This Wensday I will start getting the '72 up and running. Got a few questions about what will swap and what won't. 1. The only thing electrical that works is the headlights and one tail light. The wireing is badly butchered. Will the tail light harness from the '74 work in the '72? 2. Will the windshield wiper motor and switch from the '74 work in the '72? 3. Is there any diffrence between the 4 lug and 5 lug front drum brake spindles. In other words, can I just unbolt my backing plates with the brake shoes and wheel cylinders attached off the '74 (5 lug) and bolt them on the '72 (4 lug). 4. Will my front 5 lug drums and wheel bearings go on the 4 lug '72 spindles ok, effectively converting the front of the '72 to 5 lug? 5. Can I take the 5 lug axels from my '73 4 door and put them in the '72 4 lug rearend, converting it to 5 lug? Or should I just take the entire 5 lug rearend out of my '76 and swap it into the '72? 6. What will be involved with installing the sport lamps in the '72 which didn't originally have them? I want them to be the turn signals and everything like they were on the '74. Last but not least, what is involved in swapping the locks out? The '72 has 3 diffrent keys, one for the passenger door, one for the drivers door, and one for the ignition. I would like to just take the door and ignition locks from the '74 and put them in the '72 so I will have one key for everything and I won't have to go get a bunch of new keys made for my brother and mom and dad and who ever else has a key to the car. Is that possible? I most definately have my work cut out for me. This '72 has been off the road for years, possibly longer then the '74 was judgeing by the title. The first thing I gotta do is put an engine and transmission in and get the car driving. Then I get to worry about sorting out the wireing, which is going to be a nightmare. I have exactly a week to have the car ready to drive home and be ready to start driving back and forth to school everyday. This car needs easily as much or more work then the '74 did when I got it. I have to do the same amount of work on this car in a week that I did in a month on the '74. Can I do it? We'll see...
Forgot to ask, the '72 originally had a 200. I am putting a 250 in it. Do I need to change the frame mounts or will the 200 frame mounts work ok with a 250? I don't expect you guys to know all the answers, but it would be nice to know what I'm getting myself into. Especially with the brakes and 5 lug swap. I guess whatever you guys don't know I will just figgure out on my own.
jamie, you can do a search on each of these and get all the info you need. all of this has been addressed before in detail...a lot of work...get'er done...frank...
1. The tail light harness should be the same as long as the connectoes are. even if the connectors are different, you can splice wires together. 2.Wiper motors are the same and I'm pretty sure the switches are too. 3 & 4.I'm pretty sure the drum spindels are the same. Check bearing listing at a parts store. If they have 1 size for all drums, then it will bolt right on. 5. I heard both yes & no on this one. I'd just change the whole thing. 6. Does the 72 have the standard grill? if so, just put the the grill with lights in and use the existing wire harness. It should plug in. If it already has the lighted grill, you will have to change out the light assembly with one from a 73-77 The locks are a easy change out. Open the door and look on the side up by the lock. you will see a tab sticking out, laying flat against the side. Just pull this out and the lock will pull out of the front. There will be a rod attached to it but you can remove the C clip and swap it out with out removing the door panel. The ignition lock takes a certain procedure which I dont remember but it is fairly easy to do. The frame mounts are the same for both 6's
Jamie, I will go along with what Mavaholic said, but if it were me I would remove the complet wire harness from the old car and not put any splices in the harness if possible. I mean you have everything sitting there do it right the first time or go back and try to figure out what splice is not fully connected. As far as the rarends gets some new u-bolts and swap them. HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!
Ok thanks. Dumb question I'm sure, but where do I get new U bolts for the rearend? I think I will just go ahead and swap all the wireing over. All the wireing in the '74 works fine. All the wireing in the '72 is a taped up spliced together mess, and none of it works.
Dang Jamie, I had no idea the car was in that bad of shape. By the looks of the engine before it was pulled I would have thought the car had'nt been messed with much at all. It still had the choke heat stove pipe connected to the carb. Usually that is the first thing that gets broken when somebody works on a car. lol I never did look the car over very well after I got it home though. Sorry it will be more work than you thought clint
Clint, it's no worse then I expected it to be. No need to appologize. Your description of the car was accurate, and I knew what I was buying when I bought it. You allowed me to work out a deal with you with the money that I have and I appreciate it. Not many people would have done that. Without this car, I would be back to rideing my bike to school...
Just glad to help somebody out. I don't mind on bit helping someone who is trying to do something. Now those people that won't do anything and ask for help I don't help. lol Good luck Jamie, let me know if I can help clint
