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Hi Jay,
What a nice looking 72. Thanks for posting up some photos of it. You mention not liking the woodgrain insert on the console, do your door panels have woodgrain inserts on them? They should if it's an original deluxe interior car.
Also, if I were you I hold on to that metal backing plate from your insert. If you ever change your mind down the road to get a piece of Teak (paper backed) vaneer you'll need the metal backing to glue it to. Then cut it out and stain it walnut. The original GM woodgrain inserts are no longer produced. There are a couple that show up on eBay once in awhile @$179.00 each..Very Rare!
Also, you should hold on to the mirror that you are replacing. If original to your car it will have a date code etched in it on top of the mirror glass. The loose mirror head is a very common problem, and can be fixed by removing the mirror glass and tightening it up. There are threads on here that explain the process.
I wish you many miles of smiles with your convertible
Tooch
One more question: What is that lock on the "trunk" of my Corvette supposed to do? (The seller had no idea, either!)
That is for your alarm. You should have two keys, (actually the car comes with four/ two of each)one square head and one oval head. The oval head key 🔑 locks your glove box, your spare tire lock, and sets the alarm. If your alarm is working properly, once you turn it with key and open either door or the hood a high pitched horn will sound off, until you turn the key switch off again.
The alarm horn itself is located up in the left rear fender well below the antenna.
Tooch
Hi Jay,
What a nice looking 72. Thanks for posting up some photos of it. You mention not liking the woodgrain insert on the console, do your door panels have woodgrain inserts on them? They should if it's an original deluxe interior car.
Also, if I were you I hold on to that metal backing plate from your insert. If you ever change your mind down the road to get a piece of Teak (paper backed) vaneer you'll need the metal backing to glue it to. Then cut it out and stain it walnut. The original GM woodgrain inserts are no longer produced. There are a couple that show up on eBay once in awhile @$179.00 each..Very Rare!
Also, you should hold on to the mirror that you are replacing. If original to your car it will have a date code etched in it on top of the mirror glass. The loose mirror head is a very common problem, and can be fixed by removing the mirror glass and tightening it up. There are threads on here that explain the process.
I wish you many miles of smiles with your convertible
Tooch
Thanks, Tooch!
Yep, it's got the wood grain in the door inserts. Those inserts are in much better shape than the console was, and look good.
I save ALL of the old parts I replace on my cars. You should see the shelves full I've got for the '52 Pontiac! Everything from water pumps to door handles.
I always figure that someone, some day, might want everything back to 100% original, no matter how cruddy they were when I removed and replaced them.
--
Jay
That is for your alarm. You should have two keys, (actually the car comes with four/ two of each)one square head and one oval head. The oval head key 🔑 locks your glove box, your spare tire lock, and sets the alarm. If your alarm is working properly, once you turn it with key and open either door or the hood a high pitched horn will sound off, until you turn the key switch off again.
The alarm horn itself is located up in the left rear fender well below the antenna.
Tooch
Awesome, thanks. I had no idea -- nor did the seller, who was the second owner, having bought it way back in 1979.
I will try setting it tomorrow. I doubt it still works, but who knows?
--
Jay
Awesome, thanks. I had no idea -- nor did the seller, who was the second owner, having bought it way back in 1979.
I will try setting it tomorrow. I doubt it still works, but who knows?
--
Jay
That's pretty hard to believe the previous owner never knew what that key way was for. The door ajar switches located at the rear of the door jambs along with the same type switch under your hood on the firewall near your wiper vacuum canister actuator operate in tandem with the alarm. Check your switches in the door jambs first to see if they are even there and functioning. Most of the time they are removed or smashed all the way in and don't work. Also, does your door ajar buzzer and dash warning light work? They are all part of the same system.
Did you get the owner's manual with the car? If not I suggest you buy a repro, all the vendors sell them. It explains the alarm system.
Another very valuable item is the AIM (assembly manual for your 72). I suggest you purchase it too. You'll need to refer to it often.
Just trying to offer some helpful suggestions!
Tooch
That's pretty hard to believe the previous owner never knew what that key way was for. The door ajar switches located at the rear of the door jambs along with the same type switch under your hood on the firewall near your wiper vacuum canister operate in tandem with the alarm. Check your switches in the door jambs first to see if they are even there and functioning. Most of the time they are removed or smashed all the way in and don't work. Also, does your door ajar buzzer and dash warning light work? They are all part of the same system.
Did you get the owner's manual with the car? If not I suggest you buy a repro, all the vendors sell them. It explains the alarm system.
Another very valuable item is the AIM (assembly manual for your 72). I suggest you purchase it too. You'll need to refer to it often.
Just trying to offer some helpful suggestions!
Tooch
Well, I asked the seller what the lock was for, and he had no idea. Of course, he only owned the car 38 years.
