When I purchased my 68 Convertible, the body had already been converted to a tilt front with the headlights relocated to the grille. Today I disassembled the whole headlight assembly. I would like to replace the headlamp bezels. Those bezels are of course no Corvette parts and therefore I try to find out what car those bezels came out of. Does anybody know who the manufactorer of a certain part is and what car it belongs to?

The part number on the Bezel reads:

Right Bezel: C BC PT 355306 RH 8
Left Bezel: 355306 A 2

If I won't be able to figure out where to get that part - I probably will recondition the bezels. (painting)

Olivier

 

Sorry, I can't help. But I wanted to ask if you have any front view pics of the headlights in the grill? I'm contemplating doing the headlight relocation as well and I'm curious how well you can see with the lights so low. I'm guessing you can see just fine but I'd like to hear it first hand.

And if you post a pic of the headlights, maybe someone here will recognize them . . .

Good luck and thanks :D

 

I can't help w/ the part numbers but I sure do love the look the smooth front end. I have done som investigation in to the relocated lights and had tought about using the assemblys from a 93 camaro because they small 1.5X3.5 and would still leave some room for air flow thru the front.,but had wondered about the visibilty of having the lights so low.

 

I'm curious for a good front view also :yesnod:

 

Those are the same headlights I'm looking at using. They're in the mid-90's camaros, grand prix and geos. I'm in the middle of converting the front nose opening to a full width opening and I'm trying to work out how to fabricate a one piece aluminum grill and incorporate some small headlights and a little round turn signal into my grill setup. I just went to the Fort Worth Rod and custom show today and an El Camino had a grill similar to what I'm doing and the headlights were mounted behind the grill slats . . . looked okay, but I think they'd look much better incorporated into the grill.

 

Sorry I can't help w/ th enumbers, but the 68 looks real smooth. I would also like to see more photos of the front grill from different angles. :cool:

 

here are a few more photos of the front!
I will try to make some more photos of the headlight assembly tomorrow!

Olivier

 

BABE MAGNET!!! (insert sound of purring tiger here). wish mine attracted such attention! ;)

 

[QUOTE]I have done some investigation in to the relocated lights and had thought about using the assemblies from a 93 camaro because they have small, 1.5X3.5 lights, and would still leave some room for air flow thru the front.,but had wondered about the visibilty of having the lights so low.[QUOTE]

Thanks for the pics! Can you see well at night??

Bezels, 1st guess is from a Chevy Monza . . . Hmmmm

 

The visibility is pretty good. It is not much worse than with the original setup!

Olivier

 

I would be concerned with freeway airflow and engine cooling with that headlight setup....I had to remeove my license plate bracket and corvette tag/filler sign to get additional cooling here in Florida...on the freeway...worth 30% or so in exposed airflow area...and that cured my highway heating problem...
on lowering the headlights to the grill in general...I have only the comments from an old neighbor friend from Rockville Md.....he had a nice custom job and his lights were in the grill also...they worked fine according to him, but his was a show car, not a daily driver....
second...according to him anyway....as I was going to do the same thing, in thoughts anyway...HE said the DOT regulations make anything LESS than 18" off the ground for headlights is illegal...must be a visibility thing, either oncoming or driving/looking forward....
at any rate any **** state may look at that and give out tickets....
or will not pass inspections.....even EPA poopie....

GENE

 

>>I would be concerned with freeway airflow and engine cooling with that
>>headlight setup....I had to remeove my license plate bracket and corvette
>>tag/filler sign to get additional cooling here in Florida...on the
>>freeway...worth 30% or so in exposed airflow area...and that cured my
>>highway heating problem...

I have no cooling problems at all with my Vette here in Florida! I am running between 180 and 195 degrees - even in summer. The reason is: Big Block Radiator, High-Flow Water Pump (+30% flow), Triple - Fans (dual Flex-a-Lite fans plus regular fan) and 160 degree thermostat!!!

Olivier

 

Here are some more photos of my Headlight assembly!

Olivier

P.S. I painted the headlight assembly yesterday and put new headlights in! Looks much better now!







[Modified by GrandSportC3, 10:39 AM 3/3/2002]

 

mrvette,

Thanks for the tips. I'm looking at using much smaller headlights, deleting the front licence plate location and fabricating a custom grill. I should end up with even more airflow than I have right now. I'm also planning on a TPI motor and routing the ductwork over the top of the radiator and to the grill, right where the licence plate used to be, basically it will be a ram-air setup. And also I'm going to add one of Eckler's 79 style spoilers (a little softer on the edges than the pace car style) and that should direct more flow to the radiator.

I've already had help with my lower brackets and they're ready to accept a custom grill. I'm still working through a grill design, mounting of different heaqdlights and turn signals as well as a fabrication technique. I want to get everything ready and then take my set up in a jig (template) to someone who can weld the aluminum for me. Then I'll grind the welds, polish the leading edge, and paint the rest semigloss black and mount everything.

I plan on running two sets of headlights to start. As for the legality, my car will only be a sunny day driver/show car probably won't be out at night much. And in order to be leagl with only one plate, I can always register as a classic. :D

Yes I'm taking pictures!

 

i don't think i would be terribly concerned with cooling as the factory assembly sits right smack in the air flow anyway. a chin spoiler is probably a good idea to help funnel air up to the radiator since these cars are bottom breathers.
anybody know where i can find a pair of headlight assemblies from mid '90s camaro, grand prix, etc? thinking of doing a similar thing but going to put them in the original headlight cut-outs. i really don't like the look of the old conversion with the full sized lights, they just don't fit right. :chevy

 

I just measured the height of my headlight assembly. It is 15 inches above ground (since I installed the new springs)

Olivier