other Sanity-Checking Some Difference Between Years Stuff in Michel Potheau's "2002 In Memorium" Article

[thehackmechanic]

For a side project I'm doing, I'm looking at Michel Potheau's classic "2002: In Memorium" article from the April 1998 Roundel. The article was posted here:

 

I'm sanity-checking a few things. The big thing Michel got wrong was saying that the E12 head came in with the '74 models (it came in midway through 1972 along with the two-barrel). But I wanted to know if the experts could chime in on a few small things I can't verify.

 

• "When the first 1970s were born... the steering wheel was changed." Is he referring to the leather-wrapped wheel? He separately refers to this later: "In late 1970 most of the cars had a black spoked leather covered ("Ti") wheel previously used in the European version which had twin carbs. Folklore attributed the placement of the optional Ti wheel in the US spec cars to a strike at the company which produced the plastic steering wheels used previously and subsequently. The leather covered wheels were an expedient substitution for the year in which the factory was supposed to have been idled by a strike."  The Macartney book shows the gorgeous two-spoke wheel with the big horn rim on a "pre-71" car, but he's showing a European car; I didn't think that wheel was ever standard equipment on US-spec 02s. So, as far as standard equipment on US-spec cars, it was 1) the three-spoke bus wheel with the three horn buttons, 2) the three-spoke leather-wrapped wheel with the center horn button due to a supply issue, 3) back to #1, then 4) the four-spoke padded wheel on the '74 to '76 cars, correct?"

 

• "When the first 1970s were born... the steering wheel was changed, as was the dashboard padding." Any ideas on this one?

 

• The year 1971... a nitrous oxide line was added to the pollution controls." The Macartney book also refers to a "nitrous oxide (NOx)" line. Obviously it's not a nitrous oxide line. Are they talking about the EGR line to inhibit the formation of NOx gasses? 

 

• "With the introduction of the 1972s the speedometer gained a tenths wheel." I thought the tenths wheel came with the black-faced gauges, which was part of the "Model 71" changes in late '71, not a separate change for '72.

 

There's more, but I think I'll stop here.

 

Thanks.

 

--Rob

 

 

 

[Conserv]

4 hours ago, thehackmechanic said:

...

 

• "When the first 1970s were born... the steering wheel was changed." Is he referring to the leather-wrapped wheel? He separately refers to this later: "In late 1970 most of the cars had a black spoked leather covered ("Ti") wheel previously used in the European version which had twin carbs. Folklore attributed the placement of the optional Ti wheel in the US spec cars to a strike at the company which produced the plastic steering wheels used previously and subsequently. The leather covered wheels were an expedient substitution for the year in which the factory was supposed to have been idled by a strike."  The Macartney book shows the gorgeous two-spoke wheel with the big horn rim on a "pre-71" car, but he's showing a European car; I didn't think that wheel was ever standard equipment on US-spec 02s. So, as far as standard equipment on US-spec cars, it was 1) the three-spoke bus wheel with the three horn buttons, 2) the three-spoke leather-wrapped wheel with the center horn button due to a supply issue, 3) back to #1, then 4) the four-spoke padded wheel on the '74 to '76 cars, correct?"

 

I suppose, Rob, it depends how you define "'02"!  The 1966 and 1967 1600-2's came here with those two-spoke steering wheels.  If those are '02's, then yes, U.S.-spec cars did arrive with two-spoke wheels.

 

The three-spoke bus wheels, I believe only for 1968, had a smooth, unadorned horn button, before the more common molded horn button arrived with the 1969 U.S. model year, or thereabouts.  Photo below of the 1968-style horn button from a U.S. model brochure dated August 1968.  I assume that the only U.S.-spec horn button available for photography was this one even though I'd guess that an August 1968 brochure is really for the 1969 model year.

 

There's a good thread -- well, I, at least, enjoyed it -- on the three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheels of ca. 1970.  

