1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

[Keith B.]

how long was each available in service as over the counter? Or where they like the 65 only front grille?

[Pancho T.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

how long was each available in service as over the counter? Or where they like the 65 only front grille?

I have a set of nos rocker mouldings in the original packaging that have has dated shipping tag of 3/21/1981. Unlike the '65 grille I have had several sets of these in the past but really have no idea of how long they were sold over the counter.

[David L.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

how long was each available in service as over the counter? Or where they like the 65 only front grille?

GM 3859798 is the part # listed for the sill molding in the 1965 Corvette AIM. Still available in July 1994 for $91.25 but not in 2001.

GM 3858196 is the part # listed for the fuel door in the 1965 Corvette AIM.
GM 3858196 was replaced by GM 3874528 in Dec. 1966 for over the counter parts.
GM 3874528 is the 1966 Corvette fuel door. I bought one from my local Chevrolet dealer back about 1980.

The 1965 grill, GM 3869148, was replaced with the 3875746 1966 grill in July 1966 for PARTS SOLD OVER THE COUNTER. Apparently at the end of the 1965 production some 1965's received 1966 grills due to a shortage of production line of 1965 grills. Two 3897389 supports are required when installing a 1966 grill on a 1965.

Dave

[Keith B.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

Thanks at Carlisle this weekend I was able to find a NOS 65 rockers and saw three different 66 NOS gas doors but no 65 ones.

[David L.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

Thanks at Carlisle this weekend I was able to find a NOS 65 rockers and saw three different 66 NOS gas doors but no 65 ones.

For some reason the 1966 Corvette fuel door became the replacement fuel door for the 63, 64, 65, and 67 Corvette as shown in my 1981 Corvette Parts Catalog. That worked out perfect for my 1966. The casting numbers near the hinge area of my NOS 1966 fuel door (1980 vintage) are "38144041" and "30181-H". My original 1966 fuel door is stored away in some box in my garage attic.
Dave

[Keith B.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

Well with the obscurity of 65 only NOS parts out there I was surprised to find the rocker moldings. So it got me wondering about the gas door. And it I was surprised how many of the 66 ones I could find but no other years. And last year there was only one 65 grille in the swap meet area and it was mangled pretty bad. This year I found four good used original ones with the stampings shown in a recent thread on here with good looking rivets. With one repro thrown in

[David L.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

Keith,

It does not surprise me that you found NOS 65 rocker moldings as they were still available from GM in July 1994, 29 years after your car was made. When I bought my 1966 rocker moldings in the early 1980's the part number was 3933847. I also found one 1966 rocker molding, GM 3874527, at a swap meet sometime in the 1980's. GM 3874527 is the part number listed in the 1966 AIM. The ends of the NOS 3874527 rocker molding were smooth just like my original 1966 rocker moldings. The ends of the NOS 3933847 rocker moldings are not smooth as the ribs on the molding extend all the way to the end. This was a little disappointing to me that the manufacturer did not take the extra step to smooth off the ends of the rocker moldings.

Dave

[Jim D.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

At some point the 1965 NOS rocker moldings got screwed up ends as well.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

The 1965 grill, GM 3869148, was replaced with the 3875746 1966 grill in July 1966 for PARTS SOLD OVER THE COUNTER. Apparently at the end of the 1965 production some 1965's received 1966 grills due to a shortage of production line of 1965 grills. Two 3897389 supports are required when installing a 1966 grill on a 1965.

Dave

The bit about late '65s getting '66 grills may be true, but all I can add is that the last '65 had it's original when this picture was taken, sometime in 1968. Might have been an intermittent shortage, though.

I edited the photo to lighten the lower front area, to show the '65 grill, and to show the valence fibreglass damage near the passenger side turn signal. The vanity licence plate was for "Pat Bailey" of Marshall Texas, who owned the car from 1968 'til 1970.

Also attached, pic of the VIN tag as it appears today.

[Tom D.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

Early during this year's Carlisle for Corvettes, I saw a gent holding a '65 grille with D&L stamped on it. The price tag said $250 and he said that is what he paid. He didn't find the D&L stamp until we talked at space number G1.

[Keith B.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

Early during this year's Carlisle for Corvettes, I saw a gent holding a '65 grille with D&L stamped on it. The price tag said $250 and he said that is what he paid. He didn't find the D&L stamp until we talked at space number G1.

Of the five of them I saw four had the D&L stamp.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

Here's what I have on my late Goldwood Yellow '65. Casting #s near hinge area are the same as you describe, but with a smaller/coarser font, and therefore the ...81-H runs out of room .

My (original ?) fuel filler door is in terrible shape in the plastic bezel area, but with hinge casting same as you describe, but with larger/finer) characters that fit the hinge area. Noland Adams (Vol 2. page 265) discusses the gold emblem, without conclusion, as he never saw one that he could compare. He suggests that maybe the sun faded the gold to silver.

[Jim D.]

Re: 1965 rocker moldings and gas doors

Having owned 2 low mile, very original 65's, my original emblems had not even the slightest indication of gold in them. If those that think the gold was original and deteriorated to silver, why is the back of the emblem silver instead of gold?