[OG68]

I have a question about the lighter bezel.
My 68 came with an aluminum bezel without lettering. According to the 68 parts manual there were two different aluminum bezels for 68 A and B bodies.
From information I have seen, the lettered lighter bezel was for 69-72 models.
So the question is, how many of you 68 owners have the aluminum bezel and how many have the lettered? If lettered was it original as far as you know?

The next question follows the same line. My bezels are black lettered. I know white lettered bezels were also standard. Was there a date or other deciding factor? Or was it just different vendors at different factories?

[Verdoro 68]

Just dug out an old pic from '91 that shows an aluminum bezel on the lighter. At some point before I got it, the lighter got a little too hot and scorched the fascia. I assumed the aluminum bezel wasn't original because it didn't match the others, guess I was wrong. Dash bezels look to be white letters. I thought I remember reading the black/white letters was an early/late thing. Mine is a May '68 Arlington car.



Photo from Feb '68 Motor Trend shows an aluminum bezel and white letters.



Side note - how come no one can make a woodgrain fascia like the originals? The originals were some kind of a laminate that were more substantial and had a slightly different grain than the stickers they sell today. You can see it delaminating around the lighter where it burned.

[6869GTO]

This thread.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=767844

[dataway]

Verdoro ... the original wood grain inserts were decals applied to a thin steel substrate if I remember correctly. A lot of thin steel sheets were rusted pretty bad. I think Ames sells an aluminum copy .... not sure how good it is. Apply the new decal to the aluminum backing then install the whole thing.

The question I've ever been able to answer is (chime in Scott you probably know) .. is were the GTO steel/decal inserts applied over the pebble grain plastic dash, or was the GTO plastic underneath smooth? Again if I remember correctly when I ripped apart my dash 40+ years ago the plastic under the GTO woodgrain insert was smooth, not pebbled ... but I could be mistaken. Or it could have been partial chromed pebbled plastic .... in other words ... I don't remember at all

I vaguely remember asking AMES and I think they said all dashes were pebbled and the GTO just covered it with the steel/decal wood grain.

[Verdoro 68]

I just installed the aluminum backing under the new applique I installed on my dash. It fit reasonably well, just some minor filing and trimming here and there. My point is mostly about the material of the applique. The reproductions have always been like contact paper, where as the originals were thicker plastic and had a laminated quality in addition to the metal backing - at least to my recollection.

I believe the original decal inserts were applied over the pebble background. It makes sense to me that they'd use the same dash for Tempest, LeMans and GTO and just put woodgrain on the higher trim models.

[OG68]

I have 4 dashes. All are pebble grained as well as my original. I thing I've noticed that there are two different revisions. They look the same just a 1 or 2 under the part number. My May Fremont build has the 2 as well as the black letters on the bezels.

[dataway]

Yep, the OEM decals were way better .... I've seen the thin OEM steel backers almost rusted away and the decals still looking pretty good

There are a TON of super durable vinyls out there now, but evidently they haven't made it to the repop market in the last 30 years

So that's what the BIG numbers mean, always wondered about that when I saw it on parts.

[OG68]

Originally Posted by 6869GTO

This thread.
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=767844

Thanks for the link. For what it is worth, I have the Rochester lighter with the aluminum bezel.

[Gastiresandoil]

Originally Posted by OG68

I have 4 dashes. All are pebble grained as well as my original. I thing I've noticed that there are two different revisions. They look the same just a 1 or 2 under the part number. My May Fremont build has the 2 as well as the black letters on the bezels.

Originally Posted by dataway

Yep, the OEM decals were way better .... I've seen the thin OEM steel backers almost rusted away and the decals still looking pretty good

There are a TON of super durable vinyls out there now, but evidently they haven't made it to the repop market in the last 30 years

So that's what the BIG numbers mean, always wondered about that when I saw it on parts.

The big numbers on the back of the dashes represent cavity numbers. In injection molding you will usually have multiple cavities within the same mold. With smaller parts you will have in excess of 128 cavities within one mold.

[dataway]

Oh, I see what you mean .... big mold plate with numerous parts being done at the same time, numbers to track which cavity was used in any given plate.

[OG68]

Another "Nice to Know" Thanks

[Greg Reid]

I never knew that the steel backing was original. I have two bezels and neither had anything under the wood grain vinyl so I didn't put anything under mine. Just stuck them directly to the bezel. Pebble grained by the way.
My car is also a May '68 Arlington car.

[68gtoMN]

I'm going to need to check my collection now. Aside from those bezels in each of my cars, I have between 15 - 20 loose dashes in my garage attic. Will check for lighter bezel lettering as well as grain stuff.

Some of my cars...

1. My 55K mile original N-N Flambeau car has white letters on bezels. Appears to have aluminum lighter bezel. Arlington Car. 03c build date
2. Verdoro Green car has white letters on bezels, missing lighter bezel. 06c build date
3. Nightshade Green car , white letters on bezel, aluminum lighter surround. Arlington car. 05D build date
4. Verdoro Green car , white letters on bezel, aluminum lighter surround. Arlington car. Framingham, 01B build date.
5. Verdoro Green car (1-owner) , white letters on bezel, aluminum lighter surround. Kansas car, 10C build date.

[6869GTO]

WOW ! I have never seen an original wood grain dash on a 68 that was backed by steel or aluminum over the pebble surface ,,, only a plastic type backer , from the factory.

[Verdoro 68]

IIRC, it was thicker plastic with metal backing? That said, it has been 29 years since I pulled the original woodgrain off.

[6869GTO]

Couple pics without original woodgrain decal. This is what the decal was attached to on all the 68's I've ever seen. No metal or aluminum.

[6869GTO]

Another shot of removed from bezel. Yeah I broke it. The decal gets applied to this , the way factory did it.

[dataway]

Interesting, I've never seen one of those ... what is it, plastic?

Pretty sure my 68 GTO had the exact same thing ... except metal, and the wood grain bonded on it so well you could never get them apart. I tossed it because the back side was rusty.

Wonder if there were any problems with the back in the day, perhaps parts counter replacements were different than factory installed.

[bkmont]

Here's what my 68 original dash wood insert looks like. Definitely some type of hard backing that the woodgrain is applied to. Blue pebble grain bezel.

Unfortunately I broke the piece at narrow point around the a/c control unit. I think I can glue it back down and it won't be too noticeable.

[alsalp]

Anyone install a reproduction 68 bezel with wood grain? Also the ones I've seen appear to use earlier silver blue paint vs 68 aqua.

the parts place:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-GTO-Le...97.m4902.l9144

Ames:

https://secure.amesperf.com/qilan/De...A&web_access=Y

Do they each make their own?