Understanding signal light lenses

[Cruzr]

Hello:

Seeking help from the experts regarding these lenses.

 

The molded lens shows a SAE IPP1 number with a 71 for two of the lenses and a 66 for the flat lens.

Is that the year of manufacture?

 

The back of the lenses shows one with the parking light bulb. The reflector is metallic, whereas the one with the dual filament bulb socket has a plastic reflector. The flat lense also has a metal reflector.

 

I am thinking of selling them, and would like to describe the model year application correctly.

 

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[Tsingtao_1903]

I am not an expert.  Below is the extend of my knowledge.

 

1)  71 and 66 are not the manufacturing years.  I do not know what they mean.

2)  The ones with the flat lenses are known as Euro turn signals.

3)  The one with the plastic reflector comes with the bulging amber lens to enhance visibility  Notice how the location of the lamp socket also extend out toward the lens.  This is the US turn signal. 

4)  I've not seen the metal reflector that comes with a single bulb and with only one spring contact in one of your pictures.  Typically, there are two lamp sockets.  The large one in the back is for turn signals, the one in the front is for indicator/driving light.

5)  There is also a US turn signal with the metal reflector extended out toward the lens.  But, the locations of the lamp sockets are the same as the Euro style.

 

GLWS

 

 

Edited March 22, 2017 by Tsingtao_1903

[Mike Self]

 Can't help much with the numbers on the lenses themselves, but...

 

Here's the decode for the three lenses in the second picture you posted:

 

top one:  bulge lens with plastic bulb holder and a two filament bulb.  Late US spec car, most likely a squarelight, as roundies with bulge lenses have a metal bulb holder.

 

middle one:  You have an interesting lens assembly there. The bulging lens indicates it's for a US spec car, but I've never seen one that uses two bulbs--the only two-bulb setup I've seen is for early (68-69) US spec cars that had flat lens turn signals.  The bulging lenses were only for US cars AFAIK, to meet Federal safety requirements.

 

bottom one:  Flat lens, single filament bulb with no extra parking light bulb--Euro spec cars throughout the entire production period.  Euro cars had the parking lights built into the headlights, thus no provision for a parking light.  To use on a US car, you have to either change the bulb socket to accomodate a two filament bulb, or add a second socket for a small parking light bulb.

 

Hope that helps.

 

mike

[02Les]

22 minutes ago, mike said:

 The bulging lenses were only for US cars AFAIK, to meet Federal safety requirements.

 

 

Not so Mike. Bulging Blinkers part #s 63 13 1 354 557 & 558 only for the Touring tii. Part of the Touring tii sport paket.

Surprisingly, they are (or were 2 years ago) still available.

They are now on my "to be finished one day" Touring. Whilst I realise everyone drools over the flat Euro Blinkers, the bulging ones are so much more visible (stand 50ft or so directly in front of the car while the Euros are blinking). I can always revert back to Euro if I get bored with them.

 

[TobyB]

The dates refer to the specification that the lens meets.

 

Thus, a 66 is compliant with the 1966 lighting regulations, and the 71 is made to comply with 1971's regs.  The regulations

did not change annually.  There should also be a country designation- SAE, for US, I think...

 

t

 

[Cruzr]

Did some reading on SAE, which it turns out to be the Society of Automotive Engineers, founded in 1905. From what I read, the NHTSA refers to these standards for automotive design.
So the question is, since the european lenses in my pics have a SAE Standard on the, can I reasonably conclude they came from a pre 1971 car?

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[Mike Self]

2 hours ago, 02Les said:

Not so Mike. Bulging Blinkers part #s 63 13 1 354 557 & 558 only for the Touring tii. Part of the Touring tii sport paket.

Dang--that's two new facts on 2002s I've learned in a week.  Can't say I've ever seen a Euro car that I knew for a fact came from Munich with bulge style turn signals.  Nice little tidbit to know.

 

34 minutes ago, Cruzr said:

So the question is, since the european lenses in my pics have a SAE Standard on the, can I reasonably conclude they came from a pre 1971 car?

Yep.  Those flat turn signals were used on the 114 bodies sent to the US from the beginning of production in 1966 until the standard changed, apparently in 1971.  

 

mike