Heater and Defrost Cover Plate Question

[jhenard]

All,

I have seen three different styles of plates.

1. The polished plates with red/blue icons for 3 slider knobs (jdt10768 picture)

2. Polished plates with text labels for 3 slider knobs (in my 72tii)

3. Text based for 4 slider knobs - later version (Ian picture)

Do any of the historians here know the breakpoints for when these were installed?

Anyone know if the ealier versions, specifically #2, are still available?

None of the previous posts I found address the style in #2

Thanks,

--John

[HBChris]

You will probably need to rely on eBay or someone on this board for the early ones. Also, they attach with tiny (4mm?) nuts unlike style 3. HTH.

[nbcbird]

According to Mike Macartney, the illuminated heater controls labeled in English (photo 3) started in early 1973. The controls on my '71 (a pre-1971 Model) are like photo 1. Not sure when the change for took place for photo 2 .

[jdt10768]

thanks John, This is actually important for documentation. The cutoff dates are written somewhere I am sure.

I guess if I were to head to V@V in a couple weeks, I would see firtshand what they all look like - and I did sign up, but my tennis team made the state tourn, so I had to bail out dammit. Have to wait til 2011, ugh

[BillWilliams]

John, this is NOT a definitive answer for sure, but, the CHROME three slider plates I have seen are in the EURO cars. I have those in my touring.

The satin type three sliders were in the cars ending around 1973, not sure when they started, US cars,

The four slider covers where 1973 and later as noted by nbcbird above.

[Mike Self]

All USA specific cars (those built in the 1968 and later model years) have the satin finished plates--Federal regs against shiny chrome glaring at you while driving.

The three lever plates were used on cars that had the heater blower switch on the instrument binnacle--either lower right (up to the beginning of "modell 71" production in mid 1971 --cars with 166 & 167XXXX VINs ) or lower left, when combined with the rear window defroster switch--pull to turn on the defroster, rotate to turn on the blower). These panels attach from the back side with itty bitty nuts and are the very devil to remove.

The fourth lever--with illumination--was added when the blower switch was moved to the heater temp control panel on the right--think that was in late 1972, about the same time as the switch from single to two barrel carbs and from the 121 to the E12 cylinder head. Or it might have been at the beginning of model year 1973 cars in Sept '72. A quick check in the parts book will give the exact changeover VIN; I don't have mine handy. These panels just pop off from the front after removing the knobs--making it easy to change the light bulbs.

As for the single lever temp control panel you picture with "warm" and "cold" imprinted; not sure if I've ever seen one like that--all those I've seen have the blue dot for cold and the long skinny red wedge for hot. I'll have to check my parts book.

cheers

mike

[jhenard]

Thanks all for the input. The real confusion started as I was going through the parts book. What I found (based on tii #s):

Part

51.45.1.819.437/439 model 71

436/438 up to 2760235 but 2762630 also mentioned

Jaymic shows this as the polished plate

with blue dot and red wedge

674/675 from 2760235 on

386/385 from 2766231 on

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated

As a side note, my defrost panel is text as well with DEF/OFF and Heat/OFF