OK, at a loss here and the gallery searches didn't help, so I'm hoping the gurus can weigh in. I am mocking up some parts prior to final body work and I'm stumped with my front valance and hood latch support fitment. I'm never had a small bumper car fully assembled so I'm trying to piece together what goes where. I have a '72 Comet front valance, and a '73 front support (which appears the same as a '71 support I also have). I know the gravel shield (which is on but not seen in the photo) and grille spacer and latch support are Comet unique and I have all Comet parts here but I can't figure out what goes in the holes on the center of the valance or what clips into the center support - the one without a bolt in it in the first photo. The center brace (the piece in yellow-green zinc chromate in the photos) lines up fine with the rad support and bottom of the valance (grey primer) but I don't know what to make of the holes and gap between the two. Does the bumper actually bolt to the valance through those holes? I've included photos below that show the top inside of the valance opening under the stone shield as looking down through the rad opening on the engine bay side. Am I missing a brace or do the two not connect? They connect at the bottom of the valance fine but I'm scratching my head over this one.
Sure thing Dave, no rush but I thought I held them up ('73 - '71 supports) to each other and they looked the same so I thought I just missed something. My 71 is up in my garage attic buried since it was 'surplus' and a little ratty so I didn't have it handy....
I think the 73 actually has 'D3" something stamped right into it. I didn't know they were different either, since I've only had 73's 74's & 75's. But when I bought a 72 valance from Fred (the seat cover guy) he told me I would need it.
Yeah I know my support has a D3 on it for sure and I knew the mouth openings were a little wider on '73's but like I said I didn't think I eyeballed a difference between the two....wanted to make sure there wasn't another bracket off of the support...
The 2 holes on the top of the front valence are for the front license plate mounting bracket and the other on the latch support is for the gravel shield (bumper filler) center mounting bolt.
The center supports ARE different from 1970-1972 and then 1973. You will need a 1970-1972 center support.
Thanks for all the replies...the holes on the valance do fit the licence plate bracket so that one is solved but the gravel shield is actually already on it you just can't see it in the photo - there is a separate clip for it. I've added an updated photo that shows the gravel shield and the gap. The '73 valence must sit closer to the support. I will have to dig out my '71 support and see if it's good enough to use....and yes I think I put the licence plate bracket on upside down....
You have the liscence plate bracket on the right way, there is a little rubber bumper that fits in that square hole on top of the bracket. This is what my 1972 center support looks like you can see how it comes out, it bolts in behind the liscence plate, you can see its the middle hole in your last picture. Sorry bout the horrible cell phone pic, in the dark, in the parking lot at work.
thanks, I can really tell from your pic I have the wrong bracket in there for an early valence. A '73 valance must really sit tighter to the rad support. Thanks for the photo evidence...
