I am cleaning up my rear side markers and noticed for the first time in 15 years that there is a space / gap between the red lenses and the chrome rocket emblem. Is that correct? I ask because there are the indents in the lenses where it looks like the rocket should sit in.....Thanks!!

 

I've not seen a space there on sidemarkers I've looked at. Do they both have the correct curve to fit the quarter panel? The full sized car sidemarkers look the same, but are flatter to fit their quarter panel shape.
John

 

This may not be your problem, but just adding a few photos to consider. The full sized with the flatter profile is on the left, the A-body is on the right. Then the next photos show the thin gasket for the full sized and the thick gasket on the A-body. Lastly, on this example of an A-body light the rocket is tight against the lens on the side wings, and the lower part of the rocket. But the top half above the wings does have a gap. Is yours like this, or is the gap over the whole thing? John


Full sized on left, A-body on right

A-body gasket is thick

Full sized car has thin gasket

Rocket has a gap on the top half of the lens, but looks to be touching on the bottom half

 

When the marker light was designed the engineer did not take into account the thickness of the metal in the quarter. The lense fits correctly when the two are fit together in your hand, but when you place the parts in place in the quarter the gap is the thickness of the quarter. Also '68 pieces are left and right. The mistake was corrected for '69 with both sides being the same part number.

 

Even worse with a couple of coats of paint. Hey it was the 60s.

 

That explains the gap!! Damn dirty hippie engineers of the '60s do the 69's emblems fit on the 68?

 

Other 68 owners- have the same gap? I do have the factory ones labeled LH and RH, new "gasket's" and the gap.......

 

The '68 bezels will all have the same gap. The '69 bezels will fit but then you will have no gap to collect dust and dirt.

 

And I'd certainly miss the extra spot for dirt to gather.....

 

I just put mine back after a repaint and I noticed the gap as well. Good to hear it’s not just mine. —Billy

 

Both sides on my '68 have the gap, both are the correct part numbers for each side and I know both are original to the car. Both sides of my '69 fit a lot better and they are also the same part number for both sides.

Randy C.