Tail Lens Colors

[Jeff C.]

Why do I see some 65 cars with two red tail lens' and others with one red and one white. My 65 has one red brake lens and one clear/white back-up.

[Eric J.]

Re: Tail Lens Colors

I believe the back up lights were included in the Z01 Comfort Convenience group option that 15,397 65 Vettes had installed. Without Z01 No backups... Eric

[Louis T.]

Re: Tail Lens Colors

Jeff,

During 1963-65, Corvettes were available with reverse lights as an option (comfort and convenience package, along with hazard lights and a day/night mirror). Cars so equipped had white lenses on the inner tailights. In 1966, reverse lights became standard, and for 1967, they were relocated to a horizontal bar above the license plate. Note that red lenses (2 or 4) work the parking, brake, signal, and hazard functions (when equipped with the latter). Keep that in mind when you need to replace bulbs (red are dual filament 1157, and white are single 1156).

Happy Holidays!

Louis

[Jeff C.]

Re: Tail Lens Colors

Well that explains it! I guess my 65 has the comfort package, as it also has the day/night mirror. Thanks for the great info!

[Eric J.]

Re: Tail Lens Colors

Jeff, The original owner paid $16.15 for that option!!!! I am amazed they all didn't have it. Eric

[Joe L.]

Re: Tail Lens Colors

Eric-----

In 1965, when folks making a good wage made $5.00 and hour, $16.15 was not an insignificant amount of money.

[Eric J.]

Re: Tail Lens Colors

Agreed, $16.15 adjusted for inflation in 2005 was equivelent to $97.31 but with your base price of $4,106 (2005: $24,741.28) , $16.15 is a very small percentage for th value received. Eric

[Michael H.]

Re: Tail Lens Colors

I agree completely. When I bought my new 64 coupe, one of the last things I considered was trying to scrape up another $16. for the BU lamp option. I only wanted options that made the car faster or look cooler. In the 60's, BU lamps and day/night mirrors etc were considered options for dad's car, not Corvettes.

[Mike McKown]

If you made $5 an hour in '65 around here,

you were doing very well, thank you.

A very good manufacturing job back then paid about $2.50-$3.00 an hour and there were plenty of them at that rate. The only guys I knew back then that could afford a Corvette with that income were SINGLE.

[Joe L.]

Re: If you made $5 an hour in '65 around here,

Mike-----

Yes, I forgot about "regional differences". I have a "California Perspective".

[Mike McKown]

Same here Mike.

I bought a new car in '65 and left the day/night mirror and outside rear view mirror off the option list for the same reason. Had to take B/U lights as they were standard on the SS package.

Couldn't afford the Corvette. I made $2.00 an hour.

[Mike McKown]

I knew the region was part of the wage package

Even today, prices are the same for cars all over the country even though there is probably an extreme range in average incomes.

[Eric J.]

Your right. How bout the heater delete!!!

I am supprised you old timers ordered heaters since it ment a $100 bucks in your pocket (2005: $602.56) You could of bought a nice coat for $100 and pocketed the $500... Eric

[Michael H.]

Re: Same here Mike.

I even dropped the full tint option, which I really wanted, but couldn't afford. All I wanted was a Corvette with solid lifters, 4 speed and tunes from the radio. Almost no one cared about most of the mom & pop options at that time. Power steering was a definite no no. That was for wimpy kids that needed help steering.

[Rick S.]

Re: If you made $5 an hour in '65 around here,

After getting out of the Army in the summer of 1967, my yearly salary as a rookie cop in a Detroit suburb was $6700. That equates to about $3.35 an hour. I was single and flush with separation cash and still couldn't afford a Corvette, so I settled for a small block Mustang convertible.