1972 Sport Wheel Cover - Valve Extension

Received some feedback that for the optional Sport Wheel cover ford installed a valve cap extension to the standard inflation valve on the wheel.  Does anyone have any validated knowledge of this or ford materials supporting this?

bkdunha, I've checked what info I have as far as order guides, AMA reports, etc and cannot find any references as to what qualified a vehicle for the valve stem extensions. I don't recall ever seeing any on the standard wheel cover cars so was probably unique to the Sport wheel cover optioned Mustangs and Torinos. As with other "Loose" items placed in the trunk as the cars progressed down the assembly line, the extensions were not installed at the assembly plant. Loose items included floor mats, wheel cover/center caps, radio and antenna kits, and any other items that had a chance of being damaged, soiled, lost or stolen during its journey to the Dealership.  All these items were installed at the dealer during the PDI (Pre-delivery/Inspection) process.

Until 1975 Ford used two different extensions (1/2" and 1 1/4") on the car line. Extensions sent with the vehicle in this manner would be in a bag identified by engineering number only and not the Ford service part number.

Has been a long while back, but I remember a friend with a Torino that had the Sport wheel covers with extensions. He figured they were NAPA parts and didn't give them a second thought. He got caught up in the Cragar S/S,  Keystone wheel fever so the wheel covers didn't last long!  

The illustration shows the Ford short 1/2" and the longer 1 1/4" in a bag marked "D4AA" which indicates it is from 1974 and was a assembly plant supplied part and not a standard Ford service part.

I know this response has probably not provided the answers you were looking for but hopefully has provided some insight as to what was available from Ford.

Perhaps the sources providing you feedback could offer some more verification. Would be interesting to see what additional info could be uncovered. 

CODZ-1705-A 1/2" (pre 1973 versions were 7/8")

B7AZ-1705-A (replaced by "B")  1 1/4"

Response on MCA site from Bob Perkins

I have sport wheel covers and you do not need extensions or the valve stems in my wheels are longer? The trim rings and other hub caps attach in the same manner. Why would For not use a vale that did not need them. Every car with steel wheels got either hub caps or trim rings and caps.

The picture with the sport wheels covers in the back. Ford would have never shipped that way I do not think would have been all over the trunk by time of delivery.

David, you are correct. The wheel covers would have the protective paper between the covers as shown and plastic shrink wrapped to a piece of heavy cardboard stock.  Heavier and more expensive covers such as used on T-Birds and Lincoln's would be placed in a single protective box. Between the train and Motor Convoy trip from Assembly plant to the dealer, there was always a lot of opportunity for damage.

That great illustration looks like a display from Perkins to show the appearance of a as delivered look from Ford.

Not sure if Ford was using a one size fits all valve stem, which necessitated the need for the extensions or had other reasons.  The C6AA-1705-B2 is another one of those parts that is a assembly line only part as Ford never released a service part number for the 3/4" extensions.

The most commonly used ones on the car line that had a part number were:

B7AZ-1705-A      1 1/4"

CODZ-1705-A     7/8"- (72 and prior)   1/2"-(1973 Forward)

C4AZ-1705-A      1 1/2"

D5AZ-1705-A     1  3/4"

D8BZ-1705-A     1"

There was also a C2SZ-1705-A that was 1 31/64" and was used on the 62-64 Thunderbird with the Kelsey-Hayes wire spoke wheels. Try finding a set of those for someone who has more money than they knew what to do with and would only accept NOS Ford parts!!   

Interesting. I was at a guys place couple years ago. He was selling me some of his hoard of Mustang and Ford parts, lol. He had lots of T-Bird stuff even NOS roadster back seat cover to make a 2 seat. When looking around the huge buildings he had there were packs of extensions and hundreds of boxes of Autolite plug wires. Might need to check on that. He had NOS red oxide 65 Mustang quarter panels gathering dust.

I made two trips there his prices were great might need to go back.