Long & Short Headlamp Bezels

[PaykanHunter]

Apologies if you have discussed this before. I would like to know which models were fitted with the longer (headlamp bezel) front grille and why? Are there only these two sizes, or there are there more? Cheers.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2020 by PaykanHunter

[Conserv]

All Euro-spec round taillight cars received deep grilles (March 1966 to August 1973). The shallow grilles were mandated by changes in U.S. lighting laws that were effective in 1972. Thus, U.S.-spec round taillight cars received deep grilles until early in 1972 (March 1966 until early 1972), when they switched to shallow grilles for the remainder of the round taillight production (early 1972 to August 1973).

 

Converted into U.S. model years, 1966 through 1971 model year cars had deep grillles, early 1972 model year cars had deep grilles, late 1972 model year cars has shallow grilles, and all 1973 model year cars had shallow grilles.

 

Someone here may have changeover VIN’s, but I don’t.

 

Again, the shallow grille only ever appeared on U.S.-spec cars.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[jgerock]

More goofy stuff:  when the US mandated sealed beam headlamps, the retainer rings were changed to accept them.  The ones I have seen are stamped “SB 43” (made by Hella). I have seen both chrome and satin finish retainer rings. Think one style is stamped with a different number (will look today).

 

The sealed beam headlamps incorporate 3 bumps in the glass which help with headlight aiming. Old aiming machines used these bumps. I remember service stations using these machines during the Virginia annual Safety inspections.

 

And the deep bucket style grills got a split trim ring to fill in the open gap between the sealed beam lamp and the grill. These trim rings are not designed for the narrow bucket grills.  The top picture in this post does not have the trim rings.

Edited August 16, 2020 by jgerock

[PaykanHunter]

30 minutes ago, Conserv said:

All Euro-spec round taillight cars received deep grilles (March 1966 to August 1973). The shallow grilles were mandated by changes in U.S. lighting laws that were effective in 1972. Thus, U.S.-spec round taillight cars received deep grilles until early in 1972 (March 1966 until early 1972), when they switched to shallow grilles for the remainder of the round taillight production (early 1972 to August 1973).

 

Converted into U.S. model years, 1966 through 1971 model year cars had deep grillles, early 1972 model year cars had deep grilles, late 1972 model year cars has shallow grilles, and all 1973 model year cars had shallow grilles.

 

Someone here may have changeover VIN’s, but I don’t.

 

Again, the shallow grille only ever appeared on U.S.-spec cars.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Excellent! Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I was suspecting that the US regulation had something to do with this. Cheers. 

[Conserv]

17 minutes ago, jgerock said:

...I have seen both chrome and satin finish retainer rings. Think one style is stamped with a different number (will look today)...

 

Chrome is early, switching to, probably, silver cadmium plating (maybe clear zinc?) later. I don’t know when the cut-off was but I see at least five cadmium-plated retainer rings for every chrome retainer ring, which suggests the switchover was fairly early in ‘02 history.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[PaykanHunter]

21 minutes ago, jgerock said:

More goofy stuff:  when the US mandated sealed beam headlamps, the retainer rings were changed to accept them.  The ones I have seen are stamped “SB 43” (made by Hella). I have seen both chrome and satin finish retainer rings. Think one style is stamped with a different number (will look today).

 

The sealed beam headlamps incorporate 3 bumps in the glass which help with headlight aiming. Old aiming machines used these bumps. I remember service stations using these machines during the Virginia annual Safety inspections.

 

And the deep bucket style grills got a split trim ring to fill in the open gap between the sealed beam lamp and the grill. These trim rings are not designed for the narrow bucket grills.  The top picture in this post does not have the trim rings.

The retainer ring... split trim... Can you provide pictures please? I am a bit confused. 

[jgerock]

Found some of my older pictures.

 

Chrome retainer ring: SB 43

Satin (Zinc?) retainer ring: SB 22
 

USA headlight bucket removed from my 69 2002 stamped with SB 22

 

Split filler trim ring inked part number placed next to satin/zinc headlight retainer SB 22.  RE = right side designation so the filler trim rights are left and right handed. Both of these parts were removed from my 69 2002.

 

Note the notch in the top of the SB 22 retainer aligns with the tab of the top of the split filler ring.  There isn’t a notch in the SB 43 retainer.

 

 

Edited August 16, 2020 by jgerock

[jgerock]

44 minutes ago, PaykanHunter said:

The retainer ring... split trim... Can you provide pictures please? I am a bit confused. 

Here is one of them

 

[jgerock]

Assembly as removed from my 69 2002 showing halogen sealed beam light, SB 22 retainer, split filler ring and SB 22 bucket. Photo showing bottom view.

 

 

[PaykanHunter]

42 minutes ago, jgerock said:

Found some of my older pictures.

 

Chrome retainer ring: SB 43

Satin (Zinc?) retainer ring: SB 22
 

USA headlight bucket removed from my 69 2002 stamped with SB 22

 

Split filler trim ring inked part number placed next to satin/zinc headlight retainer SB 22.  RE = right side designation so the filler trim rights are left and right handed. Both of these parts were removed from my 69 2002.

 

Note the notch in the top of the SB 22 retainer aligns with the tab of the top of the split filler ring.  There isn’t a notch in the SB 43 retainer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great images! Thank you! 

Edited August 16, 2020 by PaykanHunter

[Mike Self]

A little more trivia...the changeover VIN is in the factory parts book, but I don't have access to mine right now.  It's not shown on the realoem  site.  The early (deep) grilles that use those asymmetric  retainer rings:  they originally came with grey vinyl inserts that filled the space between the edge of the ring and the grille.  That's what goes into the slots on the retainer ring.  A good substitute is the grey vinyl that is used as a sweep on the bottom of glass shower doors.  

 

I've never seen a galvanized late style retainer ring (used on shallow grilles)--only chrome.  Are they what you get when you buy one now?  Squarelights used exactly the same retainer ring as shallow grille rooundies, except that it's black powder coated vs chrome.  And if the powder coat is worn away, you'll discover it's actually brass, not steel.  

 

mike

[Conserv]

Here are a retainer ring (background) detached from an asymmetric filler ring (foreground), with the flimsy gray gasket still attached to the latter — and disintegrating!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[Mike A]

oops....did I just now hear that these deep headlight bucket grills with the chrome trim ring do not belong on my Jan 73 Tii? Oh !&#t,? some thing else I have to buy or trade for....

Edited August 17, 2020 by Mike A

[jgerock]

2 hours ago, Mike A said:

oops....did I just now hear that these deep headlight bucket grills with the chrome trim ring do not belong on my Jan 73 Tii? Oh !&#t,? some thing else I have to buy or trade for....

Don’t sell those grills!!!!  Run them on your tii.  Just TRY to find a nice set of narrow bucket grills.  I had a set but sold them to another 73 owner.

 

 

[Conserv]

13 hours ago, jgerock said:

Don’t sell those grills!!!!  Run them on your tii.  Just TRY to find a nice set of narrow bucket grills.  I had a set but sold them to another 73 owner.

 

To Jim’s point, because the shallow grilles represented just a year and a half of U.S.-spec ‘02 production, BMW seemed to discontinue their production as replacement parts soon after ‘02 production ceased. Deep grilles, on the other hand, have remained in production, albeit unevenly over time. Still, I regularly see shallow grilles on “deep grille cars”. We just need to do some judicious grille swapping! Well... that could solve some of the problem!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve