1972 air cleaner base sticker

[Jeff W.]

In a follow up to my previous post on this, I know that the PP sticker is not correct and has been taken off. I have bought the correct CR sticker, but as you see in the photo, big difference in size. My question is during judging would it be better to go with no sticker or go with one that I feel is the wrong size even though it is the correct verbage?
Thanks for the help.
Jeff

[Kent K.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

Jeff,
If the lower one in your photo is the original, why not put it back on? It'll judge fine.

[Jeff W.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

I say original, it was the one that was on there when I bought it with 53,000 miles on it. One of the previous owners was obsessed with POR 15 and it took me forever to strip all of it off and repaint. As Patrick Hulst pointed out, we have no clue where a "PP" sticker was ever used. I have purchased the CR from 3 different companies and they all look the same.

[Harmon C.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

The replacement decal is better than none at all. The decal may be judged with the housing. If the judge decides the decal is one point of total even if it has a small problem it would need to be added to something else to make a full point deduction.

[Chuck S.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

I say original, it was the one that was on there when I bought it with 53,000 miles on it. One of the previous owners was obsessed with POR 15 and it took me forever to strip all of it off and repaint. As Patrick Hulst pointed out, we have no clue where a "PP" sticker was ever used. I have purchased the CR from 3 different companies and they all look the same.

Judging from the weathered appearance of the sticker, I'm thinking it could be the original sticker. Is that a GM part number below the "PP"?...if it is, maybe Joe Lucia can track down the application for you. I don't know how many years you've had the car, but 53000 is pretty low mileage...but, it's the years a car has been exposed to unappreciating owners that is important, not the miles.

The only way I can see that the sticker is not the original is if an entire air cleaner base was transferred to your Corvette from another vehicle...air cleaner bases are fairly unique to the engines; if you can find another possible application on a passenger car, you may have an explanation for it being atypical.

Be careful about trying to duplicate the appearance of another car that was built at a different time...this applies to parts, chassis markings, whatever. This is the perfect way to destroy history and information by "throwing the baby out with the bath water".

Over the years, I'm sure that a multitude of judging points have been lost on configurations thought to be atypical of factory production, only to have the judging guides later revised to include these attributes as rare, maybe even standard, original factory production.

The judging guides are only as good as the experience of current judge authors (i.e. how many cars have they seen), and their incisefulness and open-mindedness regarding new information that has never been observed before. If such observations with appearance of originality are dismissed without more study because it's never been seen before, then it's possible the information will be lost for all time.

In my opinion, it's better to take a minor deduction than risk destroying history...if YOU make yours look like all the others, no one is going to have the opportunity to learn from this apparent anomaly. In the end, you may only have your high principle to inspire self-confidence...not the judging points.

Edit: Receiving the same reproduction parts from a multitude of vendors is typical. Unless a vendor has a reputation for providing very accurate reproduction parts that they manufacture, or have manufactured, for their exclusive resale, it's likely that ALL the vendors will be selling the same inaccurate reproduction parts. Once you've tried one or two of the most reputable vendors, and find they are selling the same part, you can quit looking...everyone will have that same part to offer, all supplied by the same manufacturer.

[Jeff W.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

The part number on the sticker is 6424826. OK Joe, if you read this have a shot!!! I will hold off on doing anything with the stickers until we hear something.
Thanks for the input.
Jeff

[Joe L.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

The part number on the sticker is 6424826. OK Joe, if you read this have a shot!!! I will hold off on doing anything with the stickers until we hear something.
Thanks for the input.
Jeff

Jeff-----

I can find no record of GM #6424826. Obviously, that doesn't mean it didn't exist since you have one. Also, it's part of a series of Rochester Division part numbers that were assigned to air cleaner assemblies or major components thereof.

There are at least several possibilities here. First and foremost is the likelihood that this was a part number not originally used for a Chevrolet vehicle. While I can find no Chevrolet application for it, that does not mean that it wasn't used on some other GM car.

It's also possible that it was a PRODUCTION-only part number used for some Chevrolet model. I do not have complete references for PRODUCTION-only part numbers; sometimes I can find them, sometimes not. However, I kind of doubt this scenario in this case. In any event, I don't think this part number was ever originally used on a Corvette.

Another piece of information implied by the part number is that it was a piece originally released before 1970. There were no closed element air cleaners of the 70+ style used on Corvettes prior to 1970 and I don't think that any of those used prior to 1970 on other Chevrolets was ever used on a post-1970 Corvette. Also, the larger size label implies an older air cleaner.