 

 

The precise beginning and end of its application are un-clear.  Although they seemed to arrive on 1970 models, my two examples are dated 1971 and 1972.  Did they become a U.S. dealer accessory after 1970?  Who knows?  And the three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheels on U.S. spec cars differed from those found on European-spec cars: the U.S.-spec wheel has a long oval indentation on each of the 3 spokes whereas the European-spec version has a long oval perforation in these locations.  (I believe DOT regulations prohibited the perforated design here.)  And...those three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheels are actually wrapped in faux leather, not real leather.  Many have been since converted to leather, largely, or at least partly, because there really are not shops that specialize in wrapping steering wheels in faux leather.  Stated differently, I'm restoring two of these wheels and I asked a couple shops whether they could duplicate the original faux leather rather than simply using real leather.  Their responses were identical:  "Yeah, maybe, if you find us a durable faux leather and are willing to pay more than our prices for leather-wrapping since we have to figure out how to duplicate the original cushioning and fastening without leather!"  My response: "I think the leather can work for me."

 

I'll give some thought to your other questions.  Maybe the dashboard reference is about the shift form 3-piece to 2-piece dashes.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited August 30, 2016 by Conserv

[thehackmechanic]

Thanks Steve! And I saw the post about the epic notch/no-notch debate...

Edited August 30, 2016 by thehackmechanic

[dlhoovler]

Rob, on the dating of the metal-spoke "strike/fire" wheels, it seems to have been primarily 1970 calendar year cars that received them in lieu of the three-spoke plastic "bus" wheels. My car, mfg. 11/30/70, got one, although it's a 1971 model year. And it has indented (not perforated) spokes, only the center pad for the horn button and a vinyl wrap that has since disintegrated and been covered with a Wheelskins. And of course, that date range almost certainly wasn't exact--but every example I've been aware of was built sometime between January and December 1970.

 

-Dave

[Mike Self]

Just as  quick aside...my '73 came with the typical roundie three spoke bus wheel, but it's an inch or so smaller in diameter than the otherwise identical 3 spoke wheel that came on my '69...

 

And Dave is correct on the roundie bus wheel centers:  Only the '68s had the smooth center; the '69s (including all but I suspect the first of the "first series" '69s have the grooved center. My '69 (Feb '69 assembly) has the grooved center, as have some of the last "first series" '69s that I've seen.

 

mike

[Conserv]

6 hours ago, mike said:

Just as  quick aside...my '73 came with the typical roundie three spoke bus wheel, but it's an inch or so smaller in diameter than the otherwise identical 3 spoke wheel that came on my '69...

 

 

That big one, Mike, was the rare "power steering" option available solely on 1969 models!  ☺️

 

But semi-seriously, now we need to start measuring our stock three-spoke steering wheels.  I certainly didn't realize there were multiple diameters within the stock steering wheels but at times have thought that some of the stock wheel rims seemed..."skinnier" than others.  I wrote it off as pure subjectivity, dependent on the thickness of the rim on whatever non-'02 I drove immediately preceding.  Maybe I was, instead, responding -- at least in part -- to differences in overall steering wheel diameter, or maybe there are multiple measurement differences among the stock steering wheels.

 

At this point, are you thinking the larger and smaller diameters are attributable to:  (a.) earlier versus later versions; (b.) random application, possibly due to different suppliers; or (c.) something else? Would you mind measuring and posting the diameters of your two stock steering wheels?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited August 31, 2016 by Conserv

[squiggelsworth]

Hey Mike, can you give us the diameter of both your wheels? I have a 73' Automatic and I'm intrigued!

[TobyB]

Quote

as was the dashboard padding.

re- reading- yes, the 3 piece 'tray', or lower piece, comes smooth (early, I think), or ribbed (later) every 6" or so for your enjoyment.

 

The various parts of the early and late trays don't fit right with each other-  Jenn's car is a mishmash, and the instrument cluster's never sat quite right...

 

t

 

[jgerock]

Adding to Toby's response:

The 3-piece instrument hoods are slightly different in their shape. A spare one would not fit correctly to my 69 dash. The contours were wrong and left a gap that I didn't like so I reinstalled my original 69 "hood".  While swapping these parts, I noticed the dash switches were different. The eschuchions (knob holders) were either short or long to match the switch body and hood face thickness. I have a couple pics showing this- will post later.

[jgerock]

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Edited November 5, 2016 by jgerock
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