76/77 double headlight question

by Brainstain Wed Feb 27, 2013 11:33 am

I found out yesterday from selling in eBay that there are 2 different styles of double headlight housings. I pulled the parts from a 77 and he needed the chrome trim. I have like 4 sets so I just grabbed a clean one and it didn't match up. One style is peaked at the top edge and one style is flat. Does anyone know what the difference is? He had a 76 and they were peaked, my 77 was peaked and I'm pretty sure my 76 Malibu classic is flat.

by pila Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:15 pm

I have one set on my '75 Elco project, from my original '77 Elco and another spare set, but I believe the spare set is from a '76 Malibu. I haven't ever noticed a difference. Now that you have my curiosity up, I'll have to look !

by Brainstain Wed Feb 27, 2013 2:48 pm

by 1973 454 MONTE Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:34 pm

Brainstain wrote:

right looks like monte 76-77

by 1973 454 MONTE Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:34 pm

Brainstain wrote:

right looks like monte 76-77

by pila Wed Feb 27, 2013 5:44 pm

I just looked at the two sets of bezels I have, and both sets are the pointy type. And I'll have to check the housings on the Elco to see what type they are. I didn't have a clue that there were two different types.

by Mcarlo77 Wed Feb 27, 2013 5:45 pm

Yep...one on right is a Monte bezel. You can tell by the screw mtg holes that are closer to the headlight adjuster screw openings on the sides. As far as I know, all '76/'77 Malibu/El Camino bezels are the same.

by dragons_lair59 Wed Feb 27, 2013 6:08 pm

just looked at my 77 monte bezels and the flats are monte

by pila Wed Feb 27, 2013 9:31 pm

That's kinda strange. All the bezels I have are the type for a housing that's not straight across on the top edge I have three sets like that. I just looked at the extra housings I have, and they are straight across the top. Not sure about the ones on the Elco. It's located 9 miles away where I work on it, and there's too much snow here right now to go check it out.
The housings on the Elco project are from my '77 that I bought new.

Hope I don't have to fool around on Ebay to locate more bezel....... Evil or Very Mad

by Brainstain Wed Feb 27, 2013 10:04 pm

So you have the housings with the flat tops?

by pila Wed Feb 27, 2013 10:29 pm

I have a set of housing here at home that are flat across the front. But like I said, I have to look at the housings on the project El Camino yet.

by pila Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:28 pm

Today I went out to the hangar where I'm working on the Elco, and discovered that it has the housings with the curved top edge, so I'm good, as far headlamp bezels are concerned.
The curious part is that the extra housings I have are from a '76 Malibu, and are different than the '77 housings. It wouldn't matter much if the straight top bezels were available to match. I bought the '77 new, that these housings came from, so I know what year there really are.

by Mcarlo77 Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:58 pm

So, are you saying the Malibu bezels are different than El Camino? In other words, there are three different versions; including those for Monte Carlo? Would be helpful to document GM part numbers (embossed on the back). Monte Carlo is #371167 (LH).

by JB2wheeler Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:09 pm

Just guessing, but I believe that GM will have more than one supplier for identical parts and it is not unusual to have visable differances that are all right as long as they fit. One man's opinion. JB

by pila Thu Feb 28, 2013 10:56 pm

Yeah, only thing is, the Malibu from '76 is different the the Elco from '77
Seems unlikely that the Elco from '77 would be any different then a Malibu from '77 Maybe the '77 models had the curved top in the housings and the '76 models didn't (??)
I'll check the part numbers on the curved ones I have.

The front fenders from the '76 Malibu are on my Elco by the way....

by Brainstain Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:47 pm

Check the pic I posted from the side. It's not just a visible difference they have completely different mounting points so the housings themselves are also different.

by dragons_lair59 Fri Mar 01, 2013 12:15 am

1973 454 MONTE wrote:
Brainstain wrote:

right looks like monte 76-77

right side is identical to my 77 ones with mounting hole next to adjuster screw vs closer to corners

by Mcarlo77 Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:11 am

One on left looks like the one I checked out yesterday on a '76 El Camino. Wish I would have written down the part number so we can all use this info as a reference in the future.

by Brainstain Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:14 am

Got it covered.
Flat face is 371167 LH and 371168 RH

by pila Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:27 am

OK, here's the part numbers on the curved bezels: right side: 356464

left side; 356463

I can also get the numbers off of the straight front type housings, which I have in my storage barn..

Bill

EDIT :: I just looked in my parts catalog, and I found the numbers I listed for the "Classic".
There are different numbers for the "standard" , but I'm not sure if the standard was single headlight types in '76 & '77 ?? I don't remember ever seeing a standard model in '76 or '77.
The housings are listed that way also, classic & standard, with different part numbers.

by Mcarlo77 Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:32 am

Okay...we're making headway, guys. Brainstain...those are the Monte part numbers ('76/'77). Pila, those match what I remember them to be on the '76 El Camino I looked at yesterday. So, are we still missing different numbers for '77 El Camino and '76/'77 Malibus?

by pila Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:47 am

I don't have a clue about that. I haven't owned a '76 or '77 Malibu, or had any parts for those. The straight top housings I have are supposed to be from a Malibu that I bought front end parts from. I'll get the numbers from the straight top housings in a few minutes & post the numbers.
For some reason, my parts book doesn't show the 4-headlight housings, kinda weird.....

BILL

by pila Fri Mar 01, 2013 12:01 pm

OK,....I just went out & found the r/h housing with the straight top edge, and the part number is 52086. Seems like a short number to me, and I don't have a manual to verify what it is. Could very well be from a Monte I suppose. (??)

by Mcarlo77 Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:49 pm

Yeah...don't know what that number is you found. GM parts numbers for these are six digits long. I did dig through my 1977 GM Parts Catalog and found where the '77 Malibu & El Camino share the same bezel part number as the '76 El Camino number we have (356463). So, that would confirm that, at least in '77, the Malibu and Elkies used the same bezel. I'm going to presume that, since the '76 Elkie also used this bezel, that the '76 Malibu did, also.

by pila Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:27 pm

The extra housings I have came with a bunch of parts I bought, which included front fenders, header panels, a '74 grille, a '76 grille trim molding etc, and a bunch of other odds & ends, which were all Malibu parts, so the headlight housings are a mystery as to why they are different.

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