55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

[Roy B.]

Need help from 55 original car or Corvette owners , having original headlights . 55 used 12 V and all headlights later used (seal beam glass not a tin back that were early) that the JM don't mention. . Now! Some had in the front glass area=

1 right top pic.=Sealed Beam with the word guide under it
2 Then there were Sealed Beam with NO guide under it and I think those not having guide in the glass had a ink stamped guide on the back side=top left pic.
Now there were some having Westinghouse under the Sealed Beam but GM dint use Westinghouse bulbs= Ford , Chrysler and other cars did= right bottom pic.
Now they all had the 12V logo in the front glass as in pic. Bottom left . So I'm trying to find out if glass headlight first design used no guide logo in the glass and just having a ink stamp on the back and later second design had guide in the glass. Any one here have or know about this and I know there are just a few 55 Corvette owner but there might be more 55 car owners.

[Roy B.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

OK when it comes to 55 anything it's like talking to a Empty parking lot

[Ray G.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

Need help from 55 original car or Corvette owners , having original headlights . 55 used 12 V and all headlights later used (seal beam glass not a tin back that were early) that the JM don't mention. . Now! Some had in the front glass area=

1 right top pic.=Sealed Beam with the word guide under it
2 Then there were Sealed Beam with NO guide under it and I think those not having guide in the glass had a ink stamped guide on the back side=top left pic.
Now there were some having Westinghouse under the Sealed Beam but GM dint use Westinghouse bulbs= Ford , Chrysler and other cars did= right bottom pic.
Now they all had the 12V logo in the front glass as in pic. Bottom left . So I'm trying to find out if glass headlight first design used no guide logo in the glass and just having a ink stamp on the back and later second design had guide in the glass. Any one here have or know about this and I know there are just a few 55 Corvette owner but there might be more 55 car owners.

Hello Roy;
We'll try to find answers and get back to you.
Ray

[Tyler T.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

One of the most knowledgeable 55 guys that I know of is George Conigilo (sp) of Plant City. He has restored (and owns) 2 in addition to a 53 and working on a 54. He will have a 53 at National; and I will talk to him to see if we can enlist his aid in doing the JM.

http://deliquescence.net/~tyler/tyes55/IMG_0747%20(Medium).jpg

Tyler

[Henry F.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

OK when it comes to 55 anything it's like talking to a Empty parking lot

That's what happens when they only produce 700 of them!

[Roy B.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

That's what happens when they only produce 700 of them!

Well by 1955 know one wonted a water leaking so called sports car with non-power steering,non-power window, non-power brakes, non-power top, non-AC,non-power seats that T-bird offered. How many can be left 100 or 150 that's why owners of 55's trying to meet or talk with other 55 owners is like talking to a empty parking lot . If I'm lucky I get one or two response on this forum. In 05 honoring 50 years for 55 ,6 complete ?? Cars showed up. May be why I love the little 55 I never see but one or none at most NCRS meets. I guess I'll have to buy another 67 so I'll not be alone in the world.

[Ray G.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

Roy;
You have email.
Ray

[John S.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

roy, the sealed beam you show the backside of is a 4400. you can see part of your date code on the back. the box you show is a 5400. both these lights have guide below the "sealed beam" on the front, but have differences in the glass around 12V area. were the 5400 originally on the cars or are they replacements? date codes on the 4400 appear to be A or B of 55.

[Roy B.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

The bulbs just happen to be in that box but no guide logo in the front glass

[John S.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

roy, you have a pair of 4400 guides without the guide in front. i have six 4400 guide bulbs in front of me with the guide under the "sealed beam". the box you have is for a 5400 guide bulb which has a 2.727, #456796 part number which is is suppose to be correct for a 55 corvette. i have two 5400 bulbs and they are different than the 4400. i am thinking that the number that is listed in the part gm part book might be a number that supercedes an original part. i have asked joe lucia to see if another number might have originally been used. many of the original part numbers no longer show up in the part catalog. an example is the tombstone heat risers for 55, which are part numbers 3713331 and 3721509, have been replaced in the part's book by 3925981, which is not the tombstone design. so what you have now are two different design 4400 guides and the 5400 guide which has the correct part number according to the chevy parts manual.

[Roy B.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

That has been my argument for years using part numbers because some part numbers were superceded by an other numbers. Many people use the superceded number to say it's a original part. That's why I like showing pic's of a real part , not a replacement part. I have people all the time as me what part number a part had . I don't know a part by it's number just how it should look. About the bulbs I don't know the answer on the guide logo. I would accept ether one as original.

It's between you and me because it don't matter anyway because it's not in the JM

[John S.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

on the 4400 logo and non logo it will have to be determined if they are date coded. i have bulbs A 5 5, B 2 5, etc., but i have no idea yet if this is a date code. with research i think we will be able to get a time frame for the 4400 guide and the 5400 guide because they will have different part numbers.

[Roy B.]

Re: 55 Corvette and car owners =headlights

on the 4400 logo and non logo it will have to be determined if they are date coded. i have bulbs A 5 5, B 2 5, etc., but i have no idea yet if this is a date code. with research i think we will be able to get a time frame for the 4400 guide and the 5400 guide because they will have different part numbers.

There are so few of us 55 owners I think it will never be determined like many other parts. I dont see much interest in 55's for NCRS members.