1971 Cuda billboard marker lights?

According to the guru, Galen, marker bezels on black striped cars should be matte black to match the billboard. I would assume the same holds true for white billboards. If I remember correctly that Sno White is the brighter of the two shades, that would be my guess for the correct shade to go. The other white had a bit of that creamy tinge to it which would not go well with the billboard.

ive seen them both ways body color and bill board color personally mine are body color! id have the body shop do a spray out of both shades and pick whichever one matches better!

judging by this FSM insert-doesn't say anything about light housing-they cut a slit in the decal and wrapped it into the inside of the fender panel-saw GG's article on it-have it somewhere-have seen both body color and decal color

I say all cars with strips, the marker should be the same color as the stripe.

Attached is a closeup photo of an unrestored Billboard at the marker light. You can see the slit at the top corner where it was cut at the factory, and also, the marker light bezel is Black to match the Billboard. This photo was orignally posted by another member, so thanks to them for posting it (I forgot who it was).

This photo is another photo I had of a White Billboard 'Cuda. The car has been restored, but the marker light bezel is White, same as the Billboard. Looks to be the brighter White color. Hope it helps.

There is no question that original billboard Cuda's have the rear side marker bezels painted to match the stripes. "Matte" black (probably similar to, or even the same as the non-textured low-lustre rocker panel paint or radiator side panel paint) appears to be correct for black cars. My own car is a white billboard car, and even though 35 years have passed, the color appears to be Sno-White.

Also, for those who are not aware, the procedure for finishing and installing the rear side marker assemblies is unique:

All Cuda's came down the line and were painted with the side marker BEZELS installed only (No reflector or side marker lamp assy YET), and held in place by the galavanized retainers and "acorn" nuts.

When it was time for the billboard stripes to be installed on a car so designated, the retainers and nuts were removed and placed on the side. The stripe was applied, and during the application was slit to conform to the shape of the quarter panel. The second step was to push the excess stripe material through the side marker bezel hole in the quarter panel and then be trimmed on the inside. The third step was to install a NEW PAIR of PREVIOUSLY PAINTED bezels in the holes, and using the ORIGINAL RETAINERS AND NUTS, which still have BODY COLOR OVERSPRAY on them, back over the studs on the new bezels. These new bezels actually have the words "BLACK" and "WHITE" with corresponding numbers CAST into them. The final step involved the installation of the reflectors and side marker lamps. The set of bezels that came out of the car were certainly re-shuffled back through the system and re-installed on non-billboard cars. Those bezels would NOT have the words "BLACK" and "WHITE" cast into them. The overwhelming majority of used bezels that you will see on vendor tables at the major Mopar events will be this type. Occasionally, used "BLACK/WHITE" bezels turn up. As far as NOS, it is rare to find the "BLACK/WHITE" bezels in the box (I still need the right rear as NOS, but I have an NOS left rear). The bezels are identical otherwise.

My own car is a textbook example of this process. The bezels are painted white (with a bit of primer showing through on the trunk side of the bezels, but NO FE5 Red paint). The retainers and nuts have FE5 Red body paint on them. This was an original untouched one-owner car. I have also examined a great many original billboard cars and so far they are the same.

Does anyone have a pile of used rear bezels? You may be surprised at what you find!

Bill Rolik

P.S.

I will be happy to e-mail photos separately to anyone who would like to see my originals.

bremspts@optonline.net

Thanks Bill , after the first two responses I thought I was losing it.

I checked and both rears are of the "black/white" casting variety. "Sno-white" they will be. V6W on a 3/71 built EV2 "tor-red" car.

I also checked the '70-'71 parts catalog (Jan '72 issue). I didn't find a listing for the "black/white" thing, but noticed that the reflector (4/70) and bezel (6/70) changed during the '70 model year. Anyone know what changed? Also are the lenses all the same for the side marker lamp, which when installed Left Rear and Right Front are upside down?

The black shown by arrow is the billboard
material

IF (this is a big if) the change in bezel part numbers was supposed to be reflected in the "Black/White" casting upgrade, it apparently did not occur in actual practice. I have had (and still have) many individual bezels, and lamp assemblies, both packaged as early and late numbers, and out of all of that, I have only one NOS "Black/White" bezel. I do not really see any other differences in the bezels.

As far as the reflectors, the 70 cars had the type with an adhesive tape ONLY on the back. The line workers simply pulled the the cover off of the tape and stuck it in the bezel. But apparently, this was not sufficient over the course of time. The 71 style reflectors also have plastic tabs that pushed through holes in the bezels to properly secure them.

Regarding side marker lenses, as far as I can tell, all red rears are the same, and all amber fronts are the same.

Bill Rolik

That would not surprise me at all!

Just like the early 71 cars have the 70-carryover rear side marker lamp assemblies with the "shields" or "hoods" protecting the side marker lamp bulb sockets cast into the aluminum lamp housings (My 318 convertible, built 10/70, has them). Later cars have the lamps without the shields.

Bill Rolik

What the hell am I doing up this late?

Here's one for you guys. I recently looked at a low mile survivor 71 non billboard Cuda, it had the drivers side inside retainer over sprayed heavily in body color but the passenger side was unpainted. It's possible that the passenger side was replaced but as far as I could see there were no obvious signs that it had been swapped out. Has anyone else seen this?

Sorry, off/topic a bit.

Did ALL '71 'Cudas come w/billboards unless they were stripe delete optioned? Or was it an option only?

Quarter Panel SPORT Stripe - aka "BILLBOARDS" was a $37.55 OPTION, approximately 1/3 of all 'Cudas received when new.

Hamtramck-Historical

Revival of an old thread.

Anyone have pictures of the galvanized retainer with body color overspray?

What's the code for billboard stripes on the data plate or build sheet?