Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

[Timothy B.]

My 63 coupe is a second week November build and the lighter element is embossed CASCO 12V. After searching the archives it seems my car has a 1962 style element, see pics.

Can a early build 63 car have the 62 element and not the 63 CASCO 12V?

[Wayne M.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

My 63 coupe is a second week November build and the lighter element is embossed CASCO 12V. After searching the archives it seems my car has a 1962 style element, see pics.

Can a early build 63 car have the 62 element and not the 63 CASCO 12V?

Tim -- other than the "63" character stamp, can you see any difference between your element and this one ?

[Dave S.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

Tim -- other than the "63" character stamp, can you see any difference between your element and this one ?

The CASCO 63 elements are shorter than the CASCO 12V elements. I'm not 100% sure but they look like they would have a different housing due to different length. A 63 expert will have to chime in on the possibility of the earlier element but it does seem like a possibility as the CASCO 63 element was from 1963 and early 63 cars were produced in late 1962.

[Timothy B.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

Wayne,

The element looks exactly like your picture. It has the porcelain but it's dirty and aged. The part where the handle screws in is black material, I saw a picture of a 63 CASCO that is metal at this spot.

Dave,

If you give me the length of the 63 casco I will check the length of the element I have to compare. It works fine in the socket..

[Dave S.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

Wayne,

The element looks exactly like your picture. It has the porcelain but it's dirty and aged. The part where the handle screws in is black material, I saw a picture of a 63 CASCO that is metal at this spot.

Dave,

If you give me the length of the 63 casco I will check the length of the element I have to compare. It works fine in the socket..

I measured a CASCO 63 at 13/16" and a CASCO 12V at 1".

[Timothy B.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

Dave,

The CASCO 12V element in my 63 measures at 1".

[Wayne M.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

Wayne,

The element looks exactly like your picture. It has the porcelain but it's dirty and aged. The part where the handle screws in is black material, I saw a picture of a 63 CASCO that is metal at this spot. ..

Tim -- I measured two '63 CASCO's' I have; one was 0.870" tall, the other 0.895"; [13/16" = 0.813"]. Both metal ends with 3 bent over tabs. So maybe the black material you mention is the main difference, although when I screw the '65 knob onto the element, you can't see what color's underneath.

[Peter L.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

Tim - The original housings for the 2 lighter elements are different because the important dimension for holding the lighter in place when not being used is the distance from the flared edge at the back end of the outer piece (with the CASCO stamped on them) to the groove before the first raised ring. On the CASCO 12V it's 21/32" and on the 63 CASCO 12V it's 1/2" and the 3 fingers at the front of the housing catch in this grove and hold the lighter in place. When pushed in at the hold position the CASCO 12V lighter element is flush with the front edge of the "correct" housing for the CASCO 12V lighter and the same for the 63 CASCO 12V lighter.

In the hold position the CASCO 12V lighter inserted in a 63 CASCO 12V housing will have a 5/32" gap between the front end of the housing and the flared rim of the outer piece of the lighter element. It seems that the CASCO 12V lighter will work in the 63 CASCO 12V housing, but I could not get the 63 CASCO 12V lighter to engage into the 3 fingers at the back of the CASCO 12V housing to hold it so it looks like the element would heat up.

Pete

[Michael G.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

My April 63 car has a "CASCO 12 V", But it is shaped a bit differently from yours, Tim. It also has metal where the handle screws in.

[Peter L.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

Tim - First, in thinking (always dangerous) about this lighter element thing, i.e., CACSO 12V vs 63 CASCO 12V, when we think about the cars, we think about PRODUCTION year; but when it comes to parts from external parts suppliers, changes are more likely to occur at the calendar year. So, why would CASCO stamp 63 CASCO on a product made in calendar year 1962???????????? Is here anything in the 63 Corvette AIM that gives us a clue?

Second, is the lighter housing in your early '63 the appropriate one for a CASCO 12V lighter? Inquiring minds want to know.

Pete

[Timothy B.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

Thanks everyone for your help, I hope some other early 63 owners will post with information.

