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Fiber Optics


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Does anyone have some pics of the fiber optic light monitoring system chrome bezels that go on top of the fenders? I'm trying to get a good idea of what they look like, including the color of the lenses...

 

Thanks in advance.

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Nate,

 

I believe that the photos Rob Peters has of his car on his CarDomain website may show them pretty good, as his car has them. My car has them, too, but they're kind of washed out in the photo of my car that's in the Member's Montes section. I believe my car is quite a ways down now in the '70 section, on the right, if you want to check it for reference at all. It is the blue one with the black top, Cragar wheels and the "4FIFTY4" license plate.

 

The fiber optic lamp monitoring system was available on many Chevy models from '68-'70, and I believe that the chrome housings used on Monte Carlos were the same as the ones that were used on Camaros and Chevelles. It wasn't a very popular option, and that's why I believe the system wasn't offered after '70. I've seen pictures of Chevelles and Camaros with the option, so that's how I know they're the same. I don't know if Impalas used the same ones or not, but I would suspect they did. The back side inserts, though, would likely be different for Chevelles and Impalas, being as they were a 4-headlight system instead of a 2-headlight system like the Camaro and Monte Carlo.

 

The back side insert of my housings each have a clear cover with two round, slightly embossed "lights" in it, which are the lens ends of the fiber-optic cables, viewable to the driver. The inboard lens is clear and the outboard lens is green. There is plenty of room between them where a third lens end could be placed (for a 4-headlight system). I believe that my parking light/turn indicator cables may have dirt in them as I have never seen those (the green ones) light up, but the headlight cables work fine and they glow white when the headlights are on. Not long after I bought the car in '86, I noticed that the passenger side "light" wasn't glowing like the driver's side was, so I got out and walked around the front end. Sure enough... the headlight was out!

 

Again, I'd check Rob Peters' site and see what kind of pictures he has of them. I could take some close-ups of mine, but you'd have to allow me some time to do that and get them to you. smile

 

Hope this helps,

Dave

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Nate,

As Dave stated above, my car is equiped with the light monitoring system and it is fully functional. Mine is set up a little bit different than Dave Mau's though.

My lens is the same as what Dave has with the green and clear dot in the lens but with my fiber optics system, the turn turn signals are the clear lens and when the parking lights or head lights are on the clear lens glows sort of amber from the amber light bulb in the turn signals. My headlights are hooked up to the Green lens.

In the center of my package tray close to the back window my rear monitor is mounted. My rear monitor bezel is black plastic and has two red lens and one clear lens. Each red lens is for the tail/brake lights and the clear one is the tag light.

If I get a chance I will take some pictures of everything for you or you can wait 4 weeks and see it in person at the Eastern Meet.

Click on the picture of my car below and it will take you to my website. The pictures on page 1 are all of the front and side of the car. Page 2 there is a picture of the front that may be a little closer. Be sure to click on the enlarge button it may make it a little clearer.

Rob

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Thanks for the help, Dave & Rob. Would you guys happen to know the GM part number for the '70 Monte/Chevelle/? vigilite system I'm looking for or compatible part numbers?

 

I've found a couple numbers online for a '68 vigilite system and for '69-'72 convertible, but I don't know what the difference is between those and the system I'm looking for.

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You're welcome, Nate, but no - I don't know the part numbers for any of the components. Again, I believe that the fiber optic lamp monitoring system was available on various Chevy models for the '68-'70 model years only. I'm going from memory here, but I think that in the "SS Musclecar Redbook" the option code was listed as being RPO U46. It showed it as being available on '68-'69 Camaros, '68-'70 Chevelles, '70 Monte Carlos and '68-'69 Impalas. I'm not sure about Novas. I'd bet the system was available on the Impala in '70 as well, but because there was no Super Sport Impala in '70 ('69 was the last year for an Impala SS), it didn't show up in that book because of its emphasis on the SS cars.

 

Why Rob's and mine are hooked up differently is anybody's guess. Perhaps it just depended on how the fiber optic cables were plugged in by various factory workers at various factories? confused

 

Wish I could be of more help,

Dave

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Yeah, it's definitely RPO U46. I've got it listed on the build sheet for our Monte (there seem to be ALOT of fiber Monte's here!).

 

Our Monte has the chrome bezels on top of the fenders, but they're not working. Probably missing the fiber lines at this point. The reason I'm asking is because I saw 2 different complete, NOS vigilite systems for sale recently -- 1 with a part number listed for '68 Chevy's and 1 with a part number listed specifically for '70 convertible Chevy's. I'm trying to get pics of the vigilite systems you guys have to see if the different Chevy part numbers the different sellers listed makes a difference or not. Visually both vigilite systems looked the same -- down to the colors of the light indicators inside the chrome bezels.

 

The part numbers were:

 

987415 -- 1968 Chevrolet Vigilite Lamp Monitoring Unit for Impala & Caprice, but may fit Camaro & Chevelle

 

&

 

987427 -- 69-72 Chevrolet Chevelle / Camaro Convertible Vigilite Kit

 

So, any pics would be appreciated so I can try and sort this out ...

 

Thanks!

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Hi NateZ,

 

I have a bunch of pictures you might like to see.

01-vi.jpg

These are off of a 1970 Monte. The front parking lights in the bumper had a 1/2 inch hole in the plastic housing that the rubber end fits into. The rubber end has an amber lens in it. In this picture I put the flash light to the indicator.

05-vi.jpg

I don't know where the one for the head light goes in relation to the the headlight its self.

06-vi.jpg

 

03-vi.jpg

 

04-vi.jpg

The rest of the pictures show them lit up.

02-vi.jpg

 

01-vi.jpg

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I decided to take them apart.

There is a number cast inside that reads:

6294161 in both. This one has a -2 in it, the other has -1 but they are identical.

07-vi.jpg

Here you can see there is an extra space in the center of the ruber lens holder for other cars.

08-vi.jpg

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mcmonte is correct about how the one for the parking lights connect to the parking lights by a rubber grommet being inserted into the parking light plastic casing of the lights and the fiber optic line being inserted into the grommet.

 

I can answer where the headlight fiber optic cable connects into the headlight. The rear of the headlight, where the wiring plug hooks into it, comes to a point where the glass is clear. If you look at the plug that plugs into the the headlight, there is a hole in the center of the plastic plug connector. You place the fiber optic line into the center of this plug. When you plug the wire plug into the headlight, the fiber optic line picks up the light in the pointed portion of the headlight that is clear.

 

I would assume that since the turn signal/parking light fiber optic line has an amber lens in the end that it would go to the clear indicator on the fender bezel rather than the green one. That would just be a guess though.

Rob

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Great pics, mcmonte. That's exactly what I was looking for, and I needed that other info, Rob. Very much appreciated -- you guys just saved me from buying the wrong setup! $$$

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