Can anyone identify this Lucas rear lens?

[Ben Hutchings]

At Malvern on Saturday we got chatting about the rear lenses on early Spits and GTs and their tendency to snap off at the slightest sideways pressure. Someone found a spare lens in the autojumble so they’d have a “matching pair”. I assumed they meant one was the original deep ruby red and one was the repro lighter material, but no, the old an new were actually different parts: 

The one on the right is the ‘normal’ Lucas L672 lens, found on Spit 1-3 and GT6 1-2.

The left one… no idea! It’s L847 and so far the best guess is US spec (GT6+) maybe? It’s not the much more rounded (and better made) L549 found on early TRs, MGA, Morris Minor etc. 

Any ideas? 

[Adrianb]

Not Morris  minor  possibly Hillman or Marcos! More investigation required the quest is on!

[thescrapman]

Very rare GT6+ lens apparently 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283381069079

[Rosbif]

When I searched the net the part number implied it was GT6 American.

[Ben Hutchings]

Ok thanks, yep makes sense from what I’ve seen too. So @Clive when you see Pete can you tell him? He might want to sell his spare on eBay for a few quid 😂

[Martins Stag]

Ben I think we discussed it at Malven and my guess was a US lamp... It was me that brought the replacement lamp for Pete so at least he has a pair of matching pair of lights.

Martin 

[Ben Hutchings]

31 minutes ago, Martins Stag said:

It was me

Ok thanks Martin, it's hard to match up real life faces to forum usernames 😅, thanks for identifying yourself. 

It was a good spot, I think it was the only one in the autojumble unless others had been bought earlier in the weekend. I hope Pete doesn't throw the US spec one away, someone somewhere is bound to want it! 

 

[Clive]

On 16/08/2021 at 22:00, Ben Hutchings said:

Ok thanks, yep makes sense from what I’ve seen too. So @Clive when you see Pete can you tell him? He might want to sell his spare on eBay for a few quid 😂

Pete has been informed. I expect it will find its way to me at some point to stick on fleabay (he does not do 'puters at all)

[Yoda]

 

 

If anyone has L847 lenses and would like to part with them at a reasonable cost I'd be very interested. I own a 1970 USA GT6+ which is very similar to the UK GT6  MKll.

 

The L847 Lucas lens was used on late 1969 and 1970 Triumph GT6 as well as Spitfire in the USA.

The important thing to note is that these cars utilized a separate reflector lens mounted below the boot or hatch.

The L847 permitted light to emanate from both he top and lower sections of the lens.

You can not merely remove the foil from an L672 to gain the same results.

The L672 lens has a crystal pattern which functions as a reflective surface and does not

transmit light from within with any degree of efficiency.

Cars that had thee L672 as stock did not have an auxiliary rear reflector.

In the supplied photo, the L847 is on the right and the L672 is on the left.

Edited May 22, 2022 by Yoda
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