When did the interior door panels change?

[Pdxguy]

Certain I am not using the correct words in a search, but when did the interior door panels switch from having the chrome looking Mylar strips to all black?

 

Thanks,

Dennis

[visionaut]

All-black?

[visionaut]

Stolen from Steve…

 

early and late (‘74 on)

Edited September 18, 2023 by visionaut

[AceAndrew]

EDIT: Bad Info.  Brain fart.

[Pdxguy]

24 minutes ago, visionaut said:

All-black?

 

Looks like the white knee trim is optional...

[2002#3]

They were all black (no Mylar "chrome") at least since June '74.

 

Edited September 25, 2023 by 2002#3

['76mintgrün'02]

The top chrome went away with the black vinyl along the top, correct?

Didn't that happen when the tail lights changed shape?

The black-topped door panels are a cool detail.  I like the way it sort of carries the dash back.

 

Door panels weren't all black though.  Just all one color.  (as if black is a color).

Tom

[Conserv]

Right, the door card’s color — as in Black — has nothing to do with the re-design! The dual chrome strips (with the generous section that extended the chrome-trimmed dashboard) were strictly a round taillight style (1966-73) and the single chrome strip (quite meager) was strictly a square taillight style (1974-77).

 

And yes, that fat chunk of faux chrome at the front edge of round taillight door cards aligned and matched the chrome (much of it faux) on the early dashboards (U.S. cars until November 1967, but Euro cars until April 1971). Photo below.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[visionaut]

But I like my meager chrome strip! (which to me visually matches the upper chrome window strip…)

 

Here I was waiting to see some door card variation with black vs. chrome accents… (gloss black with similar dash accents would look pretty badass tho’).

[Conserv]

16 hours ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

… The black-topped door panels are a cool detail.  I like the way it sort of carries the dash back…

 

+1

 

Agreed 100%, Tom! Just as the chrome strip carried the dashboard’s chrome strip around to the sides and back through both the  front and rear door cards, the black vinyl top border visually carried the black dashboard around to the sides. No accident there! Simple if subtle German design of the 1960’s.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[Rich]

so of the two pairs of door cards / panels, that I have, neither of them are period correct for my 72 ?  The ones with the chrome strip that are on my car, see photos, are too early, and the later ones, with NO chrome strips, are too late or imposters ?  aarrgghh double buggered, 

[visionaut]

Rich - those are both supposed to be early door cards -  the top one is original, and the bottom one is a knock-off just missing all the chrome bits…

Edited September 20, 2023 by visionaut
Looked closer

[Conserv]

On 9/20/2023 at 10:00 AM, visionaut said:

Rich - those are both supposed to be early door cards -  the top one is original, and the bottom one is a knock-off just missing all the chrome bits…

And that original top one is absolutely period-correct for a 1972 model!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[Rich]

7 hours ago, Conserv said:

And that original top one is absolutely period-correct for a 1972 model!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

phew, thank you Steve, I was getting bummed here, Ill leave it the way it is, Regards,, R

[Alexander]

Coserv - "Steve" is correct. The early style panels were retained through the round tail light run. That chrome strip at the top along with the fat piece at the front are a vestige of the original 02 styling where the faux chrome on the door card matched the chrome strip on the early dashboard. All US federalized 02 from 68 and onwards received the padded dash. But, they didn't change the door card design until the introduction of square light cars.