Barndoor brake light glass question

[johnny d]

does anybody exactly know until when the lower brake light glass was used into a bd?

i never saw the lower one before.. tonny, do you know anything about the lower one?! wich one do you use in your 50?
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GermanRestoKommando
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Der Barndoor Führers - Slamm Society
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VWKernzentrale since 2007

[Tonny_Larsen]

[johnny d]

hmm did you see the lower one before?
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GermanRestoKommando
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Der Barndoor Führers - Slamm Society
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VWKernzentrale since 2007

[Bergepanzer]

Hi,

originally, the orange ones are turn signals. Orange brake lights on other cars were common until the Mid-60´s, in the GDR also longer. I have never seen any split bus with orange center brake light, though. On b/w photos these should appear more light than the dark red version, I suppose.
The lower brake light glass has an internal reflector and a convex lens in the middle. The fact that it has no "K" marking (Lichttechnische Versuchsanstalt Karlsruhe) and no "snake" from the "Kraftfahrtbundesamt" shows that it is a very early version built before Spring 1953. From this date, all light equipment had to be stamped or marked with licensing numbers.
The glass can be seen on early VW BD pics. The b/w photo of an early panel with opening upper rear hatch is well-known from different publications; the car appears to be matt grey or just primered and features exactly this brake light glass. Unfortunately I cannot make a scan. Does anybody know which pic I mean, guys?

Regards,

Jurgen

[Bergepanzer]

Ben,

could you post a better picture perhaps or lighten the contrasts up with a graphic program? I think it is difficult to see what we both mean. The reflector area does not come out here, really.

Thanks,

Jurgen

[Bergepanzer]

I don´t mean this pic!
But this panel with rear hatch also features the same brake light with the sharp edges and prominent volumen: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/296867.jpg !

[Tonny_Larsen]

[Tonny_Larsen]

Have a look at these old pictures. I believe the lenses a orange.

-Tonny

[Bergepanzer]

Hi Tonny,

you are right! I´m sorry!

But the topic concerning the more rectangular lower lens on Ben´s pic needs some more explanation.
I found the photos I was talking about: Just look in Hans J Schneider´s book "Der Lastesel des Wirtschaftswunders" on the pages 23, 36, 48/49 and 80. All these barndoors have the crucial lens with integrated reflector. Just as Ben has pictured the lower one in his photo.
I have the original here, it is made of glass and I made 4 reproductions by vacuum casting from Epox. Now I have just one left. Ben got one and the other two guys who pretended to need one mistook it for something else, did not see the importance of the part ...
But I still own the silicon mold ...

Regards,

Jurgen

[johnny d]

here are the pictures..

[Tonny_Larsen]

Have a look at these pictures from the owner manuals. The shape of the lenses is the same as lower one.

-Tonny

[ambu55]

hi guys! I used to own an ex-DDR deluxe from october '51, the brake-light was filled with fiberglass when I bought it, but the old owner still had a lot of OG parts, including the (broken ) original glass he took off in 1959, the year he moved from Frankfurt (West - Germany) to Zinnwald, DDR, and it was an ORANGE one, glass of course, not a plastic one like the one in the lower picture Johnny showed us... (seems plastic to me Johnny, I might be wrong??...) and, I know of an OG belgian bus that was cut into pieces in the late eighties, it was a febr. '51, and had an ORANGE brakelight too!!! (I only saw a picture of it... the only thing left of this cut-up bus, was the febr. '51 engine, it's in the US now, I sold it in Bad Camberg, 2003...!!) the RED ones, I only saw them on british and overseas busses, and mostly younger ones, 53-55... as you can see in Tonny's catalogue, the code for the RED one has an 'a' in it, that's younger!!... Tonny, I'm pretty sure you used the CORRECT orange one on your Kastenwagen !!!

...also, not about the brake-lights this time, ...everyone in this forum always talks about the FRESE reflectors in the back... I'm into VW's since 1986, and into Barndoors since 93, but in all those years, I never saw an all original , unrestored BELGIAN barndoor with these reflectors on... only 3 of them where OG and never restored.... NO Frese guys... anyone else knows about different reflectors in certain countries...? if no-one knows about these, I might post this question in a FRESE topic later!!....

[johnny d]

yeah.. these are repros and made from epox, like jürgen wrote. this one is made by him!

i guess ORANGE is realy the earlyer one, because of the missing "a".

but what is about the one i posted.. jürgend told me this must be a realy early one, like before the orange one.

btw.. what is FRESE??
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GermanRestoKommando
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Der Barndoor Führers - Slamm Society
&
VWKernzentrale since 2007

[Barndoor Mafia]

Herr Ben. Wie Ghets.

Pre 52 buses used the orange lenses. Verstehen Sie Mich! But then, there are different styles and types of lenses used, depending on the country and the year?? Post 53 buses all used the red hella lenses.
Your best bet is get a hold of someone who owns an unmolested pre 52 bus and see what type or style of lense they are using.

I heard next year at the Hessisch Oldendorf Treffen, there will be a lecture on the different types of lenses used on pre February, 1955 Type ll's. By non other then Professor Connors of the Museum of Contemporary Barndoors.

[ambu55]

[ambu55]

[johnny d]

[johnny d]

[Barndoor Mafia]

[johnny d]