RE: Couple of questions about 1974 spider

["Brian Shorey" <bshorey@domain.elided>]

<snip>
> The "best year" issue is at least as emotionally
> charged an issue as whether to go with Spica or
> Webers, and as personal.  First, '72-'74 Spiders are
> all identical in specification (except the '74 has
> little rubber pyramids on the bumpers), and while
> every series of Spider has its partisans, the '72-'74
> have the best power-to-weight ratio and gearing for
> the performance-oriented driver.  The earlier cars
<snip>

The '72 - '74 Spiders are *not* identical in specification (with the
exception of the little rubber pyramids).

The '74 bumpers, along with the little extra pyramids, have much beefier
bumper mountings, shocks, etc.  The '72 stainless bumpers are much less
substantial, more cosmetic in nature.  My impression is that the '73 bumpers
are somewhere in between - the '73 has the rubber over riders, but not all
the substructure that the '74 has.

Park the cars next to each other and you'll see what I'm talking about, the
'72 bumpers are much closer to the body, the '74 bumpers protrude a lot due
to the shocks, etc.

There are other differences as well.  I'm reasonably certain that the
reinforced doors were put into production some time during the '74 model
year.

All this adds up to extra weight.  It's not a huge amount, but the '74
Spider weighs more than the '72.

There are other cosmetic differences as well.  For example, LP lights for
the '72 are on the rear bumper, while the LP lights for the '73 & '74 are
mounted on the body.

Fwiw,

bs

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