73 body with 72 everything else?

Thanks for any help

I replaced the front sheet metal on a '73 with '72 parts a while ago.  Look for my 1972.5 build thread. 

The body shells are the same.  Interior hardware is the same but the dash electronics might be different. 

The frames are different, with the rear bumper mounts pushed out a little to allow for better collision protection so there is a spacer between the bumper and the body for '73 that isn't there for '72s.  The rear bumpers themselves are the same.

The front bumper mount locations on the frame are different.

The mounting points for the front fenders are different.  My build thread has detailed photos of the differences.

The only thing I want to make sure is, can I use my 72 frame with a 73 body. I already have my 72 frame powder coated and reassembled as a roller. I don't want to run into a situation where the body bolts don't line up

If you plan on using your ‘73 front, then you will need to be creative, forward if the core support.

I will be putting my parts car frame under my ‘73.  That’s  my “Q-Clone” project that is on hold.   The plan for that is a ‘72 clip on a ‘73.  HOWEVER, I am retaining my ‘73 parts in case I decide to keep the ‘73 front.  If I do that, I’d be at the “ok, it’s a ‘73 but a ‘72 frame..... how do I do the front now” point .....here is what I have planned out in my head—-

It’s really only the bumper mounts that need to be engineered, everything else bolts to the inner fenders, firewall, Core support, etc.... so I am going to get a second pair of ‘72 frame bumper mounts, cut them off, turn them around and bolt them to the mounts on the frame ( like bolting 2 ‘72 frames together at the front), the see how to engineer/weld/attach the front of my ‘73 frame to that.  Basically it comes down to cutting off the front of my ‘73 frame and turn it into a ‘bolt-on-to-a-’72-frame” extension unit.

You’ll get to that before I do, so there’s the idea.  If it works, I thought of it first....I’ll take credit for the idea——if it doesn’t work,  you get the credit :) lol

Dave Fox

1. Drill the rivets and swap The whole thing

2. Swap the whole decklid

I’ve done both.  

Matching the paint will take the time, though.

But yeah, the ‘73 GTS “gear” flipper is way cool.  The ‘72 Gran Torino’s and the ‘73 Gran Torino got the ‘plain’ red emblems in the flippers.

The grill emblem — the ‘72 is the ‘plain’ red emblem, and the ‘73 emblem is “on a pedestal”. Those were all the ‘72 Gran Torino’s and the ‘73 Gran Torino, while  the ‘73 Gran Torino Sport got the “gear” emblem on the front.... also on a ‘pedestal’. The ‘72 emblems were offset toward the driver’s side.  The ‘73 emblem was centered.  So, the ‘slots’ in the emblems will be different sizes if the grill dimensions and spacing are different..

The ‘73 Gran Torino non-sport grill emblem got the wreath, the ‘73 base torino was a plain round ‘pedestal’.

The rancheros got the “gear” emblem, but The coloring was different from the red/white/blue that the GTS got.

In the XJ world, everyone knows me as the guy who has almost all the different models to swap parts around for experimentation and figment.  I’ll try to do the same here, since I have a ‘72 GTS, a ‘73 GTS, and a base torino clip.  I’ll see what fits and what doesn’t. 

I’m sure there are more variations on the emblems than I listed, but that’s a start.  If someone hadn’t already done an in-depth look at the ‘72-73 emblems,  there’s a topic for someone to run with.

Dfox

i have a Ranchero grill badge from a 77-79, Gear style,

same colors IIRC but does not say Gran Torino Sport in it

kinda plain