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Robs '52s
Samba Member
Joined: January 15, 2005
Posts: 385
Location: Nor-Cal far eastbay
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 Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:13 pm Post subject: 57-61 "dollar" taillight lenses |
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Hey I'm going to list some tail light lenses in the classifieds. I know nothing about buses and don't want to list them for too much and look like a knucklehead or list them for too little and rip myself off. I searched the classifieds and could only find plastic ones to compare to. Any idea of what these sell for? This are made of glass and say Hella SRBL17 on them. any info is appreciated, Thanks.
Moderator notes:
Short summary of what Buses should have:
K3235 - Late 57 / 58
SRBL17 early style - 59
SRBL17 late style - 60/61
K13280 - Dealer replacement lenses
SWF K13252 - Unknown
Change from earlier taillight to dollar taillights
Visual difference between early and late style SRBL17, seen here side by side:
Other:
Australian lens information
'58-'61 reflective tail light lens refurbishment
More info in this thread...
Please PM EverettB with any additions or corrections |
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happyhippo
Segapone Wanna-B
Joined: June 22, 2004
Posts: 766
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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Rob,
I'm offering $75 each for original German lenses like this. I need 2 for my 23-window. If that's a good offer for you, let me know. If not, let me know anyway.
Thanks!
Jeff
_________________
-- Jeff--happyhippo
Look, I'll do whatever you want...Just get that death-weiner away from me! -- Principal Skinner
Never let a stripper clog dance near your dangle. -- Bob Oblong |
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Lind
Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2000
Posts: 10272
Location: idaho
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| Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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| happyhippo wrote: |
Rob,
I'm offering $75 each for original German lenses like this. I need 2 for my 23-window. If that's a good offer for you, let me know. If not, let me know anyway.
Thanks!
Jeff |
your 23 window would take K3235 lenses which are hard to find.
$75 each is a very good offer on those lenses.
those lenses are SRBL17 lenses which are correct for '59-'61ish.
I have been trying to research these lenses, but it is very difficult due to the design flaw of dollar taillights in general and they way that they love to crack lenses, so even very original cars can easily have replacement lenses in them.
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Robbo
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2004
Posts: 252
Location: Middx, England
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 1:37 am Post subject: |
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Very easy to break the glass ones:
Just a little over exhuberance with the screwdriver and........KKCCCKKK!  |
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Riff Raff
Shivering Sambian
Joined: October 25, 2004
Posts: 3097
Location: Alberta
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 5:55 am Post subject: |
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I would like to have those lenses as well, but you will get good karma if you sell them to Jeff 
_________________
The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge
- Daniel Boorstin |
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DubStyle
SBS Hit Squad
Joined: July 26, 2003
Posts: 6249
Location: SBS headquarters: Missery
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 6:39 am Post subject: |
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| Riff Raff wrote: |
| I would like to have those lenses as well, but you will get good karma if you sell them to Jeff |
Damn Riff Raff that is real cool of you! Hopefully he sells them to Jeff.
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Anthony
SBS #1
SBS #1 on FB
"The original & best lowered Split Bus website/club" |
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happyhippo
Segapone Wanna-B
Joined: June 22, 2004
Posts: 766
Location: Colorado
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:27 am Post subject: |
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| Riff Raff wrote: |
| I would like to have those lenses as well, but you will get good karma if you sell them to Jeff |
Thanks for the good Ju-Ju Riff Raff! If I get these, I'll step out of line and then you'll be at the front!
_________________
-- Jeff--happyhippo
Look, I'll do whatever you want...Just get that death-weiner away from me! -- Principal Skinner
Never let a stripper clog dance near your dangle. -- Bob Oblong |
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der58SC
Samba Member
Joined: September 15, 2006
Posts: 1359
Location: Oceanside, CA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| Robbo wrote: |
Very easy to break the glass ones:
Just a little over exhuberance with the screwdriver and........KKCCCKKK! |
Oh damn. I guess the next time I mess with my tail lights I will be sure not to go crazy. I still have the original glass lenses in mine. |
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tbdean
Samba Member
Joined: June 18, 2003
Posts: 71
Location: Lawrenceville (Atlanta), GA
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Riff Raff
Shivering Sambian
Joined: October 25, 2004
Posts: 3097
Location: Alberta
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:52 am Post subject: |
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| happyhippo wrote: |
Thanks for the good Ju-Ju Riff Raff! If I get these, I'll step out of line and then you'll be at the front! |
Thanks
One thing that people tend to overlook when snugging up the bezels on the lenses is that the bezels tend to warp - concave in towards the bolt holes. If you gently bend the bezel back against it's concavity (Is that a word?) so that the bolt hole section of the bezel is the LAST part to contact the lens rather than the first part, you will get a better seal and less chance of cracking the lens.
Also, as Lind has opined, if you ground the tail lights "manually" with a wire and hose clamp around the bucket, you will not have to rely on the barb to ground the bucket to the body. If the bucket is already grounded, you can be gentler on the torque of the tail light bezel screws and further protect the lenses.
_________________
The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge
- Daniel Boorstin |
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WM971252
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2004
Posts: 1783
Location: Franklin CT
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 11:43 am Post subject: |
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| Also If you have them too loose the vibrate and crack. Had this happen to me. Some plastic ones are poor and some are great looking (from England). Also Joe G repoped glass ones. I didn't like the look of them. |
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cris torlasco
Samba Member
Joined: November 08, 2000
Posts: 1363
Location: Delmar, NY/Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 12:08 pm Post subject: |
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The guy that sold the 58 SC to me broke one when fixing the brake lights before I picked it up. Aarghhh, not much I could do...
