Thoroughly confused about '71-2 RR decals...

So I have a '71 GTX 1/24th scale model kit I want to build as a Road Runner. In my search for decals I have been looking at old ads for these cars. I remember my '72 (no strobe stripe) having the decal between the door and wheel opening (bought from original owner and yes, it was just a RR, not a GTX/RR). Looking at ads shows the decal on a '71 to be over the wheelwell. Imagine my surprise when I have found ads for '72 showing both locations.
Can someone shed a little light on this for me? Not essential for a model build but more to satisfy my curiosity.


Tim

Cars both 71 and 72 with a full vinyl top did not get the strobe stripe. I'll see what pics I can round but I'm sure others will chime in.

Bear in mind that ad cars & illustrations were done well in advance of production; for example, the '69 GTX used in dealer films differs in several ways from production.
What I recall is '71 birds were above the rear wheel openings, and '72s were moved lower & forward, between rear wheel opening & door opening.
You'll need to reference survivor & untouched original cars.

71 had the bird in the stripe. Non stripe cars got the emblems with I think a decal birds.
72 both stripe and non stripe got the emblems with decals.
I think this is how it was.
Maybe Butterscotch will chime in.

The '72 I had did not have a vinyl top.




Original ads do show '71 over the wheelwell. That's what threw me as I remembered the '72 I had as being between the door and wheelwell. But I have seen original ads for '72's that are both ways.
I'll See if I can find those ads again and try to post some pictures in case moparmarks can't find any.


Tim

Could have just been optioned with stripe delete too.

Pretty much every 71-2 RR that I've owned had a stripe.
This is an all original 72 built 8-71

I think every '71-2 RR I've seen had a stripe. Very possible it was optioned that way. I don't know if the original owner ordered it or bought it from a dealers inventory (440- 4 spd. in B5 w/ black interior and no console). This was back in the early 80s and I wish I had kept the fender tag and looked for the broadcast sheet. I did buy it totaled just for the drivetrain. I think I still have a picture of it.
And I can't find the ad with a '72 with the '71 decal placement. One thing I did notice was one of the '72 ads was actually a drawing. Makes me wonder if the other ad was a touched-up '71. I'll keep looking as I tried a lot of different search terms.


Tim

The '72 brochure that I have has all illustrations, no photos.
Prior to that, the brochures had a lot of photo-retouch work.

i am no RR expert but i did own a 72 RR for about 15 years. unfortunately it had the v21 v25 hood and deck lid stripes so i don't know from experience on over the roof strobe stripes.

i was under the impression the 71 over the roof strobe stripe was in a slightly different location than the 72 stripe. i THINK the 71 was a little further back than the 72 was.
i was under the impression the running bird decal and N plate was over the rear wheel opening on 71 cars. my 72 the running bird and N plate was slightly above the lower body line about 1" back from the door / 1/4 panel. gap. every 72 i looked at was in the same place, even ones with the roof strobe stripe.

I have copies of the technical drawings for '70 and '71 trim, paint, and decals. The drawings for the strobe stripes are dated 2-2-70 and 2-18-71. If I can get the wife to help (well, actually do it), I will post them.

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Very cool, Dave. Thanks for sharing those.


Tim

From pics in my mind, both 71 & 72 had the over-the-roof strobe stripes offered - either with no V. top, or with the Landau V. top. The 72 had a little different width toward the bottom (wider), & a smaller strobe pattern (more blocks), like shown in the diagrams. Since these drawings are done prior to production of vehicles, sometimes there are differences between planned, & production, but these drawings coincide with what I've seen on cars back in the day.

I've always thought that the placement between 71 and 72 was the same. 71 has wider strobes and of course the bird in the lowest strobe.

Strobes were an option for both 71 and 72. When not optioned on a 71, there was a "road runner" emblem on the quarter over the rear tires with the running bird decal above it. The 71 strobe had the "road runner" cut out of the bottom stripe and the running bird decal applied over the stripe above the cutout. For 72, regardless of strobe or not, the "road runner" emblem and running bird decal was located on the quarter in front of the wheel opening above the body character line. The 72 strobe didn't have any lettering or bird in it.