TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:49 am

I was sorting out my split taillights today and found a NOS set but not made by hella???? the lenses are the same, but the housings are a litlle different
I thought Hella was the only Compagny who made taillights for splits ! :oops:
Probably I was wrong ! I hope you can see the logo on the picture, that logo is "S P" ???????

Sorry for my poor english !! :oops: :oops:

Thanks,

Guido

Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:15 pm

brown one is SHO. They were a secondary supplier for tail light housings and semaphores.

black one is Hella.

The lenses will fit either one but the shape of the housing is different.
If you have the two different styles on the same car it will be noticeable.

Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:25 pm

i have installed a "SP" bulbholder with a Hella body and i had no problem at all .....

maybe bodies are a bit different .....but the bulbholders fits ok !

Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:10 pm

The mark is "SPO" and the company's name "Spahn".

I have a list of VW part suppliers, theirs shortcut names and logos.

Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:45 pm

Thanks Guy's,

I have from both brands a set , so I don't have to mix on a car !
I just checked if the SPO tailights can be mounted with the hella bulbholders, no Problem it works perfect ! But If somebody can sell me a NOS set SPO bulb holders , I would be a happy guy !
The name "Spahn" is new for me, but you see , " Never to old to learn something " Thanks Virtanen

Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:43 am

There are differences in height between (some?) Hella and SPO housings. You probably could never notice when installed on a car, but set the housings side by side on a table and compare the height of the bottom surface of them.

Also, bulbholders for the "taller" housings have a standoff that the socket is mounted on, placing the bulb closer to the lens.

Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:01 am

splitjunkie wrote: brown one is SHO. They were a secondary supplier for tail light housings and semaphores.

The brand you are probably referring to is Hermann Stribel = HS + circle.

Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:08 am

HeSa wrote: splitjunkie wrote: brown one is SHO. They were a secondary supplier for tail light housings and semaphores.

The brand you are probably referring to is Hermann Stribel = HS + circle.

Yes. SHO did not make taillight housings for Beetle. I too used to confuse the "SPO" with SHO.

SHO made the grooved sems used on splits and barndoors.

Great to see that old Stribel brochure. Reality is it is not really "SHO" but that is just what everyone calls them...

Thu Apr 03, 2008 12:12 pm

Probably it was easier to stamp this kind of small abbreviation on parts and every part supplier had their own marks. There is huge amount of different part suppliers on my Finnish language list.

Thu Apr 03, 2008 12:19 pm

Maybe you can post that list here !

Thanks,

Guido

Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:23 am

virtanen wrote: The mark is "SPO" and the company's name "Spahn".

I have a list of VW part suppliers, theirs shortcut names and logos.

Looking at the listing here
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=288608
the company is Schlesinger and the abbreviation...again....SP + circle...

Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:31 am

virtanen wrote:

Here is the correct tail light supplier, I was wrong with SPO/Spahn which was a bulb supplier. I mixed these two, Sorry.

Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:35 pm

johnshenry wrote: There are differences in height between (some?) Hella and SPO housings. You probably could never notice when installed on a car, but set the housings side by side on a table and compare the height of the bottom surface of them.

Also, bulbholders for the "taller" housings have a standoff that the socket is mounted on, placing the bulb closer to the lens.

Here's some pics of the differences, the "SP" housing is on the left and slightly taller, Hella is on the right

The "SP" bulbholder (yes, it has the SP logo) has the small "standoff" under the socket to move the bulb closer to the lens. It is on the left, Hella is on the right. Both have the same L part number.

However, there are some "SP" bulbholders that do not have this standoff.