Heb interior lamp

[usariemen]

Hi
I had found this lamp wich I planed to use in my Hebmüller.
The square ended "Heb style", white bakelit material, no switch and
plastic lens.

Last weekend I got this one. The exact same size but metal body, no switch and glas lens.
Little differend shaped on the upper edges of the square ends.

In the web you can find these ones also as "Heb lamps".
Dark bakelit, with switch.

Metal body, exactely shaped as the bakelit ones.

This here is not Hebmüller for sure. It is Mercedes.

So now my question. Wich one for real is THE Hebmüller lamp?
Who has one in his car wich was 100% for sure in it ever since the car was build?
Shape? Bakelit? Light? Dark? Metal? Chrome?

_________________
Master of my domain!

[peter schepens]

Hello Carsten.
I think that nobody can answer your question. Why?
It was all like demand and suply.

The heb factory bought some lights, like a box full ( suppose there are 20 in one box) They are mounted in the cars....and a worker had to take his bike to search another box. He came back with another box . This repeating until the first kind was out of suply....they took a box of another model thus mounting another model.
For me it is clear that a lamp in a Heb came never with a switch.
The model you have in metal and the white backelite seems OK, The metal one on the glass table in a friends house seems Ok. The mercedes lamp is not ok as the Switch lamp.
When I am at home I will look for a pict of a non restored Heb.
Maybe Heb 410 ?
I'll send you a mail tonight.
Peter
_________________
Zelensis, glassfibre body made in Belgium , disigned and built on a VW platform About 25 body's built.
Hebmuller info wanted for http://www.hebmueller-registry.com/home.html

[usariemen]

Well, they surely bought more than 20 lamps at once.
Let´s say 100 or 200. So, even if they used three or four differend ones during the time the cars where build. I just want a proof of one kind that
was used for sure back then. Does there not exist a period picture that shows an original lamp? Is there no car wich is unrestored in that area for sure?
Peter, if you say they used what ever came and they maybe changed often. How can be told there was no switch or no round ended bodies?
_________________
Master of my domain!

[peter schepens]

Carsten,
As I wrote, I have no proof at all. The only thing you should have in mind is the lack of products and raw materials in 1949.
All I can say is that my investigations pointed out that original before the start of the production , it was clear that the "hauptspriegellamp" was hooked up to a switch that was on the dash board.

What they did do it later is not sure. After the first 100 or 120 cars (aprox ) , the change of the dash insert was finalized so the wire loom had to be changed. I do not know if that changed the switch on the inside lamp. One thing is sure, the Mercedes light is not used in a HEB.

I hope somebody can help us out with this issue.
Man, Hebmullers drive me crazy with details. but I liken it that way.
Best regards; Peter
_________________
Zelensis, glassfibre body made in Belgium , disigned and built on a VW platform About 25 body's built.
Hebmuller info wanted for http://www.hebmueller-registry.com/home.html

[tomas persson]

The third picture. "Dark bakelit, with switch"

Once I had two Ford Taunus from 1950, one Standard (G93A) and one Spezial de Luxe (G73A) and they both had this kind of interior light.
Could be a tip for those who seek them...

I still have a glass lens left...

Regards Tomas

[overrestored]

My Beeskow has a lamp under the dash... under the glove box... just like the Mercedes version in your photos. I have seen all sorts of lamps on Rometsch cars. The dashboards of Rometsch Beeskows are often quite different too. Some with totally different locations of the Glove box (in the center even sometimes) Gauges in different spots... all sorts of weird switches and stuff.

I don't know much about Hebmuller's uniformity... or supply line exactly... but I think a good guess that the plan was probably.... "just use whichever lamp is available"

All of the lamps shown are pretty cool looking... and all of them are period correct. Thanks for all the images. I hadn't seen some of the versions.

[usariemen]

Well, that was a big coachbuild company. Established for decades in 1949.
In late 1949 and early 1950 they finished three or four Hebs per day. Beside the other cars they made. I can not immagine they sended a guy on a bike three times a month to the electrics shop in town to pic up a couple of lamps. With the standards they usually had there I guess there was no "just use whichever lamp is available". I am sure they decided to use a certain kind and ordered enough for the production of some months. It might be there was a change somewhen, but I am sure when we look back it can be reduced to one or two models to be THE Heb lamp.
I just would like to know wich ones.
_________________
Master of my domain!

[peter schepens]

Carsten you are correct with the first months of production...reduce that to the first month...Remember there was some sort of big BBQ in the factory on 23 of july in 1949 , IN august they started again with production . Most of the money went in the new building and huge press to make the decklids. ( before the fire all decklids were handmade and some also after the fire)
With the problems of insurance ( under-insured) and the trouble with the crappy construction of the first Hebs, I think they had not much stock in house in the late 49.
I am convinced that the lamp in white bakelite and the 2 metal ones ( painted and chrome) are original and period correct.
The one with the switch is not for a Heb as the heblight is activated over the dash wiperswitch.
The one from Mercedes is also not correct ....Stuttgart was to far away to get a box of lamps on a bike....

I hope to find one day a unrestored Heb or a pict of it to see the lamp in detail. Until today I can not find a decent pict of the lamp in a Heb and I have lots of picts, but not enought .
Carsten, Maybe Christian or his father knows this for sure.

Best regards. Peter
_________________
Zelensis, glassfibre body made in Belgium , disigned and built on a VW platform About 25 body's built.
Hebmuller info wanted for http://www.hebmueller-registry.com/home.html

[oval56]

with my heb, i got two sockets (one under dash?! and one not mounted) and only one cover, as i am right, the socket is chrome metal without switch.. but i can look closer today when i work on 455
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www.oval56.com

1956 Oval, 2364ccm typ4
1957 Oval Ragtop 1584ccm singel port modified
1950 Hebmüller, 1584ccm okrasa modified

DBK Germany!!!!!!!!!!
www.dbkvw.com

[usariemen]

Hi Andreas
So this is the base of yours.

And this is one of mine. Looks close.

The body of yours was chromed? Has it the same shape?
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Master of my domain!

[tomas persson]

The bases are not the same. Not exactly...but nearly. The part where the screws go in, are round on yours and square on his...

[oval56]

[New_Old_Stock]

[usariemen]

Today I pictured this lamp.

It is in a 1950 Heb and was in there ever. The owner showed me great period pics of the car and it is in his family since 1951. On one of the old pics this lamp is well visible.
So we have a proof of this shape with a chromed surface is an original one.
I´ll get chromed the painted one I had found and will be fine with it.
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Master of my domain!