rear end style question

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rear end style question

Postby 71GTKammback » Tue Nov 10, 2015 12:07 am

I have seen many 6.5" early Vega rear ends. 4 link. No panhard bar or torque arm bolt holes on the diffrrential case. The 7.5" later monza vega had the panhard and torque arm. I am looking at one that has code DC which decodes at a 75 6.5". 4 link but it has bolts for a torque arm. Why would it have 4 link and torque arm?
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Re: rear end style question

Postby monzaaddict » Tue Nov 10, 2015 2:48 pm

it was originally in a torque arm car and someone added the upper brackets.

I guess that since all 76 cars were torque arm that they could have run out of non torque arm housings at the end of 75 and just used what they had but doubt it.
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Re: rear end style question

Postby cjbiagi » Tue Nov 10, 2015 2:53 pm

No H body came with a torque arm and a 4 link, so it is likely that someone added them as mentioned.
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Re: rear end style question

Postby cammerjeff » Wed Nov 11, 2015 10:28 am

While I agree with Clyde, I have learned to never say never when it comes to cars. It is remotely possible if it came from a late production 75 it could have both. But I have never seen one or heard of one.
I have seen some odd stuff go down the assembly line to keep the line moving over the years.
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Re: rear end style question

Postby cjbiagi » Wed Nov 11, 2015 1:39 pm

Jeff, while it is true that wierd parts can get installed on the assembly line, especially back in the 60's and 70's, why would a rearend even exist on GM shelves with both the panhard bar and 4 link brackets welded on? This would have had to be something someone did i I think. I don't see a rearend going down the line and being built with both style brackets being welded on.....I suppose anything is possible though. I still highly doubt it came out of GM that way.
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Re: rear end style question

Postby cammerjeff » Wed Nov 11, 2015 7:10 pm

Like I said I agree with you about it probably being swapped out with the upper brackets being added. But after being involved many years ago in documenting a 74 Super Duty Trans Am as legit and it having the 75 and later wrap around rear window, not the smaller 70-74 rear window. The car was built during the last 2 days of the 1974 Model year production. It was a very rusty 100,000 mile Michigan car, and the one hidden VIN remaining (the other had rusted away so could not be verified) it was determined to be original. No documentation exists to verify that a few late 74 F-bodies were built using the 75 body shells. But there it was. The Pontiac community is still arguing if it was rebodied or not. If it was it happened early in its life, and the somehow transferred the stamped Body VIN without welding the body piece in. The car is still sitting unrestored in a friends pole barn as it would cost a fortune to restore. And probably never be accepted as legit.
I could see a senerio where the 74 Vega demand was higher than anticipated due to the 1st Gas Crisis occurring early in the 74 model year. And the supplier of the rear axles changing over to the torque arm style center castings running out of the earlier 4-ling casings. And substituting the torque arm centers as opposed to casting more of the 4-link centers. Not saying it happened but there is a slight possibility.
If the axle in question looks to never have a panhard bar bracket installed I could see it. But I agree 99% chance it was swapped over at some point.
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77 Astre Formula, some day soon powered by a 215 Buick V-8
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Re: rear end style question

Postby Monza Harry » Wed Nov 11, 2015 9:23 pm

I think that Jeff is right it is possible that the housing was used for any number of possible reasons. My Gr. 9 Math teacher was telling us of the games they would play on his summer job (local Chrysler assembly plant) He and others would create parts sheets so a set of 2 white doors would end up with the blue 4 door sedan, [ :lol: :haha: :roll: ] obviously this wouldn't work but the torque arm centre with Vega tubes would actually fit. So who can actually say if it happened or which way? Harry
I'm not a hoarder I'm a preservationist 78 Monza Spyder (~Soon(ish +/- I guess) To Be 2+2 with Spoilers)
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