Show us your Hella shine-down lights

[James Davies]

If you have an original Hella shine-down assembly that came with your car, please share with us a bit about it. A picture or two would also be nice!

We know Hella produced the shine-down license plate light assembly for Porsches produced 1950 through Aug 1957. They were chromed brass. Some had Hella logos engraved on top. Early ones used a red brake light lens. When they switched to the dual beehive setup in Oct '52, the lens became a clear backup light. Some of these lenses had logos and some didn't. I would like to see if we can document when these changes occurred, if possible.

1) Hella logo engraved on top of light. On at least late '52 through at least mid-'53 had the Hella logo and a squiggle. No K1431.


~Aug '52

July 1953 shine-down housing

At some point between '53 and '55 we get K1431 engraved below the Hella and squiggle.



Did the Hella logo eventually disappear from the chrome housing altogether, or are all those unmarked ones out there reproductions?



2) The clear lens markings changed. Clear lenses from Oct '52 through early April '53 seemed to have no markings at all.



By mid-'53 there were Hella markings with a K1431 marking.

July 1953 shine-down light lens

Later on the Hella logo changed and the K1431 marking disappeared, I believe. Perhaps this coincided with K1431 moving to the chrome housing.

A couple of the images above pulled from this previous thread. http://porsche356registry.org/356talk/13/32232.html

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Anyway, if you have the original shine-down on your car, please let us know what it is like. It would be great to pin down when these changes occurred.

[mats carlsson]

If you have an original Hella shine-down assembly that came with your car, please share with us a bit about it. A picture or two would also be nice!

We know Hella produced the shine-down license plate light assembly for Porsches produced 1950 through Aug 1957. They were chromed brass. Some had Hella logos engraved on top. Early ones used a red brake light lens. When they switched to the dual beehive setup in Oct '52, the lens became a clear backup light. Some of these lenses had logos and some didn't. I would like to see if we can document when these changes occurred, if possible.

1) Hella logo engraved on top of light. On at least late '52 through at least mid-'53 had the Hella logo and a squiggle. No K1431.


~Aug '52

reverse_light_top.jpg

At some point between '53 and '55 we get K1431 engraved below the Hella and squiggle.



Did the Hella logo eventually disappear from the chrome housing altogether, or are all those unmarked ones out there reproductions?



2) The clear lens markings changed. Clear lenses from Oct '52 through early April '53 seemed to have no markings at all.



By mid-'53 there were Hella markings with a K1431 marking.

reverse_light_lens.jpg

Later on the Hella logo changed and the K1431 marking disappeared, I believe. Perhaps this coincided with K1431 moving to the chrome housing.

A couple of the images above pulled from this previous thread. http://porsche356registry.org/356talk/13/32232.html

--------------

Anyway, if you have the original shine-down on your car, please let us know what it is like. It would be great to pin down when these changes occurred.

Hi
The Aug -52 is mine. It came with 11723. A late -52 bodybumper, crash box car. It had a red brake light with a HELLA logo.

[James Davies]

Thanks Mats. Good info!

The one similar to that above came on 50960, a July '53 Super, and it has the clear lens with the broken edge shown above.

[Bruce Coen]

My early '56 Cabriolet 61066 has what I believe to be her original shine down assembly. I have no way to prove that. It never had a Hella logo.

[Mark Cohn]

While I can't say when the light pictured below was made because I got it in a parts swap, it appears to be period original and to have never had the lens changed. It has 1431 logos on the housing and on the lens.

The backup light that was mounted on my Jan 54 coupe when I got it in the late 70's has a housing with the logo, K1431 and squiggle. It is the same as the one pictured. Unfortunately, the back up lens was long gone so can't add a data point for the lens.

[Steve Harrison]

James, that third picture down on your first post is my housing.
I posted it earlier in a discussion on shines downs. I have no idea about it's provinence except that I got it a few years ago from Omar Almada. He might know more about what year it came from. It had the glass, and the glass had the K1431 number on it too. The housing is brass and has pitted chrome as you see, but it's exceptionaly straight and the mounting holes aren't blown out. It is currently at Christensens for plating. The logo will be preserved.

Mark, the housing you show with the "Hella, squiggle, K1431" ..is that the one off your 54?
Your post mentions two different housings, but didn't clarify which one the picture went to. If the picture is the one off your 54 then I am encouraged that the one I am restoring would be a good fit for my 55 coupe. The logo is the same as mine.

[Omar Almada]

Hi Steve

Came out of a 54 coupe.

[Steve Harrison]

Omar,...that's great news!
Thanks for posting,...I don't know why I never asked you before.
It's at Christensens now, and eventually going to have a place of prominence on my 55 coupe. So glad to hear it is in the right year range. The 54 and 55 cars are fairly similar in a lot of ways,..different in others, but I think this housing is a good match. My guess is the 55's had the same stamping. I mean, logically, why would they add the stamp from the earlier non stamped housings, and then remove it again for 55? Makes sense to me, and I'm going with it. : )

[James Davies]

Right Steve. I think the stamping changed sometime in '53 or '54, like so many small details on these cars.

Mark, interesting to see a housing and lens both with the K1431 markings on them. Good data point!

[Phil Planck]

53248
Original as far as I know. Glass is upside down. No wonder I never win anything.
No Hella engraving on exterior of housing.

[Steve Harrison]

Well, It's taken some time, but the shines down housing I sent out for chroming is just about ready. Here are comparison pictures. It's coming back soon, and I'll post a picture of it when its finished also. Currently it's in the copper stage.

[James Davies]

Looking great Steve! Do they have to re-engrave it with every layer in the chroming process?

[Steve Harrison]

As far as I know James, the logo engravings are deepened in the copper stage only. From copper it gets the nickle plate and a very quick (I am told) dip in the chrome to make the nickle "pop". The plater I am using for this is the best in the country, period. He works with an engraver that I have to say has been amazing to work with as well. Great communication, checks with me about every detail,...I can't say enough. If anyone wants quality work with no worries,...I can vouch for these guys personally.

[Christian Guthrie]

What are you guys using for a gasket when you reinstall the glass lense into the housing?

[Steve Harrison]

On the original housings I've had with the glass still in them, the pictured one included, (K1431 on glass as well)...there was no gasket. The glass was just held in by metal tabs bent over. It's a little unnerving to bend metal into glass, I have to say.