I've got the owners manual. I thought I read it pretty thoroughly, but I probably just skimmed the part about the alarm, since the seller never mentioned one being installed in the car.
I also have the assembly manual, and the service manual. I should be able to determine what's what pretty quickly. Thanks for the advice!
--
Jay
The cheesy wood inserts came off of my deluxe 72 interior too! Same with the luggage rack that can carry the t-tops and thats about it. Just didnt fit my build. I on the other hand painted the shifter plate and the center console guage cluster with trim black paint. I read where GM decided to try and make the corvette more luxurious to compensate for reduced performance. Too each his own.
The cheesy wood inserts came off of my deluxe 72 interior too! Same with the luggage rack that can carry the t-tops and thats about it. Just didnt fit my build. I on the other hand painted the shifter plate and the center console guage cluster with trim black paint. I read where GM decided to try and make the corvette more luxurious to compensate for reduced performance. Too each his own.
Just curious what did you do to the door panel woodgrain?
Tooch
In replacing my wobbly side view mirror, I discovered that the front mounting hole is wallered out. It seems to have simply been drilled into the fiberglass, with no backing plate.
This is, of course, wrong. There should be some sort of backing plate to screw into. There is not.
So, I took the door panel out, to get at the backside. I still cannot get at the backside of those holes, thanks to some solid steel being in the way.
So how do I fix this?
I figure I can:
1. Drill new holes. Bad, since it's still just in the fiberglass.
2. Put in a bigger screw. Same problem as above.
3. Insert some sort of metal mount, like a wall anchor.
I'm not positive but the mirror may be secured with well nuts. Well nuts are essentially a thick-walled rubber hose with a nut at one end. When tightened the rubber pushes out and secures the fastener. Any decent hardware store has them.
Hi jj,
Concerning what sounds like a vacuum leak.
I advise you to NOT replace the hoses as a first step.
In stead, spend some time trying to determine where the hiss is coming from… it could be windshield wiper door related, or headlight door related or one of the vacuum lines associated with the engine. Are the wiper door and headlight doors functioning properly?
This hiss might also be related to the rough idle you describe.
IF it appears the hiss is hose related I suggest you cut about 3/8" off the end of each hose which will give the hose a new sealing surface. That often does wonders for the vacuum operated systems. New vacuum lines are often of disappointing quality.
Great Looking CONVERTIBLE!
Regards,
Alan
The license plate bezel is missing.
Just a follow up.
The hissing sound turned out to be the speedometer cable! It is obviously on its way out, and makes a noise that comes and goes. I finally was able to correlate it to the speedometer itself jumping just a wee bit whenever the hissing started/stopped. Duh.
Regarding the missing license plate bezel, I FINALLY got mine in and installed it today. It looks MUCH better.
The chrome license bezel, and my new/old 1972 Texas license plate!
Now, how come none of you guys pointed out that the word "CORVETTE" was missing from the rear end?
Another Vette enthusiast pointed that out today. So, now I've ordered the individual letters from Eckler. I'm sure THAT will be a purple bitch of a job to install!
The hissing sound turned out to be the speedometer cable! It is obviously on its way out, and makes a noise that comes and goes. I finally was able to correlate it to the speedometer itself jumping just a wee bit whenever the hissing started/stopped. Duh.
Regarding the missing license plate bezel, I FINALLY got mine in and installed it today. It looks MUCH better.
The chrome license bezel, and my new/old 1972 Texas license plate!
Now, how come none of you guys pointed out that the word "CORVETTE" was missing from the rear end?
Another Vette enthusiast pointed that out today. So, now I've ordered the individual letters from Eckler. I'm sure THAT will be a purple bitch of a job to install!
Thanks again for your help!
--
Jay
Hi Jay,
In your first post of the car's rear end we couldn't see the part of the rear where the "corvette" letters are supposed to be.
Probably why no one mentioned it to you.
You are correct, it's not going to be fun re-drilling all the holes for the letters. Maybe their locations are still visible from underneath.? If not your car's AIM should have the measurements.
lol I wasn't defaming GM. After all, 1972 was the era of plaid polyester pants and avocado kitchen appliances. (Both of which I lived through!) Cheap fake woodgrain was positively classy, compared to that!
But I sure do like that chain mail-look metal underneath it all better. It has a much more retro cool look.
The fashions in the early 70s were pretty bad. I even had two-tone patent leather platform shoes to go with my yellow plaid pants and polyester (think: Plastic) shirts. It was HORRIBLE.
Too bad you don't still have those yellow plaid pants , they would go well with your yellow car. You think ?
Too bad you don't still have those yellow plaid pants , they would go well with your yellow car. You think ?
It's funny. When we drive our '52 Pontiac, we often dress in '50s garb.
For some reason, wearing 1970s era polyester plaid pants and plastic shirts when we're driving the '72 'Vette just doesn't seem like the thing to do.
--
Jay
05-19-2017, 09:48 PM
