Headlight bulb capsule for a 82 vette

[Grant W.]

Can someone tell me which is correct for an 82 corvette headlight capsule cup. I have a black one with the square hole and the other gold cad plated has a round hole. If the round hole is not correct then is it for a mid year like 63 to 67.
Thanks in advance for the replies.
Grant

[Joe L.]

Re: Headlight bulb capsule for a 82 vette

Can someone tell me which is correct for an 82 corvette headlight capsule cup. I have a black one with the square hole and the other gold cad plated has a round hole. If the round hole is not correct then is it for a mid year like 63 to 67.
Thanks in advance for the replies.
Grant

Grant------


Some time ago I did a "research project" on these headlamp RINGS. Somewhere around here I'm sure it still exists but I can't find it at the moment. I remember well that this project left my head spinning.

I do recall there was a plethora of different part numbers for these things over the years of 58-82. Each ring for any given position had a different part number and there were multiple supercessions. I have a fairly large number of NOS rings of just about every part number that ever existed and I used these for the "research project" in combination with many other sources of information. However, I'm not sure that all examples of any given part number were the same---this may have been a case in which different manufacturers were making these things for GM at the same time. Remember, these were used across all GM car and truck lines for a period of many years. So, there were a LOT of them being used. It may be that there were optional finishes and optional configuration allowed by the GM specifications for the parts.

Notwithstanding the above, I would say that of the two you have pictured, the one painted black and with the "square" rear opening would be correct for a 1982. I believe the round hole, pre-punch galvanized rings were last used no later than the early 70's, if they were even used that long.

None of the rings I have or ever examined have part numbers on them. However, they do have stampings that indicate the position which the particular ring is applicable to. The nomenclature for this changed over the years, too. If I recall correctly, the early rings were stamped "L-1", "L-2", "R-1", and "R-2" while later rings were stamped "A", "B", "C", and "D". I might have that reversed, though. What are the stampings on the rings you have pictured?

[Grant W.]

Re: Headlight bulb capsule for a 82 vette

Hi Joe
How's it going. Have you fired up your beast yet???
I'm helping a gentleman restore his 82 corvette and need to get him the correct parts.
The black capsule has a B stamped and the plated one has an L but don;t see a number.
I have a feeling the black one is correct. So I guess it is time to get rid of all the plated ones that I have. Thanks, Grant

[Joe L.]

Re: Headlight bulb capsule for a 82 vette

Hi Joe
How's it going. Have you fired up your beast yet???
I'm helping a gentleman restore his 82 corvette and need to get him the correct parts.
The black capsule has a B stamped and the plated one has an L but don;t see a number.
I have a feeling the black one is correct. So I guess it is time to get rid of all the plated ones that I have. Thanks, Grant

Grant-----


I'm ashamed to say, not yet.

The "B" is what I would expect for the black ring with the "square" rear hole. It's probably a GM #5950500 and it's for the right side, inner position.

The ring with the "L" should have a number 1 or 2 following it. However, these sometimes appear to be "chopped-off" when the stamping was done. As you will note, the stamping is done on a tiny "ear" which is barely large enough for a single character. I think that may be why they went to the single alpha-character system for later rings.