71 model year changes early to late build

Just thought of an interesting thread for anyone into 71's. I think Duane may have done this for 70 in the past. 71''s have less noticable changes in parts throughout the year but there are still several. I am using my 71 Stage-1 as a benchmark for some parts. This is after doing some research as well. Feel free to add anything about what your car has. My car is 5th week March Fisher tag and probably early April on Buick assembly line. Changes were made after dates given and may have been immediate or weeks or months after as you shall see.

Underdash wiring harness-10/27/70 Gauge harness #8904295 SE eliminated and only 8904293 SC used...My car has the gauge SE code harness and this is 5 months after change.

Core support Body mount-11/19/70 Nut 9424022 added. I have never seen one of these?

2/10/71 Heater valve changed 1369561 to 1239602
2/10/71 Heater Vacuum hose to valve re-routed through strap on heater hoses(I believe this was done as early on 1970 as this is noticbbel in Old magazine pictures. Early assembly manuals show it on the intake manifold where it would be subject to heat).
2/10/71 AC vacuum hose harness cahnged 1230188 to 12139603(maybe for more vaccum hose to engine heater valve for re-route).

2/12/71 Idle solenoid added to intake maniflod and dashpot eliminated on automatic cars. The decal for this on the radiator cover was not added until after 3/1/71. My car could not have had decal becuse of the tune-up decal being put on crooked. No Idea what was on my car dashpot or solenoid. Some cars may have come through with solenoid and no solenoid instruction decal?

2/23/71 Battery cables change on 455 from top to sidepost +8904123 RC and Negative 8904124 JF

3/19/71 Negative Battery cable removed from AC muffler strap and removed from clip on top of fender well on 455 cars.

3/19/71 Harness clip on firewall behind brake booster changed from unknown part # metal clip with black coating to plastic clip #409584. (My car still had the metal clip)

Late maybe June? Left inner fender well cahnged from type with raised triangle for cruise C. mounting to the recessed 72 type. My car had raised typ and I have seen May built with raised as well. Have seen June with recessed type.

Feel free to note what your car has.

 

Here is another one I forgot.

3/19/71 Rear fuel filler door changed from 409179 which was a black painted part with a foldover flap on the top for license plate and just two plastic nuts for plate screws. New unit was #410259 which I believe is a dull zinc. It had no flap on the top and used 4 plastic nuts for the license plate. I own both types but the older black type came on my early April Flint built car.

 

Dave,
You would enjoy looking at my '712 Dealer Service Bulletin Book.
Many items changed such as torque specs., clarifications on paint suppliers to different factories, vacuum hose color changes vs. the Chassis Service manual in an Electra, etc.
Book is about 3" thick.

 

Very late 71 cars also came with the 72 style T-3 headlights.:laugh:
Duane

 

2/12/71 Idle solenoid added to intake maniflod and dashpot eliminated on automatic cars. The decal for this on the radiator cover was not added until after 3/1/71. My car could not have had decal becuse of the tune-up decal being put on crooked. No Idea what was on my car dashpot or solenoid. Some cars may have come through with solenoid and no solenoid instruction decal?

>>I removed my 71's original dashpot and added a NOS 1971 idle solenoid kit which even came with an original 1971 idle solenoid sticker - was hoping to get a repro as the sticker I have is a little yellowed and the sticky part is dry but I may have a repro made at a local print shop.

 

Jan.27/71- To provide increased oil pressure level for non Stage 1 engines,
the Stage 1 pressure regulator spring # 1233892 is being installed in the oil pump.
Later build TH400 transmissions had a different rear accumulator piston # 8627200. Build date codes for this change for BA-224,BB-Start of production,BC-245,BT-245.
Fuel filler caps were recalled & replaced with another that did not leak/spill under brisk acceleration. I wonder how many still out there with the originals?

 

Jan/71-All 350 & 455 connecting rods were changed to remove the oil squirt holes. Either can be interchanged.
July 12-71 - Approx. 500 Centurions assembled after this date at Fairfax plant had TA code engines standard. TA was normally used as the performance option in this car as well as the GS option in the Riv..

 

8-2-71 production is now building 50% of the 71 TH400 with an intermediate roller clutch instead of the sprag clutch.
June 22-71 after this date some Buicks may be built with 1972 whitewall tires. Single stripe 0.85" wide vs. dual stripes on 1971 tires.
Feb.1-71 Fuse panel connector for power window circuits changed in shape & colour. Old black unit # 8779552, new off-white # 9885236.

 

Steve, wow you have lots more.....Chris, be prepared to pay if you want to make that decal. They were made from a polyester material. Cheaper vinyl or paper will wrinkle and look like crap. When I had my Stage-1 label made the correct way it cost me over $400. Still have not made back 20% of that. Good luck

 

Surprisingly this book deals mostly with the larger cars. A-body bulletins are few & far between.

 

I found the changeover date for the 72 style drivers inner fender. It was 3/23/71 part number 1237219 to 1239861. So it happend sometime after that date. My car Late March early April had older style. I think Duanes car iis April as well and he asid he had newer 72 style so there is the cutoff I believe early April.

 

Dave,
My 71 Stage 1 GSX was built in April and it had the regular 71 style inner fender.

The 71 350 GSX I owned was built in late June, and came with the 72 style inner fender, and 72 style headlights.
Don't start confusing cars here.
Duane

 

Duane, you need to sell some to me so I can keep them straight.:TU: I guess the date for the changeover may have happend later than early April then. I know of another June Built GS 350 Flint car with the 72 style as well.

 

As far as dashpots are concerned, my '71 was built in late march (03E) and had the dashpot on the intake, no idle soleniod or wiring harness was present.

Just because the engineering documents state a drawing date does not mean effectivity on the production line changeover from dashpots to solenoid was also on that date.

Thanks,

Ken

 

Ken,
You hit it square on the head. The date on the drawing lets you know when that revision was drawn, not when it was implemented. You need to check the cars to figure that out.
Duane

 

Kens build is exact to mine. No idle solenoid or wiring on mine either.

 

I have a Buick Dealer Service Information Bulletin dated 5-21-71.
States the solenoid being installed on all '71 V8 engines with AT. Production code 275.
Once the bullietin actually reached the dealers......2-3 weeks after production began??
Sometime around May-'71.

 

my car was built 3rd week in may,what are the chances of it having the late style license plate holder?it currently has the black type but im not sure of its originality

 

Did all of the 71's come with the 8.5" rear, or was there a changeover mid year?

 

also,when was the change over from the woodgrain shifter handle to the black one on the console cars?i know its hard to pinpoint can we get an estimated time?