Tweet
I recently posted about the cloudy lenses on my 97 2500 series Chevy PU. I was able to get replacments locally, at a higher price than gmpartsdirect.com, due to local inventory. There is a national backorder on all of the parts, per Joe Lucia, probably due to the demise of GUIDE. The parts I obtained do say GUIDE. All of the truck headlights from 88-98 apparently use this style of plastic assembly. Possibly GM will re-tool and the parts will become available again, or maybe they will go unavailable in the parts system. One intersting point, the lights in the truck (BTW - I just bought this truck in April) happen to say Sylvania on the Front lens vs Guide. Did GM use lights from other suppliers than GUIDE on the line? Or, is there truly aftermarket light housings out there. I checked autozone quickly, and their system online says "not available yet" for the housing, just the bulbs. I always assumed the plastic housings were dealer only. Just curious......I didn't try NAPA or others.......Craig
-
-
Re: Guide lights for GM Vehicles
Craig, Check eBay. There are plenty of aftermarket assemblys listed and most are very reasonably priced. That is what I bought for my 1998 2500 pickup, good quailty and work fine. Dave -
Re: Guide lights for GM Vehicles
Craig------
GM definitely used headlamp and headlamp module suppliers other than Guide. Osram/Sylvania is one of them. Visteon is another (the former FORD parts manufacturing operation). And, there are still others. Guide did not have a "lock" on GM's business after they were spun-off. Prior to the spin-off, the Inland-Fisher-Guide Division of GM did have a large part of GM's business, but not all of it. After the spin-off, while Guide was a "favored" supplier per the terms of their agreement with GM, they were a "diminishing" supplier. If they had a "lock" on GM's business, they'd probably still be in business. But, they didn't so they aren't.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
-
Re: Guide lights for GM Vehicles
FYI, I learned just today that if you wipe your cloudy lense with WD 40 it will clear up for a while. Seem's it's a used car lot trick to get them off the lot witout a problem.Comment
-
Re: Guide lights for GM Vehicles
Thx Joe, Brian, and Dave- at this point I will probably keep the Guides and install since the rest of the truck looks like new. Besides the clouding, they are yellowed sligthly. Thx for the education!......CraigComment
-
Re: Guide lights for GM Vehicles
Craig et al.,
I had great success refinishing the plastic lenses over the headlights and tail lights of my '93 Chevy truck. Without going into too much detail. (There are articles on the world wide web).
Wet sand with a 3M foam block working up to 2000 grit. Polish with Auto-Sol on low speed buffer until they are clear. BTW, Auto-Sol is the best polish I've found for chrome and stainless. Made many metal parts on my '65 look like new.
Best regards,
GeneComment
-
Re: Guide lights for GM Vehicles
About 1982 I had a client that was an AC-Delco parts distributor. I wanted to get some NOS Power Beams for the future so I asked and was able to open three different cases of Guide headlamps (at the time the 4 round 5.5" system was the standard). Each and every one I opened contained 12 blue and white Guide Power Beam boxes. Every one of those boxes (I cracked the seal on every one) contained a General Electric headlamp - NOT Guide!Comment
-
Re: Guide lights for GM Vehicles
Thx Gene!Comment
-
Re: Guide lights for GM Vehicles
Bill-----
That doesn't surprise me, at all. Here's why: at about the time period you mention, Guide was still a GM-operated parts manufacturing operation. Also, at that time, the "4 lamp round" type headlamp systems were pretty much phased out. GM parts manufacturing operations generally do not manufacture low-volume, SERVICE-only type parts. So, Guide "out-sourced" the manufacture of these bulbs, but packaged them in their own or AC boxes.
For the last several years and until recently, Guide was an independent company. So, Guide would not generally "outsource" something like sealed beams, package them in their own or AC boxes, and then sell to GM. If outsourced parts were going to be packaged in GM or AC-Delco boxes, GM would just "eliminate the middleman", so-to-speak, and obtain them directly from the actual manufacturer. And, that's just what happens. If you purchase a "4 lamp round" sealed beam from GM today, it will come in an AC-Delco box, but the part inside will be from GE, Sylvania, Wagner, etc.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
Comment