Conserv

Uli, Ronal Kleeblatts are plentiful in Germany, but pretty rare in the U.S. Thus, prices are much higher in the U.S., and the demand expands beyond the usual 5.5 x 13 and 6 x 13 versions. That’s my viewpoint! 😉 Best regards, Steve

FYI: U.S.-spec version has an extra nipple for the evaporative emissions system. Euro-spec does not. More discussion of the various versions of tii airboxes: Regards, Steve

Some (many?) of the York’s have month/year manufacturing dates on them. Below is a June 1981 (“6 - 81”) York, which makes me believe that Daron’s first photo shows a February 1983 (“0283”) York. I’m not certain how to interpret the “010” on the second example. My ‘76’s original unit, a ‘76 unit, failed in 1978, and the unit I’ve kept for that 50-years-from-now date is the ‘78 unit. Regards, Steve

Yes, Les, sealed beams were required on all U.S. vehicles at least from the 1950’s... The USA VIN’s began in 1968 because the U.S. DOT and EPA commenced a tidal wave of new safety and emissions regulations, but sealed beams were required long before 1968. Best regards, Steve

I agree. It both “disappears” the distracting seam between the rims’s center disk and barrel, and adds apparent depth. It’s analogous to the factory painting the hood hinge supports black so they wouldn’t be a distraction — which, in turn, added to the apparent depth of the blacked-out grilles! Bravo! Regards, Steve

Ahhh: Kleeblatts! Now I see why you were pursuing a non-‘02 rim option! Always beautiful, and classic. (Separately, a 185/60/14 is an undersized tire for an ‘02, nearly an inch smaller in outside diameter. 195/60/14 is generally a better replacement for 165/80/13.) Regards, Steve

The sealed-beam requirement is old as the hills, well, it’s at least as old as I. Even before the 1968 regulations, U.S. imports needed to have either four 5 1/4” or two 7” sealed-beam headlights. This is why the gorgeous lights, often with covers, we saw throughout the 1960’s on European Mercedes, Jaguars, etc. were reduced to sealed beams for the U.S. market. My ‘58 and ‘59 Mercedes had U.S.-mandated sealed-beam headlights. Best regards, Steve

U.S. delivery in 1968? Regards, Steve

I’ve not seen that, but it sounds like you’re volunteering to produce a sample for our approval... I’d suppose it makes the rim look a bit more “deep dish”, which 99.9% of ‘02 owners like! We’re just going to hang out while you prepare the sample. 😋 Thanks and regards, Steve

LMAO. Either you are friggin’ Columbo, or.... you’re reading a lot of personal experience into this analysis... 😯😋😉 Regards, Steve

Yeah, but stick Tom alone in a room for a weekend with a couple of the vent wings and he’d devise some ratcheting mechanism that allows you to adjust the tightness of the vent as it wears. And.... you’d be able to make the adjustment without removing the door card... 😉 Regards, Steve

Not U.S. equipment as far as I know. I was an ‘02 owner from ‘73 (including a ‘67, a ‘70, a brand new ‘76, a ‘72 tii I parted in ‘74, and a ‘74 2002A I parted in ‘75) and I never saw one of these “dog bowls” until the late 1980’s and that happened, perhaps coincidentally, to be on a Euro-spec car (a Bauer targa).... I’m happy to revise my opinion if other original owners took delivery of U.S.-spec cars with the rear dog bowls. Best regards, Steve