Chevrolet El Camino Tail Light Bulb Size

The Chevrolet El Camino tail light utilizes 1034, 1157, 194, and 2057 bulb sizes for the rear illumination system. Available information covers the production range from 1959 through 1987.

The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.

Bulb Size by Year Range

Years	Bulb Size
1987	2057
1986	194
1983-1985	2057
1964-1982	1157
1959-1960	1034

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Dual-filament bulb with BAY15d bayonet base. Brighter variant of 1157. 12V, 26.9W/8W.	2057
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Miniature wedge bulb (T10). 12V, 3.78W.	194
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Dual-filament bulb with BAY15d bayonet base. 12V, 21W/5W.	1157
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Dual-filament bulb with BAY15d bayonet base. Variant of 1157. 12V, 21/5W.	1034

Other Locations

Additional Notes

The 1157 bulb is the most widely specified tail light bulb for the Chevrolet El Camino, covering model years 1964-1972 and 1973-1982 continuously, making it the dominant fitment across the vehicle's production history.
The 1157 is a dual-filament bulb using a BAY15d bayonet base, rated at 12V with filaments drawing 21W and 5W respectively, allowing it to serve both stop/tail light functions from a single unit.
The 2057 bulb shares the same BAY15d bayonet base as the 1157 but operates at higher wattage on its primary filament, rated at 26.9W/8W versus the 1157's 21W/5W, making it a brighter variant rather than a direct equivalent.
The Chevrolet El Camino (1983-1985) specifies the 2057, and because the 2057 draws more current than the 1157, substituting one for the other in either direction may affect circuit performance or socket compatibility despite the shared base type.
The 1987 El Camino also specifies the 2057, while the 1986 model year departs entirely from the dual-filament format, specifying instead the 194, a miniature wedge bulb rated at only 3.78W.
The 194 uses a T10 wedge base, which is physically and electrically incompatible with the BAY15d bayonet base used by the 1157, 2057, and 1034 bulbs, meaning the 1986 tail light assembly is a distinct fitment from all other years in the specification.
The 1034 bulb, specified for the 1959-1960 El Camino, also uses a BAY15d bayonet base and shares the same 21W/5W rating as the 1157, though it is listed as a separate variant under its own ANSI designation.
All four bulb types in these specifications conform to ANSI standards applicable in both the United States and Canada, indicating standardized electrical and physical tolerances across the range.
The dual-filament design of the 1157, 2057, and 1034 bulbs allows a single bulb position to handle two distinct brightness levels, a configuration typical of combined stop and tail light applications.
The shift from the 1034 to the 1157 between the 1960 and 1964 model years represents a change in bulb designation despite both sharing equivalent wattage ratings and the same base type.