61 Cigarette Lighter

[Dennis C.]

I was going to install the lighter assembly in the dash today and noticed there are two different lamp assemblies available. One has an all black wire and a rounded front nose on the bulb shield. The second type has yellow heat shrink at the socket end and has a square bulb shield.

Is one closer in appearance to the original version?

Secondly, I had difficulty installing the lighter assembly in the dash. Everything was fine without the bezel, however, with the bezel the center assembly was not long enough to engage the threads of the lighter housing.

Do I have an incorrect assembly, or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for the assistance.

Dennis

[John F.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

Dennis, Not sure what you are looking for, but here is a pic of the back of the lighter in my 62.

[Dennis C.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

John,

Thanks, I haven't seen the back of a 62 lighter before, but on yours I don't see the bulb housing.

I have attached photos of the versions I found. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Dennis

[Mike E.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

John's is not on the lighter housing. If you look carefully above the black taped wiring, it is sitting on top of them. His does appear correct. The yellow one is absolutely wrong--the other is close.

[Doug F.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

here are a few pics of an original

[Jack H.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

There are two versions of the power socket (length) just as there are two versions of the Casco cig lighter element (short & long). Lighter elements embossed 'Casco' and '72 Casco' are forms of the 'long' lighter and should install in the 'long' power socket.

Elements embossed '63 Casco and '73 Casco are versions of the 'short' lighter and should install in the 'short' Casco power socket.

In lock-step with the power socket is the mating retainer. There are actually four versions there: long and short and with/without illumination.

Get the right parts and they'll fit & function properly, mon!

[John F.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

Attached are pictures of the light in my 62.

[Dennis C.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

John's is not on the lighter housing. If you look carefully above the black taped wiring, it is sitting on top of them. His does appear correct. The yellow one is absolutely wrong--the other is close.

Mike,

Your right and I totaly missed it. Thanks for looking. One of the ones I have matches up.

Thanks again.

Dennis

[Dennis C.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

There are two versions of the power socket (length) just as there are two versions of the Casco cig lighter element (short & long). Lighter elements embossed 'Casco' and '72 Casco' are forms of the 'long' lighter and should install in the 'long' power socket.

Elements embossed '63 Casco and '73 Casco are versions of the 'short' lighter and should install in the 'short' Casco power socket.

In lock-step with the power socket is the mating retainer. There are actually four versions there: long and short and with/without illumination.

Get the right parts and they'll fit & function properly, mon!

Jack,

In the box of parts I received with the car was an old lighter assembly. The socket says Casco 12V on it. The ceramic inside the socket is in two pieces and the center portion is rusted, so I elected to purchase a reproduction assembly.

The socket of both the one with the car and the reproduction are approximately the same length. Actually, the threaded portion of the reproduction is slightly longer. The retainers are the same length.

When assembled through the dash with the bezel I can not engage the threads. Would you happen to know the measurements of the long and short power socket?

I am at a loss on what is wrong.

Thanks for the information.

Dennis

[Dennis C.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

Attached are pictures of the light in my 62.

Thanks for the follow up John. My question about the bulb retainer has been answered.

Now I need to figure out why I can't install it in the dash.

Dennis

[Dennis C.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

Are there different versions of the lower dash housing for later C1's?

Thinking about my difficulties, I was wondering if I have an incorrect lower dash housing installed?

The opening for the lighter on the one installed is recessed, but the reproduction bezel doesn't fit in to the recess. The bezel is wide enough to span the recessed opening in the dash.

So why have the recess and then the bezel? Should the bezel fit inside the recessed opening?

Thanks,

Dennis

[Jack H.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

You don't need to know the dimensions of the 'short' Casco socket because that's NOT the part you want/need. I'm pretty certain that the reason you're having troubles is you don't have the correct/original parts.

On the early/long sockets there are several variations. Below are pix of '55-57 vs. '58-62 sockets. Both have the same same overall length (1-7/8 inches from front to the end of the retainer threading.

Note the retainer threading is silver (cad/zinc plated)... Typically, the 'short' version of the Casco power socket used a brass retainer thread which absent a ruler is an easy visual ID mechanism.

Back to the early vs. late difference. Original power sockets had THREE prongs at the bottom of the well to hold the lighter element in contact with the power stud. Later era, service replacement, sockets simplified the design to TWO prongs which is a judges tell-tale (look inside the socket with a flashlight).

But, the other key difference (from a Corvette perspective) was the width of the flange/bezel at the front of the socket. Early Corvettes (through 1957) installed the cig socket in a hole in the dash. The dash was fiberglass.

To spread the insertion force of the retainer, the flange/bezel/lip was WIDE (approximately 1/8-inch). When the Corvette dash changed cosmetically in 1958, the lighter socket moved to a recessed 'well' in the instrument panel.

This dictated a smaller flange/bezel/lip for the socket to fully insert into the well. These versions of the long socket will have a bezel width roughly HALF that of the earlier, dash mounted, lighters...about 1/16-inch wide.

Bottom line, get the right parts and it'll work, Mon!

[Dennis C.]

Re: 61 Cigarette Lighter

[quote=Jack Humphrey (17100);525117]

To spread the insertion force of the retainer, the flange/bezel/lip was WIDE (approximately 1/8-inch). When the Corvette dash changed cosmetically in 1958, the lighter socket moved to a recessed 'well' in the instrument panel.

This dictated a smaller flange/bezel/lip for the socket to fully insert into the well. These versions of the long socket will have a bezel width roughly HALF that of the earlier, dash mounted, lighters...about 1/16-inch wide.

Jack,

Thank you for expanding your reply. It was very helpful. I was reading the archives last night and read through several of your posts there. But I was still left with several questions and you answered most of them here.

Part of my problem was trying to understand why the reproduction lighter assembly wouldn't fit. That's what was making me question if I might have the wrong lower dash cluster. As disappointing it is to know I have the wrong lighter housing, it beats having the wrong dash.

I am unclear on one more point, if you or someone else, could clarify it for me. You mention the long socket bezel (lip) being about 1/16" wide so it can fit in the dash well. The AIM and the photos I have of that side of the dash show a separate bezel larger then the well. This bezel sits on the surface of the lower dash and doesn't go inside the well.

The bezel I have is from one of the reproduction parts house. Is this correct?

Thanks again for the added information and for the pictures. They were very informative.

Now, to find a period correct lighter assembly.......

Dennis