68 painted side marker bezels

[vtfb68]

I need some observation help regarding original 1968 side marker bezels. It seems that the front bezels were Highlighted with black painted Valleys (# 3925429) and the rear quarter panel belels are not painted ( # 3927459). Other than part books, I have been unable to find any information about this. For the last two weeks i have been attending as many shows/cruises as i could, but was not convinced one way or another. So happens the original painted cars i saw were both L.A. cars and both had the black front bezels and neither owner had ever noticed they were not the same as the rears. (these were standered models) My car has the R/S option. So my questions are: Is this standard?, Part of a trim option?, How is this judged at a show?  If you have any input please post.
 Thank you,
 Victor

[Pex68]

Victor,
You are only the second person I have talked to who ever noticed the bezels are different front to rear, let alone the painted valleys and the first person was just a few weeks ago at Nationals-was that you???  They were all different on all modles front from rear from the factory and should both be painted.  Are you saying the rears should not be painted or just that the ones you get from GM today are not painted?  In my experience most judges would never even notice.  Mine is a LOS SS

[vtfb68]

Pex,
 Thanks for the reply.  While cleaning my original parts to reinstall after the cars first real repaint i discovered the difference in the bezels, Old part books list the different #'s. I had raised this issue a couple of weeks ago on this forum but did not ask questions, i thought i could find enough cars around here to compair/inspect but that fell short.
I am in Torrance CA (5 miles south of LAX) so no... I only wish i was at the nationals. I am saying i do not have a clue and do not know about the bezels either. I am leaning to the idea that the fronts were painted and the rears were not , but i would like to hear other opinions. I'm a 05C RS/SS L.A. car.  Victor

[Pex68]

Victor, the rears were painted also, although the current GM ones are not.  Here's my original.

[vtfb68]

My bezel that is painted is # 3927429. Side by side they compair the same except for the painted highlight, there must be a reason for the different part numbers. I considered fading but have so far only seen a few original cars since and it was a front to back thing as opposed to a side to side thing. I am still hoping enough 68 owners are on this site go check their cars and provide me a real pattern of usage. I know it is a small issue but i do want to be correct and know it when another prick like myself pours over the car.
 Victor

[Pex68]

No issue too small, trust me, I'm seriously insane when comes to the details 

Side by side they compair the same except for the painted highlight, there must be a reason for the different part numbers.

It doesn’t have anything to do with the paint.  The rear bezels are thicker than the front, hence the different PN.  Put them side by side and look again. It's pricks like me that can spot (and look for) stuff like that a mile away    I also have a few GM photos that show the rears painted.

[vtfb68]

Pex,
You are correct. As soon as i picked them up the weight difference was felt. My car is an RS/SS anyway so NOW I will paint the valleys semi gloss black. I do not plan on ever being judged but want what I want. It sure seems 68 people are few and far between....(perfect). Thanks for the insight and please post if anything else pops into your head.
    Victor

[Oregonjam]

Sorry it took me a bit to check on this cause I just kept forgetting. There is definitely interest in 68...

Okay I have the same weather cracked and aged marker lights that came on my car when I bought it 16 years ago. They appeared to be on there for a very long time and I would be surprised if they had ever been changed.

With that in mind, I checked my bezels and I have a white striped front set. Unmistakabley white although heavily worn on the recesion to the lens. The rear set I have is black and only painted on the valley stripe area. I suspect that the inner color had already worn off.

Are there additional Part #s for stocking more than one color?
Did white stripe optioned cars recieve a color matched set of marker lights?
The alternative, do you think someone came along and repainted the white over the black back in the 70s? Seams like a lot of work for such a small detail when the cars were so common at the time.

This is on an 07D (4th week of July) car with the SS Option, a deluxe white interior, white vinyl roof (now removed) and the white stripe option (over valence and down side).

Let me know what you think or if any one has seen something like that before.
Cheers to looking at the details...

[Pex68]

Victor,
No problem.  I totally understand where you are coming from and it's your car so you should HAVE what you want!  Just sharing my knowledge because I've there and we are obvously the same in reguards to the details.  Good luck with it & let me know if I can help in any other way.  Us 68 guys need to stick together!!!

John,
Could you post a pic of the fronts?  Are you saying the entire bezel is white?  If so I think what you are seeing is all the chrome has wore off and it's the aged pot metal underneath.  What does the back of the bezel look like?

[1968 Z28]

I have a non RS '68 Z28 07c NOR original car and my bezels, front and rear, are chrome with black in the valleys.

Jerry G.

[Oregonjam]

Chris,

The bezels are chrome plated. The white is in the valley and there appears to be worn white on the area that recesses back to the lens but it is mostly gone. I will assume that they have been repainted a few decades ago if none of your examples have black on the recess area to the lens. (see pic)

I don't have a camera available today at work but will try to get a picture tonight. I marked up the one you posted to show where I was talking about.

Was the valley the only area that was painted? Was the recess area painted on any of your examples?

This is a Norwood Vehicle as well.

[Pex68]

John,

I personally have never seen the bezels painted white.  All of the original ones I have seen just had black in the valley area, chrome everywhere else.  Could it be the car was re-painted at some point and when your white stripe was applied the bezels were poorly masked and that's where the white paint came from?  Or maybe it's like you said, some previous owner thought they would look cool painted white to match the stripe?  My car has the white Bumble Bee stripe and my bezels were not white.  Just my thoughts and own personal observations.

[Oregonjam]

That is my guess as well. It is definitely not over spray. It it very clear that it was purposely painted white in the valley. The recess is questionable.

So to follow up , it is only the valley that gets the black paint and not the recess as well.

Mine appears to have a matte finish. Does anyone know if it was a gloss, matte or a semi-gloss finish?

[Pex68]

John,
Yes only in the valley.  It's a close call between matt & semi-gloss, but definatly not full gloss.  I would assume same finish as the black backround in the Camaro by Chevrolet emblems.  More of a semi-flat.