RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I have been in the process of doing some restoration on my '02 car, and one thing on my list was the headlights. After several episodes of wet sanding and re-polishing over the last few years, I decided to just replace the headlights with something new. I'm not a fan of halos or projectors or any of the other aftermarket-styled stuff on the market, I like stock. So I ordered a new set through GM and discovered that they appear to be made by Depo. The markings on the back of the housing clearly state "DEPO", and the only thing that appears to be different from the Depo units available over the internet is the marking on the actual lens (inside that small square at the bottom middle of the lens, where it says DEPO on the aftermarket ones, these say "GM" and have the old part number listed).

I don't know when this change took place, because the last time I ordered new headlights directly from GM was in 2006 and they were still the same made-in-USA versions that were originally issued on the assembly line.

Anyway, there are two things that seem inferior about the Depo units:

- The rubber gasket. The original ones were more robust and better positioned on the lens (further forward), and that served to fill the gap between the lens and the bumper cover better than the Depo versions. Also, the original rubber gasket was attached with a type of foam emblem adhesive that provided a stronger bond, versus the cheaper thin tape used by Depo.

- The Depo mounting bracket just doesn't seem to fit as well, so I swapped it with the stock mounting bracket from my original housings.

These are things that might not be a concern to most people, and probably even fewer people are interested in replacing their headlights with 100% stock units. But for anyone interested in replacing their '98-'02 Camaro headlights with original stock units, beware that what you get from GM will likely be Depo. I suppose it's possibile that some dealers or warehouses might still have the original versions lying around, but there was no change to the part number so there is no way to specify this when ordering.

Just wanted to put the information out there for the people who might want to know. That is all.

dabest09

iTrader: (1)

So GM is cheaping out? What's the difference in price from ordering through GM as opposed as ebay or other sites?

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

The price difference is pretty big actually. GM list price is about 3 times as much as what you can get Depos for on Amazon, and apparently the only difference is the GM stamp on the lens. I get a pretty substantial discount, but even still it was too much, considering they are not the originals. The originals had a better quality gasket and bracket for sure, but what remains to be seen is if the Depo lenses are as good/better/worse in terms of longevity of UV resistance. Time will tell.

buellxb12s

iTrader: (9)

That's good info. I may be interested in your old units if you want to sell. I want some to whistler mod.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Frankly, I'm not happy with the overall fitment of the new units, so those are probably the ones I'll be getting rid of. Seems like a lot of people like the Depo stuff, but no matter what I do to adjust them, they just don't fit as well as stock (even after swapping brackets). When it comes to these things, I do tend to be much more picky than most.

I'll just re-restore my originals and keep using them, because everything about them fits better.

beanhead

iTrader: (1)

why not just use the lmc truck housings... I understand you want to keep factory but they are just OEM replacements that are quality and allows yout to use better bulbs.

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/bzc/full.aspx?Page=63

low beam 36-0302 high 36-0303

hopefully this is helpful but not sure you needed the info

DB IZM

iTrader: (1)

The LMC are for pre 98. They will not work for his purpose.

beanhead

iTrader: (1)

I'm pretty sure there used for the 98-02 as well... there are commonly referenced in all the HID conversion threads. I could be wrong tho

dabest09

iTrader: (1)

OP has a camaro not a trans am.