On Sat, 12 Dec 1998 ArthurK101@aol.com wrote:
> > One other question. I just ordered replacement turn signal lenses from
> > Moss and they're clear, instead of amber. My car had awful white
> > plastic lenses. All pictures I've seen show amber lenses.
> > While I'm not going to show my car,
> > I am interested in having it as correct as possible.
>
> My opinion is that US import spec cars had clear turn signal lights. I can't
> remember amber turn signal lights as standard on cars in the US in the '60s.
> On the TR4's the amber lights were used in the UK and in some European
> countries.
>
> There are two configurations however. Mine had the later, larger lenses.
> Earlier TR4's had a smaller lense with different "guts."
Correct as usual, Art. Original specification for US and Canada,
according to the TR4 Spare Parts Catalogue, was a white flasher lens. On
the early cars, that would be the Lucas L594 lamp with the glass
"beehive" lens. Lucas p/n for the lens is 54581622 (amber is 54581651, BTW).
My TR4 catalogue is a first edition and doesn't show later changes.
However, I have a Lucas catalogue that notes "TR4, TR4A and TR5 [sic]
(North America} 1964-67 using what is known as the Lucas L691 lamp. That
has a white plastic lens about 3 1/8" in diameter. It is the same lens
used on the later Spitfire 4, Spitfire Mk2 and GT6 Mk1 in North America
for the front flasher lamp.
(OK, everyone, you knew this was coming from me, didn't you?) This is an
unfortunate problem with even the very best "Original Triumph [whatever
model]" books. Almost all of them are written solely from a home market
point of view, so most of them lack information on the detail differences
for other markets, notably the North American market. This can be a
problem, though, even with original sales literature from
Standard-Triumph USA for the various models. Careful perusal of some
literature will show details found only on home market cars and not on
cars destined for the U.S. or Canada.
A prime example is early U.S. sales literature for the original Spitfire
4. Some of these brochures used one of the original prototypes (412 VC)
in left hand drive form (that car went back and forth a couple of times).
A close look will reveal a grayish-white chassis frame on the Signal Red
car. That certainly was NOT a feature of production Spitfires!
Still likely to be the best source for originality (in some, but maybe
not all respects) is a factory Spare Parts Catalogue. As I noted, my TR4
catalogue was a first edition, but later editions undoubtedly show the
change to the larger front flasher lamp. I have an early Spitfire 4
catalogue that is the same way, but it has some amendments that show the
Spitfire's change in flasher lamp, which roughly parallels that of the TR4.
Most curiously, my "Lucas Popular Spares for cars and commercial vehicles
1962-71" catalog does NOT properly show the change for North American
Spitfires, although it does correctly note the change for TR4 (see above)
and GT6 Mk1! That's unusual for a Lucas catalogue (in my experience);
perhaps it was a typesetting error?
OK, enough rambling on that topic for today!
--Andy
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Andrew Mace, President and *
* 10/Herald/Vitesse (Sports 6) Consultant *
* Vintage Triumph Register <www.vtr.org> *
* amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
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