TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Dec 17, 2009 1:49 pm

When I say late, I mean the type without the circle in the middle. I always assumed the color difference was based on what country the bus was exported to. Once again, it was just an assumption.

As far as the plastic vs glass goes, here is what I remember from speaking with David Sweinhagen. This was 8 or so years ago, but he showed me a shriveled up red plastic lens with the circle in the middle and the vertical lines on each side. It also had the square edges, not rounded like the later ones. It was too weather beaten to be used, but it was supposedly original to his 51 sunroof. He specifically showed it to me so that I knew what to look for. He also mentioned that Mark Lapriore had the same type of plastic lens on his 51, in a similar condition. I did not see the one that mark owned, only heard about it second hand through David.

Maybe one of them can chime in. I have been running a plastic circle lens on my 51 for years, and have believed it to be correct. It is nice to see this subject in the forums. Too bad old pics cant really help with the plastic vs glass subject.

Thu Dec 17, 2009 10:48 pm

I think it was plastic..and it was red.

Fri Dec 18, 2009 4:41 am

bubba wrote: krusher wrote: Tonny_Larsen wrote: Have a look at these old pictures. I believe the lenses a orange.

-Tonny

This is my bus it is oct54 and came with an orange lens
Did it come with early or late style lens?

I think it was the late curved one

Wed Dec 30, 2009 7:02 am

Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:27 am

Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:18 am

Picked this from ebay for 6€.
NORS, generally has the squarish looks and all the inner ribbing details of the Hella unit but outer surface is slightly domed.
no logo of course but 'A 3059'script. fits my original bezel.

Fri Jan 29, 2010 6:59 am

vdouglu wrote:
Doug, where you hoarding , those look NOS ? :wink:

Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:11 pm

bubba wrote: vdouglu wrote:
Doug, where you hoarding , those look NOS ? :wink:

Hey Doug,

Those look nice! Way to go on another cool reproduction. Will you have those at OCTO this Valentines day?

Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:13 am

When I took my bus apart I had a clear brake light lens, so I swapped it out for a red glass lens I had spare. I just pulled out the og lens and realised it is a proper hella lens

Were these clear originally and coated with something red, or were they red plastic and the sun just faded them out? (having seen a couple of other clear lenses in this thread)

Do I try and coat it with something to make it red again, or perhaps run a red bulb?....

Also noticed a little flaw in the moulding

Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:19 am

Scotty wrote:

Do I try and coat it with something to make it red again, or perhaps run a red bulb?....

Also noticed a little flaw in the moulding

Buy one of Doug's reproductions.

Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:28 am

Anchovy wrote:
Buy one of Doug's reproductions.

I was all set to do that, but this has to be the og lens. It'd be nice to run it if I could

Mon Apr 05, 2010 12:40 pm

Doug's is also logo'd. that one my have been orange at one time. they came red and orange, and i would think orange would fad the fastest.

Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:15 pm

I have a very nice original one in red that I would be willing to sell. Feel free to PM me if interested.