RE: 69 headlight bezels

[Edward M.]

I believe that there are two different headlight bezels for 1968, and that they do differ in size. I first discovered this when a body shop was repairing the front end of an early 68 after a collision with a dump truck.

The shop got a set of headlight assemblies from a 69, and they did not fit the opening in the fiberglass, which actually had not been damaged too much. I started looking and measuring the headlight bezels of the 68s that I ran across at shows, swap meets, etc. Sure enough, there was a difference in sizes. If my memory serves, early cars had bigger bezels than later cars.

My theory on the change (without any hard evidence) is that the bigger opening in the front fiberglass was determined to be a weakness. Making the opening smaller provided more actual fiberglass between the headlight opening and the hood opening.

Of course, I could have all of this backwards. The only thing I can say for certain is that there are at least two different sizes for the headlight bezels on 68 Vettes.

Hope this helps.

[Joe L.]

Re: RE: 69 headlight bezels

Ed-----

Your information spurred me to further research. As it turns out, the 1st and 2nd design headlight housings for 1968 WERE of different size. However, the covers of the early housing, GM #3932935-6, were actually smaller than the covers on the later design housings, GM #3938115-6. I don't know just how much of a size difference that there was, though. I suspect that it was quite a small difference

Notwithstanding the above, I can find no information relative to different BEZELS being used which were specific to the two housing designs. Everything that I've been able to come up with indicates that the GM #3911143-4 bezels were used throughout 1968 production. So, either the bezels were the same regardless of the difference in covers or the "early" bezels, if there was such a critter, are of a part number that I have been unable to unearth.

The GM #3911143-4 bezels were used again in PRODUCTION for the 1972 model year, although they were not available in SERVICE after 1969.

[Edward M.]

Re: RE: 69 headlight bezels

Joe;

This is definitely more food for thought, and research, which I also love to do. I recall measuring these bezels and determining that they were ABOUT 3/8 to 1/2 inch different between early vs. late (what ever that means on 68 cars, which were just full of running changes). I can't recall the exact dimension difference, or which was bigger (Never Can Remember Squat really applies to me), just that there was a noticable difference. The difference is obvious if an early and late car are sitting side by side.

Just to make sure we are talking about the same part, what I am calling a bezel is more likely the "top cover" of the headlight assembly. This is the flat piece that is flush with the upper surround surface when the headlights are down. The headlight bezel is probably the curved piece of metal (fiberglass in later years) that fits inside the headlight assembly and surrounds the headlights themselves. Does this sound right to you?

Give me enough chances, and I'll get the proper terminology for these parts.

[Joe L.]

Re: RE: 69 headlight bezels

Ed-----

Yes, the "cover" is an integral part of the component which is known as the headlight HOUSING. The main body of the housing is zinc-diecast construction and the metal cover is "permanently" attached to it. The BEZEL is the part which you described which covers the front portion of the housing with the headlamps installed. On 1968-72 these bezels were of zinc-diecast construction and from 73+ they were plastic.

I suspect that the way that the HOUSING changed in mid-68 production was for the size of the cover to change with the remainder of the housing casting staying the same. Since the headlamp SUPPORT(the aluminum cast frame which the housing mounts into) did NOT change, I can't see how the housing casting component could have changed. The fact that from everything that I can determine, the BEZELS did not change during 1968, would also support the theory that the cast portion of the housings did not change(or, at least, did not change in a way which affected the size/configuration of the bezels).

As I mentioned, I have determined from Chevrolet-sourced information that the late 68-69+ surround panel headlight openings(and housing covers) are the larger of the two. But, I don't know by how much.