Pete,

I will check the position of the element/socket relationship and post a picture so you can look, I am not sure what socket is there now. I agree it seems unlikely 63 CASCO is used in 1962, so many changes in 1963..

[David L.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

Tim,

For the past 30 years I have always assumed that the "63 CASCO 12 V." element was installed on "very late" 1963 to "early" 1972 models and the "CASCO 12 V" element was used on "early" 1963 models. Pictured are 4 elements: used "CASCO 12V" (1.03" long), used "63 CASCO 12 V." (0.88" long), NOS "72 CASCO 12 V" (1.03" long), and NOS "78 CASCO 12 V." (0.88" long).
My "CASCO 12V" element looks exactly like the one from your Nov. 62 1963 coupe. The end where the knob is attached is black and is threaded to a depth of about 1/4". The other 3 elements only have a hole similar to a stamped steel nut.

According to my 1957 Chev. parts Catalog (March 1957), 1963 Chev. Parts Catalog (Oct. 1962), and 1969 Chev. Parts Catalog (Oct. 1968) the GM part number for the 55-62 Pass. & Corvette CASCO element is 3710581 while the part number for the 63-68 Pass. & Corvette CASCO element is 3794302. According to Chevrolet Parts History and Chevrolet Price Schedules GM # 3794302 was discontinued sometime between Sept. 1976 & Jan. 1978 and replaced with GM # 344801.

Dave

[Steve D.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

My Jan. 28 th. built convertible has the 63 casco element but it seems like it does not fit the socket properly. Goes in too deep. Does not stay in and pop out properly. I got dinged when judged for it not staying in. Perhaps mine should have the longer element?

Steve

[Jack H.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

There are long and short versions of the lighter power socket, as mentioned in the thread above. You first need the correct version of the socket to match the geometry of the lighter element.

Once that's done, the lighter 'launch' profile (does it spit out early, before the element is glowing red; does it eject late, being red hot and crossing the cockpit into your lap), is another consideration that you CAN address/adjust...

The dogs or 'tangs' surrounding the socket's power stud need to be just right. On these early Casco lighters (BOTH the short & long versions) there were three tangs that engaged to hold the lighter element in contact with the power stud. Later era sockets + the lion's share of service replacement parts have only two tangs...

What is the condition of the tangs? Are they visibly rusted worn? If so, they probably won't clip/grip and hold the lighter element. Replace the worn out assy.

If they're not age damaged, it's a simple matter of 'adjusting' the tangs. They CAN be bent in/out with respect to the plane of the power stud. All three should have the same geometry.

Bend a stud in and it'll hold more firmly with the element launching later in its heating cycle (glowing red hot). Bend the studs outward and the element launches earlier in the heating cycle (perhaps not glowing red hot).

The Achilles' Heel, is inserting a foreign object into the socket (cell phone charger/adaptor, radar detector, Etc.). Few of those who design these actually went to Casco and got specs on the power socket. They designed their 'widget' by trial & error. Many of these devices wind up distorting the geometry of the tangs/dogs inside the power socket...

LAST, if you're going to attempt 'adjustment' of the tangs with the power socket installed in the car, DISCONNECT either the battery or the dash harness connection to the lighter. OR, if you're a savvy electrical guy, you probably already have a selection of non-conductive 'probes' (all plastic or nylon screw driver, Etc.) to use. You do NOT want to accidentally short circuit the socket's power stud to the side walls of the lighter well while electricity is applied!!!!

[David L.]

Re: Casco 12V Lighter Element early 1963 coupe

Can anyone identify this used cigarette lighter housing and retainer? The housing (on right side) measures 2.00" in overall length. The retainer (on left side) measures 1.84" in overall length (1.98" long if you include the tab). The housing is stamped "MADE IN U.S.A." and "CASCO". Looking inside the end of the housing with the threaded stud there is a disk (about 0.6" in dia.) with two "L4" stampings.

The "CASCO 12 V" element seems to work just find when installed in the housing with the depth measuring about 0.32" (black end of the element to end of housing) when locked in. The "63 CASCO 12 V" element will not stay locked in when installed in the housing.

Dave