Tail Lamp Lens, NOS or not ??

[Mark Heff]

I removed the two, all red, original, tail lamp lens's from my 70. Original because they have the "Guide SAE...." written in between the two stainless steel rings, and they sure look 35 years old.

In the TIM, it mentions that later production had the "Guide SAE...." in the inner circle of the lens. I purchased, what I thought were, two NOS lens at Carlisle this year. I did this because I wanted to replace the old ones which are very dull, faded at this point. The new ones are bright, clear. The new ones have the "Guide....." written in the inner portion, not between the rings.

My questions: are the new lens worthy as far as judging, or should I stick to the original, faded ones. Are the new ones actually original NOS lens, with the writing in the inner circle ? Do the reproductions have anything written on them ? Does "later production" mean total points in NCRS judging, or is it a deduction ? Not worried about losing lens points, just curious in how you judge "later production runs ".

I like total originality, but the new ones would simply look better. But if they are repro's, I don't want them. Just trying to learn, hope I don't sound like a dummy. Thanks for any helpful info.

Mark

[Chuck S.]

Re: Tail Lamp Lens, NOS or not ??

It sounds like you have later production lenses.

With either set of lenses, you are looking at a deduction. If the judges are sharp and judging at a relaxed pace, you'll get an originality deduction on the later lenses. On the original lenses, you'll probably see a minor condition deduction. Originality is more highly valued in NCRS...I would try polishing the old ones. If they still look ratty, you can always put the originals on for judging, and wear the new ones around town while looking for some NOS.

NOS are still available, but you may have to buy the entire tail lamp assembly to get them. The back up lamp lenses are still available solo but the price is high. I have not looked closely at the repros to see how they compare to originals.