Cris |
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Sweet Rides
Samba Member
Joined: September 08, 2005
Posts: 465
Location: Out in the sticks. U.K
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Lind, I didnt realise ther were different numbers for these lense so I`ve had a hunt in my parts stash to see what I`ve got...
2x nos K13280
3x used but mint K13280
1x used but mint SRBL17.
Are any of these more rare/valueable than the others? What models are they for? Thanks for any info!
Sorry guys, these lenses are not for sale  |
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Lind
Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2000
Posts: 10272
Location: idaho
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Sweet Rides wrote: |
Hey Lind, I didnt realise ther were different numbers for these lense so I`ve had a hunt in my parts stash to see what I`ve got...
2x nos K13280
3x used but mint K13280
1x used but mint SRBL17.
Are any of these more rare/valueable than the others? What models are they for? Thanks for any info!
Sorry guys, these lenses are not for sale |
if they have letters and numbers around the rim, then they are replacement lenses (the 13280 lenses are virtually all that way) replacement lenses are very common because those lenses liked to break. I am sure dealerships made a pretty penny selling replacements.
I run cracked lenses in all of my OG buses. I have one NOS K3235 lens, and I am looking for another to make a set. I would pay quite a bit for one. I had a nice used one, but somehow a friend of mine talked me out of it for his '58 15 window which is getting a concourse restoration. my old '57 standard has its original K3235 lenses on it and they are in mint condition. it is uncommon to see a late '57-'58 bus with the right taillight lenses.
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Wanted:
Idaho VW license plate frames or other dealership items.
VWoA literature and early dealership or distributor literature/pictures/information
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DaveM
Mad Samba Scientist
Joined: June 11, 2002
Posts: 3010
Location: Dry side of Oregon
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| Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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I believe I need a pair of perfect SRBL17s for my double cab... yes Lind?
I have a perfect matching set of the K324543 lenses for partial trade or I'll out right purchase them. Time frame: Well, first Lind has to graduate, then I have to start moving on the double cab. LOL.
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Sounding like a broken record as to why You should be measuring protein during harvest in order to better your agronomic practices. |
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stephenmullens 
Samba Member
Joined: January 13, 2005
Posts: 1927
Location: New Mexico
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| Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:11 am Post subject: |
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| Lind wrote: |
| happyhippo wrote: |
Rob,
I'm offering $75 each for original German lenses like this. I need 2 for my 23-window. If that's a good offer for you, let me know. If not, let me know anyway.
Thanks!
Jeff |
your 23 window would take K3235 lenses which are hard to find.
$75 each is a very good offer on those lenses.
those lenses are SRBL17 lenses which are correct for '59-'61ish.
I have been trying to research these lenses, but it is very difficult due to the design flaw of dollar taillights in general and they way that they love to crack lenses, so even very original cars can easily have replacement lenses in them. |
Lind, what should I expect to pay for a nice set of K3235 lenses? |
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Robbo
Samba Member
Joined: July 01, 2004
Posts: 252
Location: Middx, England
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| Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:42 am Post subject: |
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Plastic ones don't look too bad in my opinion, but my bus is a ratter, so I'm not that fussed about originality or exact specs.
I got these from Custom and Commercial, a UK company for 20 quid the pair. They are marked "Hella", but if they are or not, I don't know as the markings are not as clear as on the glass one I broke.
Have a butchers:
http://customandcommercial.com/
But I'm sure you can get something simillar in the US. Probably the WW is the same thing.
Cheers
Rob |
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Lind
Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2000
Posts: 10272
Location: idaho
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| Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:47 am Post subject: |
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| DaveM wrote: |
I believe I need a pair of perfect SRBL17s for my double cab... yes Lind?
I have a perfect matching set of the K324543 lenses for partial trade or I'll out right purchase them. Time frame: Well, first Lind has to graduate, then I have to start moving on the double cab. LOL. |
yeah, those are the ones that you need. not only do you need SRBL17 lenses, I believe that there is an early style of SRBL17s that were used in '59. the diamond pattern on the backside of the center is the same as the K3235 lenses, not the pointed pattern like later SRBL17s and all the replacement lenses. I have a spare really nice used set that I can sell you if you manage to get your doublecab on the road before I get a '59 bus. 
| stephenmullens wrote: |
| Lind, what should I expect to pay for a nice set of K3235 lenses? |
I would say that K3235 lenses would be in the $100 range per lens. bear in mind that they are very hard to find, so if you come across one buy it. I have never seen a set for sale.
I always carry a spare complete dollar taillight assembly with a nice original replacement lens so that I can trade it out if someone has a bus for sale with a SRBL17 or K3235 lens and they don't mind trading out.
I have only ever seen one NOS K3235 lens, and I bought it at Bad Camberg '03 for $10. it was my favorite part that I got that whole trip, and I got a lot of cool stuff on that trip.
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Wanted:
Idaho VW license plate frames or other dealership items.
VWoA literature and early dealership or distributor literature/pictures/information
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cris torlasco
Samba Member
Joined: November 08, 2000
Posts: 1363
Location: Delmar, NY/Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:15 am Post subject: |
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Lind, at the risk of sounding over the top on the compliment dept. I have to say that I am impressed with your knowledge and hope you keep sharing it in this forum. Your posts are extremely informative.
Cris |
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[email protected]
Samba Member
Joined: September 22, 2002
Posts: 1246
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| Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:35 am Post subject: |
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Dam! You guys are going to make me look at all my old lenses and see what I have. Now were did I put that box of lenses.....
at least my 59 needs the more commono ones un like my 52's rarer than hens theeth lenses. |
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