fatback

Will 56 headlight bezels fit on 55?



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Rocketowner

They show a different number according to Fusick ,and the '56 has
a small peak on the top of the bezel that matches the peak on top of fender that '55 don't have. You might call C. J. @ 423-923-7073 IN East Tennessee. He has some 1955 Parts cars advertised on Craigslist. Good luck, Larry

DFitz

Larry,


I don't know about the '56 headlight bezels. I suspect they will fit just fine. I have a '55 and used '56 fenders from a parts car. Same fender, except for some stainless trim holes.


The '55 fenders also have the slight peak on the top. Many have been painted or sanded over in the years. What you do have to watch out for, some of the L and R fenders have a wrinkle in the sheet metal on the top. The factory filled this to smooth it out. You can't see it but you can sure feel it with the hand.


The reason I suspect the bezel will fit, the headlight assembly is different on the '56. Not the shape of the bezel. From my parts fenders, the headlight buckets were in much better shape, so I kept them. The '56 headlight buckets are much easier to change a headlight as well. You don't have to dissemble the adjusters to change the headlight like you do on the '55.


So, to summarize, the headlight buckets are more user friendly on the '56, so the mounts and parts are slightly different. Pretty sure that's why Fusick has different part numbers, not the shape. I used my '55 bezels on the '56 headlight buckets, and '56 fenders. No issues.

ignachuck

I agree with Larry. There is a flare on the '56 headlight bezel and the fender that is not there on the '55. I think that flare on the bezel will stick up on the rounded '55 fender.

Keep us posted.

Rocketowner

This is a photo of the 1956 Olds headlight bezel (note peak on top) ,the 1955 did not have this. Larry

Rocketowner

Below is a front for a 1955 Olds with original headlight bezel, no peak on bezel or fender

Rocketowner

Here is a fender and headlight from a 1956. Note how peak on bezel matches up to one on the fender, Larry

DFitz

Hmm, interesting. The peak on my '55 fenders did not go all the way to the front, and the parts fenders I got were as close to the same as I could tell--and everything fit just fine.


Obviously they are different. So much for my supposition. Good catch!


My car is absolutely original, my family has owned it since new, so the history is known. It's possible the fenders I got were really from a '55. The bumpers were off, so not readily apparent what year it was. I took the word of the guy in Medford I got them from. I'm satisified with the transaction, but he could have gotten it wrong.

Russ P in MD

Here's an old thread where I posted a few pics of 55 and 56 buckets. I think at the time we were looking for something to fit a 55, and determined the 56 buckets would not work. Got lucky and found a NOS one on eBay.


https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...t-buckets.html