Markings on Beehive light bezels

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Alan Hall
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#16 Post by Alan Hall »

The double pole sockets on my '53 pre-A use a non offset pin type of double filament bulb (with an "up" or "top" marking for orientation). Are replacement bulbs available any more in this configuration and 6 volt?
Alan

Brad Ripley
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#17 Post by Brad Ripley »

Alan is referring to a bulb designated as BA15d, or IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standard 7004-11A, and DIN standard 49721. This bulb is not to be confused with BAY15d which has offset pins. Note the lower case "d" is for double contact (lower case "s" would be for single contact).

The bulb is our number 900-631-008-90. It now comes in only a six volt 21/5 watt; originally it was 18/5 watt. Height is taller than in the old days. It may require the socket to be pushed lower in the lamp base so the bulb will clear the lens.
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Bulb BA15d.jpg
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Bulb BA15d base.jpg
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mats carlsson
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#18 Post by mats carlsson »

Spencer Harris wrote:John,
I concur with Peter. The bezels are stamped with K #### with a ~~~ line over the numbers. Attached photos are original bezels and lenses from my '55 coupe. When I bought the car in '72 it had been converted to teardrops and the original beehive lenses and bezels were in a box of spare parts the seller gave me. When I restored the car back to beehives I opted to assemble with repros so I could use larger bulbs. The two parking light bezels were rechromed years ago and the numbers were either buffed off or filled with Cu during the rework. Somewhere along the line I apparently co-mingled the bezels as the four shown with the taillight lenses are two-3215's, one-3204 and one-1485. I'll have to get my micrometer out and try to get the rechromed bezels matched up as Peter describes.
Odd that the brake lights, blinker lights and front parking lights have different bezels because the '55 parts manual shows 6-pcs p/n 326.62.221 "Chrome rim with 2 bolts - blinker and parklight (also for stop light)."
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Hmmm,
I found one K 3215 stamped the other way around...
To many beers?
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K3215 pre a.jpg
mats carlsson

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pascal knockaert
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#19 Post by pascal knockaert »

Did the European ones had orange or white (clear) lenses in the front and have they the same dimentions as the rear ones? (for a 56 beehive)

Brad Ripley
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#20 Post by Brad Ripley »

White (frosted) for the front.
Same dimensions as the rear.

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pascal knockaert
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#21 Post by pascal knockaert »

Not that easy to find, no one have's a source?
Last edited by pascal knockaert on Sat Nov 12, 2016 1:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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James Davies
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#22 Post by James Davies »

Resurrecting an old thread here. Again.

Brad wrote
Brad Ripley wrote:And BTW, there is a confusion over the years about the colors. If you examine original beehive lenses up towards a strong light, you will find some have a noticeable amber color, not red. At first glance they all look dark red. But a strong light will reveal some are more orange/amber than red.
Don Zingg's nice photos on the previous page show the amber and the the dark red lense side-by-side and explain how they are arranged on the car based on the '54 pre-A service manual. Great info!

So tonight I dug out and cleaned up the original beehives for my '53 coupe to see if I could tell a difference between the inboard and outboard lights. No dice. Holding all 4 of them up to very bright halogen bulbs (and my LED headlamp), they're all the same color - dark red.

There is a difference though - two of them have an embossed "1" inside in the center at the tip, and two of them have a "2". I suspect this to indicate whether they are for single- or dual-pole sockets. The colors are identical for all though - dark red.

These lenses are the extra short beehives (~28mm) for the pre-As which have a pebbled interior. The chromed brass bezels are unmarked for this '53 as well, and are 11mm tall and are brass and thus non-magnetic.

I also have a random 5th beehive that is ~34mm tall and smooth on the inside, and it has the exact same color, but no number at the tip on the inside.

Finally, the clear front beehives do not have a number inside the tip. They are the same ~28mm height.

Perhaps in 1953, cars shipped to the USA such as mine were given 4 red ones at the back. Maybe at some point they switched to red and amber at the back, or perhaps that was a Europe-only thing to comply with German law as indicated above? I honestly don't know.

Anyway, the plot thickens. =]
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beehives_1.jpg
beehives_2.jpg

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Donald Zingg
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#23 Post by Donald Zingg »

While digging through some old research material I ran across a note concerning the K numbers on original equipment SWF beehive lights.

From a P-factory memo written by Helmuth Bott dated Nov 1954, filed with the Certificate of Roadworthiness application for the (then) new Speedster - - -

subject: Lighting Equipment for TYP 540 Roadster

brake lamps = K1485
front light with blinker = K3215
tail light with blinker = K3204

That confirms what has already been discussed here. It would apply to all 1954-55 pre-A cars (not only to the Speedster).

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James Davies
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#24 Post by James Davies »

Great detective work Don!

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David Green
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#25 Post by David Green »

I happend to be working on the taillights on my '53 356 "America" coupe, 51015 (Aug. 10, 1953), and thought I'd post here that the lenses and bezels are identical to those on James' car: all four dark red, two marked "1" and two marked "2", plain chrome plated brass, 11 mm bezels.
David

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James Davies
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#26 Post by James Davies »

Thanks for confirming that David! Our cars were produced 2 weeks apart, so it's good there was some consistency. =)

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Peter Bartelli
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#27 Post by Peter Bartelli »

Thanks Don. Nice to know I'm not going crazy....yet. Speedster 80279 is so configured.

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Jonathan Schneiderman
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Re: Markings on Beehive light bezels

#28 Post by Jonathan Schneiderman »

Reviving an old thread. Was there ever a consensus that 1953 and earlier should have 'blank' bezels void of markings?
 1953 Coupe 1500 ‘America’

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