Wing Cutouts on 72 Duster340

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dmoore

dmoore

NO IT'S NOT RESTORED
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How many of you have an original 72 Duster340 with the factory deck lid spoiler cutouts? Please provide your vehicles SPD has shown on the fender tag. The deck lid below has an SPD of 820. One of the last built.

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I've got a 71 with cutouts but my 72 doesn't have em. I'm guessing Early 72 cars may have gotten the spill over deck lids from 71. Does it have the rib down the center of the deck lid or is it smooth?
 
The trunk lid pictured is a friend of mines 72 Duster340 of which he purchased in 1979 from the original owner. It was not replaced in the 7 years of his ownership and of course still had the original B5 blue paint. The SPD of the vehicle is 820 being one of the last 72 Duster340 cars to roll off the line. I thought it strange that this late build 72 would have cutouts for the rear spoiler option...very strange. I have owned several 72 Duster340 cars and none of them had the cutouts for the spoiler option...just a single hole in each corner.

Another interesting item is the lack of the seat belt warning light on the dash just below the headlight switch. This indicator was found on a couple of my earlier 72's with SPD'S of Jan & March.

Of course 70 was the only year with the "flat" truck lid....due to "oil canning" the "spine" was added to the 71 & later vehicles.
 
My 1971 Duster is totally original being a 2 owner car and Im number 2 and it has no spine on deck lid
 

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My 71 Duster 340 trunk lid (no spine) has cut-outs, my 72 Demon 340 trunk lid (with spine) has no cut outs.
Both cars are 'untouched'....

The spine came in 1972 first, I believe to have read somewhere, that this innovation was necessary because of 'structural weakness' and therefore deformation of the trunk lid when closing...but I'm not sure about this explanation.
 
What are the first 10 digits of the VIN on this 820 SPD Duster?

I believe to have read somewhere, that this innovation was necessary because of 'structural weakness' and therefore deformation of the trunk lid when closing...but I'm not sure about this explanation.
Click to expand...

Correct on the reason for the spine. The spine appeared during the 1971 model year. Early cars had the non spine decklid.
 
The SPD of the vehicle is 820 being one of the last 72 Duster340 cars to roll off the line. I thought it strange that this late build 72 would have cutouts for the rear spoiler option...very strange.

Another interesting item is the lack of the seat belt warning light on the dash just below the headlight switch. This indicator was found on a couple of my earlier 72's with SPD'S of Jan & March.
Click to expand...

The way I'm reading your post, if the SPD is 820 isn't that 820 of 1971 and not 72? My 72 Demon SPD is 823 of 71 :scratch:

Also, my car doesn't have the seat belt warning light on the dash. I'm not sure when that was added from the factory, but it was later in the model year...
 
My 72 340 Duster does not have cutouts and it was built 10/71. Pretty sure my car had the original decklid until I just rmoved it recently due to some serious rust under the lip above the tail panel
 
Your 8/20 scheduled build car would be an early '72.
I bet the sequential number in the V.I.N. would be 150XXX or so to back it up.
That being said, the ribbed or ''spine'' deck lid showed up on the late '71 cars as well as the bumper jack slots that all of the '72s had.
I had a late build '71 Duster (07/ 23/ 71) that had the ribbed trunk lid w/cut outs for the spoiler and bumper jack slots. It was an all original slant 6 car including paint if that matters.
My '71 Demon Sizzler has a flat trunk lid with spoiler cut outs and it's build date is late Feb of '71, and it's all original. It has no slots in the bumpers for the '72 style jack either.
A footnote here is that the trunk lids are easily changed due to damage etc. so if it isn't original paint, (or documented) then who knows what has been done in it's past?
 
6pk2goDemon said:
The way I'm reading your post, if the SPD is 820 isn't that 820 of 1971 and not 72? My 72 Demon SPD is 823 of 71 :scratch:

Also, my car doesn't have the seat belt warning light on the dash. I'm not sure when that was added from the factory, but it was later in the model year...
Click to expand...

820 of 71 is correct...I stated in my original post one of the last...I mean't to say one of the first...I see why your scratching your head!
 
- Marvin - said:
My 71 Duster 340 trunk lid (no spine) has cut-outs, my 72 Demon 340 trunk lid (with spine) has no cut outs.
Both cars are 'untouched'....

The spine came in 1972 first, I believe to have read somewhere, that this innovation was necessary because of 'structural weakness' and therefore deformation of the trunk lid when closing...but I'm not sure about this explanation.
Click to expand...

...I have to add that my Duster was built in March 1971.
 
My 71 340 duster was built 01/71 has flat trunk and cutouts.
 
Has anyone here a 71 Duster / Demon with - original - spine-trunk lid ?

I know one 71 Duster in Germany with spine (SPD in May), but this car is not 'untouched' and the Crop Duster is also no 'reference car'...;)
 
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