When did the change to the large front parking / turn signal lights occur?

I'd always understood that the change to the large front parking / turn signal lights on the early CJ5s went into effect shortly after AMC finalized its purchase of Jeep from Kaiser in Feb. 1970.

However, in a comment on another thread (Earliest CJ5 roll bar designs | EarlyCJ5.com), colojeepguy indicated that this change occurred a couple of years or so prior to that point, while Kaiser still owned Jeep.

Now I'm curious.....does anyone happen to know the actual or approximate time frame / year model when this change was put into production?

 

There was a federal requirement about light size...I believe 1967.
My dad's '69 and my '70 (Kaiser built) have the larger turn signals.

 

To both of your points.....I looked around online and found several images of '69 CJ5s with the small earlier type parking / turn signal lights, and several others with the later large parking lights - so maybe it was a mid-year change during that model year?

Also, many of the photos of the 1969's with the large parking lights had orange / amber lenses like the ones in the photo below, rather than the (apparently?) somewhat later white or clear lenses.

I wonder if the larger parking lights came with amber lenses when they first went into production, but were later changed at some point in time to white / clear lenses?.....and if that's the case, when that change occurred?

 

My 69 has small lights and my 70 has large lights.

 

I suspect a mid year change in '69. Daughter's '69 had large clear lenses but i've had grills from '69 that had the smaller amber lenses. I have nothing definitive to pinpoint it other than that. I've never in person seen the large lenses with amber/orange coloring but doesn't mean it couldn't be a transitional thing.

 

I'm with Nick on the mid year change. I bought a '69 grill for my '71 because I wanted small turn signals but needed the later, wide style radiator mount area. '69 was the only one which fit both my needs. Likely an early '69 as I have also seen '69 grills with large turn signals.

I actually installed early 60's style clear glass turn signal assemblies for an even earlier appearance and for the durability of the glass lenses.

 

My 69 has small lights.

 

In early/mid 69 the Jeepster changed to the same large turn signals to coincide with the rework of the grille for the addition of the hood safety latch. Since the Jeepster grille is basically a CJ grille I'd think kaiser would have changed them at the same time.

 

With pretty much anything Jeep it is far better to go with seral number breaks. The year on a title in some instances was when it was sold or the year a clerk guessed that it is. Not uncommon for product to sit on a lot and be sold a year later. People get all wrapped around the axle over what their title says and not the date of manufacture as it left the factory. Oldtime has done a great job in putting together a library of service bulletins and factory information. Asking him when the break occurred would be far better then comparing what a state title says your Jeep is.

 

True - my CJ5 was invoiced as a 1957 model when sold in October 1956. Normal enough.
But it has all the details and features of a '56, and even had the numerals "56" marked in crayon on the firewall. Obviously a left-over, sold as a newer model.

 

My 1970 CJ5 has the large clear lights and the center hood latch. For whats its worth I have owned this jeep since 1975....

 

My 1970 CJ5 also has large clear lights and center hood latch and according to the VIN #8305017359380 was built in July 1969

 

Nate1, Your 1970 is a 1969. I have a 69 VIN# 8305017360056 and the paper work states 1st owner took delivery on 8-15-1969. Keith

 

Apparently, that practice wasn't limited to just left-overs for a single year. My 69 titled CJ 5, which I bought in 69 and had not been previously titled, is obviously a 67, including the T86AA and the high wipers.

 

My 69 had small signals