I like the small skirts on that one! The car doesn't have airbags however, it has shoulder belts and the steering and entire lower dash is not the same. These pictures show the difference on cars with A.C.R.S.
Looks like the trunk on the '75 coupe is damaged, mine is flush. Is the Airbag car yours? I wonder if they still work?
Yes it is mine, I don't know if they still work but I won't try them! I have spares from a 74 Electra that I bought on Ebay but the passenger side module is different from mine. The rest is the same, even the ugly color!
So they have passenger airbags too? What are those little things on the top of the fenders? My car was repainted and alot of the trim stuff was removed and scrapped. I see them on the other Electras too.
The chrome things on top of the fenders are the optional fiber optic light monitors -- the were used to show if your headlights and turn signals were on. From 74 - on there were also monitors for the rear lights. They were mounted above the rear window.
Yes they do, look at the picture you'll notice that the lower a/c duct is not at the same location as it is on cars without airbags. The line over the airbag cover is visible too. On cars with air bags, the entire lower dash was padded and covered with vinyl like the upper dash pad. On the driver's side, it was called a knee restraint. Carl is right about the monitors. 74-76 Electras with the option (and newer ones too) had rear monitors above the backglass, visible in the rear view mirror.
Just in case, there are some headlight bezels on ebay for 10 bucks each if you are looking for some. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2497785230&category=34204 just do a search for his other auctions to find the other side.
Allstate made a couple of ads in the early seventies with Ford products equipped with air bags. I have a similar ad from an old National Geographic magazine. This ad mentions that GM planned to install air bags in 50000 cars in 1974... In fact, there were only about 10000 GM cars with this option in the 1974-75-76 period and Ford and Chrysler never made them available to the public in this period. Lee Iaccoca said in the eighties that the air bag developpement did cost 80 million $ to GM in developpement but were installed in just 10000 GM vehicules. This link also has interesting information about air bags http://www.motorvista.com/airhist.htm
Yup, I remember this in my "cars of the seventies" report for school. I'd love to insure a 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham and get the driver/passenger airbag discount from Pemco.
no the car on ebay for sale with air bags was tan. that im sure of cause it caught my eye cause it was the same color of mine. i wonder if the bags would still work? oh i got my bumperfillers original buick part near mint condirtio. im gonna go see about having some made out of metal. pm me if you are interested in a set or a single one made out of metal. ________ STRAWBERRY COUGH
I'm wondering if this 1974 Riviera has air bags, I can't see the shoulder belts on the pictures. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2497706089&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT
I asked the seller about clearer pics and I got no reply. Maybe he (or she) doesn't have a digital camera.
here some more pics (again too small for being wallpaper), but what a (no air bags) beautiful car: 1974 Riviera GS Stage I http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4501320848&fromMakeTrack=true
This non-Stage 1 doesn't look bad either http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6142&item=4500800875&rd=1
BTW: 78ParkAvenue I love that Mt. Vernon Cream on an Electra. This one was I had as wallpaper for a long time (with vinyl top though):
