Blackout/Marker/Tail/Stop light question
 

I've seen a couple of variations in these lights on various vehicles. I've often wondered if there is any signifigance in the two designs, the "Acorn" style on the left, and the "Square" style on the right.

I have been told by various people that these are different because of:
1. Ford / Chev manufacture.
2. Early / Late production.
3. A matter of different subcontractors.
4. Who cares?

Can anyone shed any light (pardon the pun) on this bet winning question?
:confused:

Maker lights
 

Tony

There's actually a third type.....made of rubber and called a 'Rubber lite'. Fitted to 11 cabs on the rear and diff and 12 cabs on the front wings tail and diff.

That didn't answer your question I'm afraid. I don't know the answer for 13's


Pete :)

Observations
 

Hi Tony
From my observations it seems to be a Ford/Chev thing, but other reasons may be correct too.
Len Shutt was searching for "Acorn" type side lights and I gave him a spare Ford one which he had turned down to match the other on his C8AX.
In the mid-70s when I was working at Hughes Auto Spares in Camberwell there were many boxes (about 200) containing new cab 11/12 rubber type lamps which all went to the tip after I left.

200 boxes in the tip
 

Keith

Such are things that night mares are made off

Pete

Nightmare
 

Hi Pete,
Yes, I agree.
After I left Hughes, I travelled overseas for almost 2 years and it was in that time the place was cleared, with some of the stuff going on to Powertrain products who are still operating but this was mostly transmission parts.
At Hughes, the warehouse had been well set up, with all the parts catalogued in a card file system which I'd look through at lunchtimes, checking one of the many parts books for something particularly interesting, then checking the cards, then going to the location to sometimes find a real gem, such as a new Ford horn button (which I bought) or new windscreen glasses, or wiring looms. There were even some cab panels there. One of my jobs was to pull down sidevalve V8 engines for reconditioning and I had that down to a fine art. It was interesting to see many of the 8BA engines had cracked blocks. The Mercury type were usually OK though.
Then there was the interest and excitement of visiting the engine rebuilders to see them grinding crankshafts or assembling engines with the new parts I delivered to them, then taking the newly painted motors back to await new owners.
Those were the days (sigh).

My vote...
 

...is that the 'acorn' type were later, the 'square' earlier, based on photos and also, war economy tending towards less material. I wish to offer yet another style: same back end as the 'square' type, but instead of a sharp lip at the lense end, it has curved one.