turns out, I have a couple spare 72 bumpers in the shed. The question of the day now would be - why does this car have a 71 bumper on it? I've never found any evidence that it had been involved in an accident, and the bumper is driver quality at best. Looks like I will spend the weekend taking a closer look at all the nooks and crannies in this thing.

Thanks for the info!

Could have been a leftover part. I'm a mechanic, and I've seen many vehicles that have parts from the previous year, such as wiring harnesses with incorrect colors (you can imagine the headaches THAT causes till you figure it out). Didn't a precious few 72's have factory Air Grabbers?

Greg

Yep i think greg is right about left over parts,i wouldn't worry about it. And yes some 72s came with airgrabbers a few six packs made it out too.

BRIAN

You guys could be right, but it still presents a safety issue - no way to jack up the front end in case of a flat. I did discover a couple months ago that the headlight adjusting screws on this thing are 71's. YES - there is a difference!

Could you just use a 71 Jack?

I wouldn't know - I have never seen one. For some reason I have always owned 72's. I think I will just swap out the bumper, I already have a correct one in the shed, just never noticed the difference until now.

There is no way i would use a bumper jack to lift one of these cars.I just carry a small hydraulic jack in the trunk also a lot safer.

BRIAN

Good point.

I did use a bumper jack on mine a couple years ago. It made me sick, but I was screwed on the freeway. My tire blew, and I mean BLEW....my beauty ring flew across the road about 75 mph after the blow. Well, it was like 11 at night, dark, and I didn't want to leave it there. I have a 71, so I covered the bumper with a shirt, and made the fastest tire change of my life. The next day I checked to see if everything was OK, and the bumper needed a small adjustment.


Lesson was learned, and like 1bluegtx, I now carry a small jack in my car.