Lucas Headlights

Warren

Warren

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Two available clearing out some stock items. I understand that these were carried by Moss motors or others. They can also be found in the bins of Jensen Healy guy's.

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They work fine. Obviously those that complain don't recall 6 volt system cars.
I've started a couple Tigers that sat one since 1977 to 2019 and everything worked. Plus one sat for 15 years and everything worked.

I have cut out the backs of vintage bulbs and added LED replacement sockets into the former sealed beams for a mostly original look.
 
And there are a lot of these Lucas lamps intended for right hand drive cars due to the structure of the inner workings of the lamps being designed to direct the beam the correct way when the Brits drove on the wrong side of the road.
 
Who really cares if you're trying to get past the judges Bob. The MK2 lights showed no difference on my US car.
But I believe these are US spec lamps.
 
65beam said:
And there are a lot of these Lucas lamps intended for right hand drive cars due to the structure of the inner workings of the lamps being designed to direct the beam the correct way when the Brits drove on the wrong side of the road.
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three different types of both the sealed and non sealed units. one right dip, one left dip and one central dip.

A US spec car would have rec'd sealed beams after about mid 1960...
 
Warren said:
Who really cares if you're trying to get past the judges Bob. The MK2 lights showed no difference on my US car.
But I believe these are US spec lamps.
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Warren, I understand that. I mentioned that just in case some weren't aware there was a difference. Having bought a lot of old stock over the last 45 years with some from the U.K and some from here in the states I found different part numbers on the boxes for the Lucas lamps. Many years back at an east coast United we had a British fellow that was a Lucas rep and I asked him why the difference with the numbers and that's how I found out the difference.
 
Respectfully prove it Bob.
It's more likely that the adjustment screws are LHD or RHD IMHO. I don't buy into hearsay.
 
Warren said:
Respectfully prove it Bob.
It's more likely that the adjustment screws are LHD or RHD IMHO. I don't buy into hearsay.
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As much as I am loathe to supporting Bob! (tongue in cheek, don't get bent out of shape, Bob....)

The numbers below are series 1/2 Alpine

Left dipping non sealed beam Lucas # 556599 (lens and reflector only) 58403B and 58548A (complete headlamp unit (Home market RHD)
Vertical dipping non sealed beam Lucas # 54522683 (lens and reflector only) 58406 (complete headlamp unit) (Europe LHD)
Right dipping sealed beam Lucas # 54522231 (USA/Canada)

Numbers below are series 3 Alpine Lucas type 700, Mk10

Left dipping sealed beam Lucas # 54521872 (Home market RHD)
Vertical dipping (non sealed beam) Lucas # 54522683 lens and reflector same as series 1/2 (Europe LHD)
Right dipping sealed beam Lucas # 59027 Complete headlamp unit (USA/Canada)

Numbers below are series 4 Alpine to about the middle of series 5 Alpine

Left dipping sealed beam Lucas # 54521872 same as series 3 (Home market RHD)
Vertical dipping sealed beam Lucas # 59042 and 59316 (complete headlamp unit) (Europe LHD)
Vertical dipping non sealed beam Lucas # 54522683 (reflector and lens)
Right dipping sealed beam Lucas # 545052367 (complete assy) part number for just the light unit is not recorded (USA/Canada)

Some of the "Colonies" and part of Europe still were equipped with non sealed beam units. There are 6 different assemblies to serve France, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Hong Kong and the Caribbean

It is possible that USA/Canada spec cars (series 3 to mid series 5 Alpine) were supplied sealed beam headlights upon arrival at the POE. This was the same as the practice with batteries. Austin Healey's were usually fit with GE or Westinghouse headlamp units upon arrival after 1963. This would explain the lack of a part number in the factory parts (for USA/Canada) book for the series 3 to mid series 5 Alpine.

Late Series 5 Alpine and all Tiger

Left dipping sealed beam Lucas # 54521872 (Home market)
Right dipping sealed beam Lucas # 54522231 (USA/Canada)
 
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Those old Lucas catalogs show everything you want to know. I have them for every year that Alpines and Tigers were built. I have one set of NOS Wipac reverse lights that have amber lense instead of clear. They're in a Chrysler box. I seem to remember that the number goes back to a spec for France?
 
