Going through my assembly manual and came across this "Lower Air Dam Reinforcement P/N 410410). I have a 72 CS and to my knowledge my car did not come with one . I asked Scott Winn aka (Oldspackrat) if he has come across one and he has not.
Can someone help me and Scott out and tell us what years and cars they installed them on and why?

 

There's one on my 1970 455.

I thought they were installed on 455s to aid cooling.

 

i got a few of those all my 70 cars w A/C 350 310 HP had em and also Rallye 350 w HD cooling (3.91)

 

I am only referring to the reinforcement. I have the Air Dam and I also have AC.

 

Is it metal in front of the plastic part ?

 

I don't know if it is metal. Is yours?

 

The one on my car is made out of steel

 

The reinforcement is a metal piece. According to the parts cataloge those are for 71/72 442. Engine size is not mentioned in determining if cars got these or not. Seems like very few cars have them now days. I looked at a low mileage 72 350 442 a few months ago and it did not have it. Hard to track this after almost 50 years and with the location being under the front bumper I would guess a lot were damaged and removed.

Don W

 

So only the 442's got the metal reinforcements. and the non 442's just got the plastic air dams?
Interesting that the 350 442 did not have it, but like you said it may have been damaged.

 

So it looks like the page from the 72 assembly manual you posted it says
L75 & L77 with 4 speed
The same page in the 71 assembly manual says
4400
Parts catalog says
71 - 72 4400
So maybe it did have something to do with having a 455. The 455 was standard in 71 and optional (L75 & L77) in 72.

Don W

 

nope just common plastic 70

 

Terry VETTE442 was under the impression that the V CODE 1972 Cutlass "would" have come with 410410 in 1972. My car did not have one when I purchased it. This piece would not have done well in a minnesota winter

 

I got one of these pieces with my 71 442 but the car was disassembled so I can’t guarantee that it was originally with this car.

 

Parts listing is reflected as follows:

http://www.gmpartswiki.com/getpage?pageid=85019

 

I had a 1972 442 with a 350CI, AC, and 4 core radiator that came with the steel reinforcement.

 

Don't think I can get one for $5.40 do you?????

This is great finding out more about my car and its history.
So what would have been its real purpose. Granted reinforcing the plastic but the plastic it self is fairly ridged. I don't see much of a gain other than more weight and something to rust away.

 

'80-'84 Regency's have a plastic vertical piece in the same position, mounted the same way. However, the later cars had a taller piece, 4 inches versus 2 inches for the earlier cars. I used to remove mine for the winter to keep the snow from plugging the rad.