Transport tabs welded to the rear frame rail???

[Sean]

I was wondering if kind folks coupld provide a little feedback on something.

I belong to a diecast car forum and have discussed my 1:1 resto out there a few times.  A fairly new member to the forum posted out there that the factory sometimes welded tabs to the framerails to aid in securing the car in addition to the bolt on tie-downs.  He mentioned this in regards to the metal plates that I removed from my frame rails that were added sometime in the last 40 years for what I could only conclude to be for a trailer hitch.

So I posted this picture to show him what i was talking about.  I told him I removed the tabs with the yellow arrows and red arrow shows the bolt on tie-down:


His reply to me was:
I know I've owned quite a few Mopars that had welded on tabs like that. I had a friend that worked in a Plymouth Dealership and he said sometimes there were extra tabs welded on that were supposed to be removed by the Dealer. I had a Challenger T/A that had some tabs similar to that, and stood out like a sore thumb because the car was white. I got it in 1973, and I knew the original owner and the tabs on mine weren't for a hitch. Ma Mopar did funny things. My cousin worked at a Mopar plant, and he used to stand in a pit painting core supports black all day.

Have any of you all ever seen anything like this before?

Sean

[dodj]

You pic is the first time for me seeing tabs like that. Suppose it is possible to be factory but hard to figure why they would put extra tie down locations on just some of the cars.

[Sean]

It just seems like a lot of extra and unnecessary work for the factory to weld those tabs on and for the dealer to remove them and touch the area where the tabs were. 

Sean 

[CudaNut]

Possibly vehicles with dealer installed trailer hitch? Or maybe units that were traveling non conventional ways to dealers? Export? Hawaii?

[NC RMP]

The thing with the two arrows was on my 73 Chal too.  I got it in a box somewhere in my garage.  It is the original muffler hanger I am pretty sure.  I would bet both those things have something to do with the muffler.

When I converted to duals the muffler shop that did the custom exhaust gave it to me, said they removed it when the muffler was relocated.

I would bet your car was originally a singe exhaust, was it not?

[AARuFAST]

My 70 Gran Coupe Convertibe had the factory trailer hitch package.,
The previous owner removed the hitch and the valance.  He added the exhaust thru valance since California law required cars to have the Barrcuda valance, even though the car was built in Hamtramck.

If I recall the transport bracket was welded to the frame, no bracket but weld beads.
Don't recall the other bracket.
Car is kept in garage 5 miles away. Will check it Monday.
I will take pictures.     

Gran Coupe Convertible

 
////////////  CUDA AAR
AARuFAST
Ok everyone go crawl under the car      

[Sean]

NC RMP,
I don't think it's related to a single exhaust as there were tabs welded to the frame and transport brackets on the passenger side too. 

The transport brackets should be bolted to the underside of the frame, not welded.

Would appreciate any pics you can get AARuFast!

Thanks!

Sean

[AARuFAST]

Finally got to garage.
 Checked my Gran Cpe for welded transport brackets.
They are not welded.
Has nothing to do with the trailer hitch that was bolted to frame.

[Sean]

Appreciate the follow-up! 

So, from the feeback given, this guy (the guy I mentioned in the first post of this thread) is full of himself...

Sean