Hey, what is the year when the top of the fender is smooth? 70?
You know were the hood meets the inside of the engine bay. 71-72 have indentations and the 70 fenders dont? Or am i backwards?

My w30 is all torn apart, and i just noticed one fender has indentations. The other fender dose not.

 

Yes the 70's were flat. 71-72 had the crumple ridges.

 

ok, thats what i thought thank you.

Anyone in mass have a 70 front fender? Trade for a 71/72? Or $$..The one i have is perfect...but not a 70

 

I've got the same thing with my 70. Drivers side is a 71-72.

 

For some odd reason, the same guy seems to be beside me almost every year at the OCA Nationals -- and every year I hear the same story about how his 1971 was a "changeover car" because it has a smooth fender on one side and the crinkles in the other. If you have an early 1971, the fenders may have always been different.

 

Early 71s were smooth as well. Both my September built 71442 from Lansing and my 71 SX from Arlington, built in December, had smooth fenders on both sides. The crumpled fenders were fazed in as supplies of the smooth fenders were used up. Of course the strike delayed that even further.

 

Most federal safety laws went into effect on cars built after Jan 1 of the year in question. Since the 1971 model year production started in August, many cars could have been built prior to the law taking effect. After Jan 1, all cars built needed to comply.

You see the same thing on other safety items, like the CHMSL (third brake light). It was required on cars built after Jan 1, 1985. The 1985 Calais that I used to own and both the 85 D88s we have today were built prior to Jan 1 and don't have the light.