Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

[Greg Y.]

Quick question, did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R. installed? If not, was it specifically LT1 and Big Block cars? All 4-Speed cars? Thanks!

[Joe L.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

Quick question, did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R. installed? If not, was it specifically LT1 and Big Block cars? All 4-Speed cars? Thanks!

Greg------


All 1972 Corvettes were originally equipped with AIR EXCEPT non-California base engine (suffix code "CKW" or "CKX").

[Patrick H.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

Or, another way to say it is that 49 state base motor cars did not have AIR and everything else did.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

Quick check of about 17 Canadian-delivered 1972 cars indicates that LS5 had K19 but LT1 (as well as base engines) did not. This may be due to less strict envionmental specs up here.

[Michael W.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

Wayne-

If the anti-pollution equipment that comprised K19 was basic to the specification that the engine was built to, would it still call out K19 on your sheet? I note that the number of '72 cars built with the LS5 engine was 3913 and the number of K19 equipped cars was one less at 3912. How strange.

Also- having seen several LT-1s known to be delivered in Canada, all had an AIR pump.

[Ken P.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

K19 is NOT listed separately on my LT-1 order copy.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

Wayne-

If the anti-pollution equipment that comprised K19 was basic to the specification that the engine was built to, would it still call out K19 on your sheet? I note that the number of '72 cars built with the LS5 engine was 3913 and the number of K19 equipped cars was one less at 3912. How strange.

Also- having seen several LT-1s known to be delivered in Canada, all had an AIR pump.

Don't know how to explain it. Here's an even stranger situation. 1972 LS5 convertible VIN 08130; below is a pic of the window sticker taken while car was on the dealer's lot. Notice NO K19. I also have the GM Canada microfiche which lists K19 and a bunch of other equipment that does not appear on the window sticker; ie. F62, GV5, G32, K19, L08, ZK8, W84. Some of these are identified on Ken P's order copy.

Mike, do you know where/when the Canadian window stickers were applied ?



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[Michael W.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

Mike, do you know where/when the Canadian window stickers were applied ?

Sorry, not a clue on that one. I wonder if it just a mere coincidence that the total of LS5 and K19 for '72 are only one number apart. Possibly the qty. 3912 K19 were California base engine cars to fall in line with Patrick's statement? Strange also is that no other year of C3 production calls out K19 in the production totals.

[Joe L.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

All-------


1972 was a somewhat strange year for emissions control. I do not know why there is a listing for K-19 but I think it's somehow related to another build code used for 1972 and that code was NB-2. NB-2 deleted federal emissions and replaced it with California emissions.

As far as I know, there were no 1972 Corvettes built without AIR except base engine non-California cars. In order for LT-1's to have been built for sale anywhere without AIR, there would have to have been an engine code for an LT-1 engine which did not include features to support AIR installation. As far as I know, no such code or engine existed. I believe the only known engine codes for 1972 LT-1 were "CKY" and "CKZ" (for ZR-1). Both of these engines included provisions for AIR. While some references show a "CRS" and "CRT" code for LT-1, I don't think these codes were actually used.

[Michael W.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

I dug into NB-2, superficially at least. It was installed on 1766 cars, presumably all base engine sold in California. Engine codes CDH and CDJ make mention of it's presence, but no other codes for 1972. This blows the above theory about the 3912 K19 cars. Hmmm, back to square one.

[John H.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

K19 didn't show on '69-up Camaro window stickers either, as it was part of the basic engine specification; K19 DID show on '67-'68 Camaro window stickers when it was an option and was required on California-delivered cars. If it was part of the basic engine specification and wasn't an orderable option, it wasn't on the sticker.

[Dick W.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

Mo' Ralphie photos

[Greg Y.]

Re: Did all 1972 Corvettes have A.I.R.?

Thanks for all the great input! I was asking because I just purchased a used, complete A.I.R. system for my 1972 LT1 and I was wondering the application possibilities for the system. It turns out that the A.I.R. system that I purchased was removed from an LT1 (I inquired with the seller after posting this thread) and it seems to make more sense now, based upon the responses, most small blocks (other than those prepared for California delivery) did not use the A.I.R. system. I checked the order copy for my car and it did not list K19 seperately either, the car was originally delivered in Colorado.

Ken, our cars seem very similar, mine is SS Gray with a black Leather Custom interior as well with no other options other than LT1, Custom Deluxe Front Shoulder Belts, a Heavy Duty Battery, Radio and White Lettered Tires. My car also has a 3.70 rear axle ratio, but paired with the wide-ratio transmission.

Greg