body and interior Heater/Vent Control Trim - Is this correct?

[seantucker48]

I have an early '72 tii project I am working on an wanted to find some replacement trim for the dash controls but my car seems to have something weird that I can find anywhere. The car is a really early tii (2760026) and has some other quirky stuff but I am wondering if maybe someone just put these in along the way?

Edited May 19, 2016 by seantucker48

[wegweiser]

Those appear polished or chrome plated, in the photos.

 

My June 72 tii had matte finish ones. Yours might be from a 69-71 model - or maybe not.  

 

You can clean them up surprisingly well with #000 steel wool. The fine stuff. I scuffed mine with a red scotchpad and then clear coated them. 

Edited May 19, 2016 by wegweiser

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, seantucker48 said:

I have an early '72 tii project I am working on an wanted to find some replacement trim for the dash controls but my car seems to have something weird that I can find anywhere. The car is a really early tii (2760026) and has some other quirky stuff but I am wondering if maybe someone just put these in along the way?

 

Sean,

 

I agree they might clean up, but they don't look particularly unusual to me: the finish on these things deteriorates with time.  Or are you referring to something other than the finish?

 

On the other hand, your car has a Euro-spec dashboard:  (a.) pictograms on the knobs rather than white painted-on labeling for the knobs; and (b.) no "fasten seat belts" light.  The VIN certainly confirms it was manufactured as a U.S.-spec car, probably in October 1971.  But, besides Europe being a good source for used dashboards -- I'm talking 10 or 20 years ago -- all new OEM replacement dashboards, from fairly early -- I want to say early '80's -- were Euro spec.

 

The steering wheel is luscious:  maybe off a big coupe or sedan.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[dlhoovler]

Sean,

 

Are you referring to the arrangement of the levers? Yours is correct for early cars, up to mid-'71. Late-'71s on, if I recall correctly, have similar directional levers on the left but both temperature and blower fan speed on the right. Early cars have the blower speed as a knob by the instrument cluster. Since a '71 should have the later setup, it's possible that when (if) someone swapped out your dash, the early controls migrated with it. Or they ran out of the later style that day and had a few of the early parts still laying around... strange stuff like that sometimes shows up on these cars.

 

-Dave

[fjord-tii]

Yeah, I have an early tii vin 2760108 (US) that is missing the plate on the right side. I've been looking for one to no avail.

[wegweiser]

Slider for heater fan started in US 73 model. I forgot this, also: My 72 had printed words instead of colored arrows. The arrows are a 71 (or possibly a verrrry early 72)  throwback. 

[seantucker48]

This car was definitely built in '71 - wheels are date coded 8/71. I was more referring to the finish in general as I have not seen the chrome/polished ones. I think these are beyond the point of saving without some significant effort as they have started to pit quite a bit. 

[dlhoovler]

Thanks for setting me straight, Paul.

 

-Dave

[02Les]

Not sure if this is pertinent to your question, but, my Nov '73 build RHD Touring has the exact same left and right heater-blower plates that you have.

 

[TobyB]

Chrome's normal for the early cars...

 

t

[mvliotta]

I have a '72 tii. My controls have words on them.

 

I refinished mine and put a satin topcoat on them... 

 

 

Vince

[Conserv]

U.S.-bound cars were supposed to have — by U.S. DOT regulations — lower-gloss, e.g., “not polished chrome,” interior trim from 1968 onward. But… there are quite a few examples of the European-style chrome heating control escutcheons appearing on 1968 and later U.S.-spec cars, as we see here with VIN 2760026. Dashboards or controls swapped post-factory may explain some of these, but, yes, it’s possible some of the chrome escutcheons made it onto new U.S.-bound cars and slipped un-detected 😯🙄 through U.S. Customs.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[visionaut]

Forgot to hit ‘Submit Reply’ back in 2016 Steve?

 

🫠

 

[Conserv]

21 hours ago, visionaut said:

Forgot to hit ‘Submit Reply’ back in 2016 Steve?

 

🫠

 

😂 Something like that, Tom!

 

With VIN 2760026 — the $265,000 project — on the market, I went into the Registry entry to update it. But linked in the Registry entry, and addressing a prior owner of 2760026, I found this thread oddly un-finished. And now, with what might be the most expensive stock ‘02 renovation project to date, and in the public eye, I thought, “Hey, that 8-year old thread doesn’t have an ending of any sorts. Maybe I should throw something in there!” So I did, hoping no one would even notice… 🙄

 

And, so, in effect at least, I finally hit “Submit Reply”! 😉

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[visionaut]

1 hour ago, Conserv said:

VIN 2760026 — the $265,000 project

What? Never heard of this - but I don’t follow ‘sales’ ever...

 

Who’d spend that much on an 02? I don’t care if it was 1 of 1. I love these cars but that’s f’n nuts..