Chrome headlight surrounds - Which years?

[Owin]

I've seen some C1's (later years with twin headlights) with chrome surrounds and some with body colour surrounds. Were these options, or did they start chroming the surrounds from a particular year?

 

[JohnZ]

'58-'60 headlight bezels were chrome, '61-'62 were painted body color.

 

[iron cross]

John has it correct

 

[Owin]

Thanks for the info :BOW

 

[Mikey1]

That´s as well for the cove chrome surrounds....61 wasn´t painted different color anymore....so no chrome...

 

[Owin]

That´s as well for the cove chrome surrounds....61 wasn´t painted different color anymore....so no chrome...

Thanks Mikey. I always thought the cove colours were an optional thing.
Now I have a puzzle ... I have a picture of a '61 Vette on my desk. It has the bodycolour headlight surrounds and a painted cove.
Does this mean the cove colour was changed mid-year, or the owner had the coves painted?

:confused

 

[Mikey1]

It seems to be not too uncommon that later year cars got the coves painted...but since there was no chrome there to limit these coves you should be able to find a color to color direct transition...unless someone has added earlier year chrome as well.

 

[JohnZ]

61's still had the chrome trim around the cove, and that area was available two-toned; the bright surround trim disappeared in '62 when the door and fenders were redesigned with a molded-in peak defining the cove area instead of applied stainless moldings, so there was no two-tone paint treatment available in '62.

 

[JP1522]

A little additional info, The early 56's had the painted headlight rings, but unpainted stainless became the norm early into the production run on the 56's. The polished stainless was the norm, except for the early 56's, until 61 as John stated. In the 50's and early 60's, I didn't see to many Corvettes, while growing up in Little Rock, Ar. I don't recall ever seeing a 56-61 with the cove painted the body color, but I believe I read somewhere that the painted cove option was a low %. As noted, all 62's came from St. Louis with the cove being body color.

 

[JohnZ]

The two-tone cove option (RPO 440) consistently ran from 35%-40% of production from '56-'61. Don't know about '58-'60 headlight bezels, but '56-'57 bright bezels were chrome-plated die castings.

 

[iron cross]

The reason 62`s were one color is that they no longer had a stainless trim around the cove. Notice both fuel cars below

A little additional info, The early 56's had the painted headlight rings, but unpainted stainless became the norm early into the production run on the 56's. The polished stainless was the norm, except for the early 56's, until 61 as John stated. In the 50's and early 60's, I didn't see to many Corvettes, while growing up in Little Rock, Ar. I don't recall ever seeing a 56-61 with the cove painted the body color, but I believe I read somewhere that the painted cove option was a low %. As noted, all 62's came from St. Louis with the cove being body color.

 

[JP1522]

John, You're correct on the 56/57 headlight rings being castings. I knew that but my brain wasn't fully in gear. What I was trying to get across to those that aren't aware of it was that the very first 56's had the headlight rings painted the body color, not chromed. I don't have a clue as to how many were produced with the painted rings, but I don't believe it was very many.

 

[iron cross]

Two, 61`s and 62`s:cool

 

[Owin]

Whoa ... Starting to get information overload.

Thanks for all the info.