Lets talk tailgates...your help needed

[bigblock73]

OK, with all the tailgate discussions that have popped up, I thought it would be a good idea to document the differences and post them in an article I'll publish on 73-87.com. Anyone here with me?

Here are some of the pics I have.

These are mid/late 70's gates. I believe the white one is more mid 70's (maybe 75/76), while the green one is a late 70's (maybe 77-80)...



Here are comparisons of the latch assembly on the gates...




I tried to get a pic of my '73 gate, which is currently bare steel, but it didn't turn out...I'll try again later. Until then, here is a picture of it from the side...notice the differences in the bottom trunion...




Soo...it would be nice to narrow down which ones are which. If anyone can go out to their truck, snap a few quality pics, and post them here along with the information about the truck it is off...that would be awesome! Also, if you know for a fact what the differences are between the years, it would be great to hear from you.