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I have a pretty original '72 LS5. It's an early one ( Oct 71 ). I've found only a few incorrect parts and am wondering about one in particular. As far as I can determine, the AIR pump system has never been touched, all numbers and dates match except for the passenger side hose. It has "GM 3951458 JD GATES" markings. It is clamped in place by the original, correctly sized and dated tower clamps.
My question: Is there anyway this could be an original hose ???
I think that it's VERY possible, even likely, that the hose you have is the original piece. Although this part number might generally be regarded as used for 73s, I think that it's very possible for it to have been used on 72s. Here's why:
1) GM #3951458 was a 69-issued part number. Therefore, it certainly existed at the time that your car was produced. Likely, this hose was used in PRODUCTION for other applications besides Corvette from 1969;
2) GM #3951458 was a PRODUCTION-only part; it was never available in SERVICE. So, it couldn't be that it was a SERVICE-replacement part for your car. Of course, there's always the possibility that it was removed from another car and installed on yours. I doubt it, though, considering the otherwise apparent originality of your system;
3) The 72 and 73 AIR systems were very similarly configured so there's no practical reason why the 3951458 couldn't have been used in PRODUCTION for your application;
4) It's remotely possible, although I can't confirm it, that GM #3951458 was not even a part number for a specific hose but, rather, the part number for the bulk stock from which it was cut. The particular hose used on your car was a non-molded hose. Although it did have a specific PRODUCTION part number, that part number did not necessarily have to be the same one as stamped on the hose.
Joe: Thankyou for your detailed response. I'm definetly considering going for a bowtie with this car - but I'm finding these non-standard things.
By the way: Is the GM parts book published somewhere??? This business of production vs. service parts is interesting and you seem to have very good reference material.
GM parts catalogs have not been published by GM in paper form since 1993. There are no current "reproductions" of these catalogs that I am aware of. There is NO one catalog or book ever available that will provide information for all applications/requirements. My reference sources number in the hundreds and I've collected them over a period of 35 years continuing right up through the present time.
So how would a simple fellow like myself ever convince a judge on the judging field that this is in fact - probably the correct hose. Seems like it would be far easier to by a repro - yet that is certainly counterproductive to the goal.
That's a question that I can't answer. However, I can tell you this: I'd bet that you'd be surprised at how many cars have been made non-original in order to make the "original" (i.e. conform to the JG or other "conventional wisdom"). I would NOT change the hose under any circumstances. There aren't enough "points" to be lost to matter, anyway.
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