Warren said:
Respectfully prove it Bob.
It's more likely that the adjustment screws are LHD or RHD IMHO. I don't buy into hearsay.
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Warren,
I think the use of RHD and LHD threads didn't come in until after the Mopar takeover.:rolleyes:
 
65beam said:
Those old Lucas catalogs show everything you want to know. I have them for every year that Alpines and Tigers were built. I have one set of NOS Wipac reverse lights that have amber lense instead of clear. They're in a Chrysler box. I seem to remember that the number goes back to a spec for France?
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Could they be fog lamps ? I kinda remember that the French cars had amber lenses for the headlights in the 60,s
 
Tony butler said:
Could they be fog lamps ? I kinda remember that the French cars had amber lenses for the headlights in the 60,s
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The headlight lenses were clear, the bulbs were yellow (for France) .... These are shown in the Alpine parts lists. Basically, everything that was common with the Alpine and Tiger appears in the Alpine parts lists. Parts that were unique, with a few exceptions, are shown in the Tiger parts list.


There were multiple headlight specifications depending on the export market.... They could have been sealed or not sealed and there were different outputs (wattage) and colors (amber vs. clear) depending on market destination. Also the way that the beam dipped was dependent on market spec. UK cars dipped left, Europe was vertical and USA/Canada cars dipped right....

As for reverse lamps... in the UK you can have a rear foglamp with a red lens. These are prohibited in the USA... ANY rear facing foglamp is prohibited in the US and Canada. I have no idea where the amber lenses would have been fitted. They are NOT listed in the Rootes parts lists. In fact, the Wipac reverse lamps for the MK2 do NOT appear in the Tiger parts list, nor does the Tiger reverse lamp switch. These are listed in the Alpine parts book!
 
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65beam said:
Warren,
I think the use of RHD and LHD threads didn't come in until after the Mopar takeover.:rolleyes:
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see my comments re: light specification above. The adjustment screws have NOTHING to do with it! the adjustment screws are the same regardless of market specification.
 
Austin Healer said:
As for reverse lamps... in the UK you can have a rear foglamp with a red lens. These are prohibited in the USA... ANY rear facing foglamp is prohibited in the US and Canada.
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While this might have been true back in the 1960's, I have owned a couple of cars which did have a rear fog light. My 2001 Volvo V70 T-5 had rear red tail light assemblies with a lens on each side covering a very bright light bulb. There were two fog light switches on the dash - one for the front and one for the rear. One time I drive to work in a heavy fog. One of my co-workers told me later that morning that there must be a problem with my brake lights on my car - they seemed to be permanently on, since the rear lights were so bright when he followed me.
 
Tony butler said:
Could they be fog lamps ? I kinda remember that the French cars had amber lenses for the headlights in the 60,s
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They are not fog lamps. I have an NOS set with the amber lenses. I have a parts books that cover cars built for various countries for all versions of the Hunter range or what ever you want to call the cars built after the end of the series Alpines / Tigers. I have this book because since the early 80's I have had and still have the fast back Alpines including the base Alpine along with several GT versions.. The part numbers show them as reverse lamps used in France. They have the mounting brackets for use as you see on our 69 Alpine GT.
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Hey wasn't this a for sale thread? Or should we continue to drift off and imagine we can actually see the part number or the difference between the two part numbers while driving.
Usually it's dim and not as dim . Thinking as a trained driver the difference is the slight directional to the fog line on the road. Having driven with the lights I see no difference. I mean who does a different method of headlight adjustment than the garage door version?
 
Warren said:
Hey wasn't this a for sale thread? Or should we continue to drift off and imagine we can actually see the part number or the difference between the two part numbers while driving.
Usually it's dim and not as dim . Thinking as a trained driver the difference is the slight directional to the fog line on the road. Having driven with the lights I see no difference. I mean who does a different method of headlight adjustment than the garage door version?
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You are correct. The light pattern on the lamps dipped (low beam) is designed so that the light is cast slightly away from oncoming traffic, with the exception of the vertical, or asymmetric lenses used in Europe which are directed straight ahead.
 
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