Tailgate shape for a '72 / earlier?

[gingermonkey321]

Quick question, I have a 1972 crossover, is there a difference in the tailgate shape/dimensions at all from an "early" - considering a replacement and want to make sure they fit is standard.
Thanks...Rich

 

[Westi57]

yes you need x over later model early won't fit....or at least that's what I found with mine

 

[ozziedog]

There`s also some aftermarket ones about that have no adjustment for the hinge attachment just plain bolt up. I know cus I got one :lol:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,,,soon modified though :mrgreen:

 

[Westi57]

xdresser 72 def different to early tho. cos thought mine was early only to find when u closed it nothing lines up at all so was told that xdresser with later rear has different tgate + engine lid oh + different lock

 

[thejinx]

I have a 72 and struggled I went to FBI in Swansea I they sold me a good solid original with no rust but it was finding a best fit. Day to day I don’t notice but look at the 2 photos and you can see it doesn’t really match. Don’t know if it’s early or late but I couldn’t find anything else and as I say this one was a quality OG that was best fit

 

[Westi57]

later is on different hinges + early won't fit late but not sure if late will fit early

 

[J4yman]

I have a 72 and struggled I went to FBI in Swansea I they sold me a good solid original with no rust but it was finding a best fit. Day to day I don’t notice but look at the 2 photos and you can see it doesn’t really match. Don’t know if it’s early or late but I couldn’t find anything else and as I say this one was a quality OG that was best fit

I know this is an old post. I have a 1972 crossover and I don't have any guides on my hatch, my hatch is having probelms being aligned. I don't seem to have guides on the door or the main body. The van is new to me and I am wondering if this is normal or if someone has removed filled and hidden the fixing holes. Although it all looks original.

 

[ozziedog]

Hiya, I’ve been out and taken some piccies of my 1970 van . You’ll notice that the ‘corners’ on top are squared as per the Earlies but 72 ish and onwards they have rounded up the corners as in the picture by thejinx with the red van and rear hatch. So I’m assuming that red pic is an early hatch on a later shell. On mine, I have two alloy wedges roughly halfway down on the frame , one on each side that centre the hatch door as it’s closed although I’ve only one on at present and no Ill effects I’ve noticed. There’s two holes about an inch and a quarter or a bit more apart to fit these . They fit on the flat bit of the vent cover just before it angles off towards the side windows. As mentioned previously, most adjustments are made with sliding captive nuts where the hinges are secured to the hatch, unfortunately mine is a pattern repro hatch that has no adjustment but it’s been slightly modded to give it a bit of movement.

Ozziedog,,,,,,l hope this helps.

 

[ozziedog]

I’ve just noticed on my early, that the body rear corner panel including the vent section is joined in line with the tailgate vertical gap and that red van has this gap approximately a hundred or a hundred and ten mill in over the top of the hatch away from the hatch corners.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,everydays a schoooool day

 

[purpledog07]

I’ve just noticed on my early, that the body rear corner panel including the vent section is joined in line with the tailgate vertical gap and that red van has this gap approximately a hundred or a hundred and ten mill in over the top of the hatch away from the hatch corners.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,everydays a schoooool day

Yes Ozziedog, mines a 72 and the weld/seams are in from the vertical line of the rear hatch by around 2.5".
Replaced my hatch this year with a newer one, rusty rust free, imported i think. It had hinge adjustment via slotted trapped nuts.
There was an issue getting the lock to fit though as newer locks didn't have the triangular backplate and third bolt.
I resolved this with an 18mm holesaw and a lot of patience to get a nut and washers fitted between the panel skins so it fitted as original.
Afterwards I kind of kicked myself for not just cutting the triangular strengthener of lock down, would have taken 10mins!
My hatch seems to sit pretty square in the hole and so did the original but, i'd like to fit the side wedge guides if I could get hold of them. Not something that comes up often as I think most have been discarded by painters over the years. Do you know of any good repros being sold?

 

[sparkywig]

The wedge guides are two piece, and you'll need a captive nut plate in the hatch frame for adjustment.
I'll take some pics tomorrow.

 

[purpledog07]

Nuts are there already, and it always bothered me that there was some kind of guide missing but I've never seen the guides on any bus. People seem to toss them away like fan flaps and stats.