Plausibility: No 1970s Model Year Changes

Delta Force

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American automobiles in the 1970s had terrible performance due to a combination of new environmental, efficiency, and safety requirements. Could automobile companies have gotten around the new regulations by producing large quantities of chassis and/or engines (whatever is legally considered the car) before the compliance date?
 
American automobiles in the 1970s had terrible performance due to a combination of new environmental, efficiency, and safety requirements. Could automobile companies have gotten around the new regulations by producing large quantities of chassis and/or engines (whatever is legally considered the car) before the compliance date?

In some cases they did, not for your reason, but the auto workers strike made it to late to bring out the 73, Chevelle, Le Mans, Skylark and Cutlass, all the same car just minor differences. the 1973 versions were horrible looking. My parents bought a 1972 Skylark. This was when lead was being removed the 350CI engine ran on low lead and no lead.
 
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Having the 5mph bumpers didn't help looks. but '73s weren't as bad off as the '74 Model Year, with the Seat Belt interlocks.

Then add in all that extra vacuum hose spaghetti for 2nd gen emissions controls.

Last, real crap QA from labor disputes. Even cars not built on a Monday or Friday were likely to be chock full of screwups, intentional and otherwise.

I never hated UAW guys more than then
 
My parents bought a 1972 Skylark. This was when lead was being removed the 350CI engine ran on low lead and no lead.

That's also when Roger Smith, I think it was, started that 'Genuine GM Parts' nonsense, so your Pontiacs and Buicks could have that Chevy V8, rather than what you expected to see under the hood.

Though ubiquitous, they were crap compared to the B-O-P 350s.
 
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