I have a question regarding the optional round gauges vs. the Standard swept gauge package. I have a 72 with the round gauge dash. I don't have any gauges other then the standard, speedo and fuel. The rest are idiot lights. Why would anyone have ordered the round gauge option but not have a the gauges (tach, oil, etc.). There is nothing else on the car that indicates it's an SS. Was it normal to just have the Round dash and not have all the gauges? I would have thought "no gauges, no round dash".. Does this make since??

I've got the round gauge/idiot lights on my '71. Best I can think of is with the small gas gauge on other gauge versions, the steering wheel kind of (just barely) would obstruct the view of the fuel...maybe some people who just wanted to cruise and didn't need to know what RPMs they were at, etc. Also, at night you're going to notice a red light light up rather than checking the needles on the gauges.

What you have is the standard gauges for an SS. U14 gauge package was optional.

Guess I'm a little flustard.. I don't know if I have an SS or not (no build sheet). Could this option be ordered for a Malibu? I know my car is a big block car due to the "u" (402)code in the vin

Should be a "v" not a "u". Keep digging, it's possible you have an SS.

In the Vin it appears to be a "u".. It's start with 1D37U2K

I was under the impression,
that you could order the gauges as an option,
on any Chevelle.
:confused:

Does the car have, a 12 bolt rear, disc brakes,
boxed rear control arms, rear swaybar ?

If its got those things too, it might be an SS, but as those things were standard to the SS, I'd bet they could've been options, on other trim levels.

Maybe what you have is a "Heavy Chevy".

Those are cool too. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

The Non-guage dash was not available in the malibu- Its posible that someone changed out the dashboards- but its also possible that you may have an real SS. Any other signs point to it? ex: Diskbrakes, 12 bolt rear end?

If you have Disk brakes & a 12 bolt, along with the big block vin # & the SS Dash, then it would be a pretty good guess that you have an SS car!

:D

It has a posi twelve bolt now... When I picked it up it had the standard 10 bolt, no boxed rear control arms. The only sign it's could be an SS is the stardard cowl hood, and the dash....Doesn't have front disk either... Who knows...Heavy Chevy's have a different code in the vin, but I can't think of what it is at this moment....

I don't think any heavy chevy "Malibus" were built.

Originally posted by DN:
Should be a "v" not a "u". Keep digging, it's possible you have an SS. '72s never came with a "V" in the VIN.
A "U" indicates the LS3 402.

All the '72 SS cars came with front disk brakes.
If you ordered an SS without the optional gauges you would get the round speedometer with idiot lights. You could not get that configuration in a non-SS (but you could get a round speedo with gauges in a Malibu).

Note that all '70-'72 Monte Carlos came with a round speedo and most had idiot lights - so it could be a transplanted dash from another Chevelle or Monte Carlo.

Does it have a "Fasten Seat Belts" warning light in the dash near the radio ?

Yes it has the Fasten seat belt light next to the radio....Don't think it's a Monte Carlo dash there is no sign of wood grain or adhesive....It does have one thing my prior 72 Malibu didn't have and that's a vent below the Glove compartment for the heater/airconditioning. There is also one under the steering column. When I got the car it appears to have had the body off of the frame because the brake line going from the front to back was cut, the body mounts where all loose for missing. So it might have been in an accident and someone could have changed the frames. Just need to see if the frame as the VIN to match the body...