I don't doubt that the label is original to the air cleaner. However, the question is whether the air cleaner is original to the car and/or "correct" for the car. The existing label implies that it isn't.

[Patrick H.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

NOS stickers of part number 6424826 are available through a Buick parts dealer on the web and listed as 68-75, as are closed dual snorkel air cleaner assemblies of 1969 and 1970 which logically match with this sticker.

Evidence suggests that this may be a Buick piece that someone deemed "close enough" to a Corvette piece.

Patrick

http://www.oldbuickparts.com/nos/71parts.htm

YagottaloveGoogle.

[Chuck S.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

Jeff, in view of Joe's response, I believe I would confirm that the air filter base you have is correct for your car...if the sticker is not correct, then there is the chance the air cleaner is from another earlier GM car as Joe said.

I looked on the dual snorkel filter base I have for my 70, which should be the same as your 72, and I could find NO PART number, in fact no markings of any kind. Posting a picture of the air filter base might help identify the base.

From the 70 AIM, the original part number for the air filter assembly was 6485887, which is contemporary with your 6424826 label. It's possible this dual snorkel design was originally used on an earlier GM car other than the Corvette...in that case, the base could be correct but the label incorrect, indicating that when applied to Corvette, an new label part number was used.

If the air cleaner base was still being installed on another GM car during the 72 model year, then there is a chance that inventory shortfall forced Corvette to substitute air cleaner assemblies from another GM car until Corvette stock could be replenished. To document this as a true factory anomaly, you would have to find 72 Corvette VINs near yours that have the same style label on the air cleaner...assuming they all haven't been restored with the repro label. It is more likely that a previous owner picked up an air cleaner at a swap meet to replace one missing or damaged. I suppose by this time, you're ready to just accept an inaccurate repro label.

Substitution happened on more important components than an air cleaner, and is still happening...some 2008 Z51 owners are puzzled to find they don't have grease fittings on the rear toe links (some say Z51s don't have them anymore; I haven't confirmed this info)...and some base suspension owners are puzzled to find they have the fittings when the base suspension is not supposed to have them.

[Chuck S.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

NOS stickers of part number 6424826 are available through a Buick parts dealer on the web and listed as 68-75, as are closed dual snorkel air cleaner assemblies of 1969 and 1970 which logically match with this sticker...

Now, Patrick, you're demonstrating how a good judge/restorer should think in my opinion . "This part is close, but doesn't look like the Corvette part...But, it appears to be a bonified GM part; what the devil IS IT??!!"...Not merely rollover and take what others are offering as the gospel.

Buick is the division I had already imagined might be using "yesteryears" designs...the air cleaner base is probably from a 69 Buick. It was a swap meet acquisition, and not a production line substitution.

[Joe L.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

Curiously, the AC A329C air cleaner element was also used on many 1969-75 Buicks. So, as Patrick mentions, it looks like someone found a replacement air cleaner that originally resided on a Buick and was configured similar to the Corvette air cleaner. Plus, they found one that also used the A329C element as was originally used on the 1972 Corvette.

[Jeff W.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

OK, now you guys are costing me more than a $5 sticker. Here is a picture of my air cleaner base. Times like this you say to yourself, why did I ask this question!!! Seriously, I do appreciate all that this group does.
Thanks
Jeff

[Jeff W.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

Also, I could not locate any numbers on this base.

[Patrick H.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

OK, now you guys are costing me more than a $5 sticker. Here is a picture of my air cleaner base. Times like this you say to yourself, why did I ask this question!!! Seriously, I do appreciate all that this group does.
Thanks
Jeff

I see one obvious difference:

The retention "tabs" or dents in the bottom of each snorkel. I think that on a Buick they hold the cold air intake hose. These bumps are not present on a Corvette air cleaner.

Patrick

[Chuck S.]

Re: 1972 air cleaner base sticker

Yeah, those looked a little strange to me too, Patrick, but I wasn't sure...mine didn't have them.

I would've thought cold air hoses would have clamps that retained them to the snorkel, but the flared snorkel end might have complicated that...you're saying maybe there was some kind of molded end with a tab that was screwed to that "bump"?

Jeff, I agree we have now ended up costing you a lot of money unless you want to take another minor deduct...of course, added to that repro label, those minor deducts are going to start adding up. Last I saw, those dual snorkel filters or bases were running $275-$300, however that was a while back. Maybe you can find an original filter with an original sticker now that you know what one looks like.

But...You were GOING to find out one way or the other. Would you rather have found out before Carlise or after? On the judging field or off?