Chevrolet Corvair Instrument Panel Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The Chevrolet Corvair uses the 1816 bulb for its instrument panel across all listed model years, spanning 1960-1969.
• The 1816 is an ANSI-standardized bulb recognized across the United States and Canada, meaning it conforms to a defined set of electrical and physical specifications shared by compliant manufacturers.
• The 1816 belongs to the T3.25 bulb family, a designation that describes a tubular glass envelope roughly 3.25 eighths of an inch wide, which is a standard way of expressing bulb sizing in the ANSI classification system.
• The 1816 operates at 12 volts and draws 4 watts, placing it in the low-wattage range typical of instrument panel illumination, where heat management and longevity in enclosed clusters are practical considerations.
• The miniature wedge base of the 1816 requires no separate metal base or locking pins; the glass envelope itself is shaped to wedge directly into a compatible socket, which is a common fitment method in instrument panel applications.
• Because the 1816 specification remained unchanged across the entire 1960-1969 production run of the Corvair, a single bulb type serves all listed model years without variation in voltage, wattage, or base type.
• The wedge base format of the 1816 is not interchangeable with bayonet-base or screw-base bulb sockets, so fitment depends on the socket type present in the instrument panel housing.
• At 4 watts, the 1816 produces a relatively modest light output, consistent with its role as an indicator or background illumination source rather than a primary lighting component.