Hood Lights - How to tell OE from Replica?

[t6dpilot]

So with the new very accurate (so I hear) replica hood lights out there, how do you identify the originals from the replicas? I understand that if they have patina, of course they are the real deal. But if one offers a perfectly restored set, for example, how do you know it is real or not? Or NOS without the box - how do you know? With all the buying and selling via the internet, it is not common to touch and feel these things. Also, pics typically don't show all the stuff you can see when these are in your hands.

Can anyone educate me here? I am sure there ways to tell, I just don't know what they are. Thanks.

[curtisaa]

From what I have seen from the hood lights Karl ordered from Pelican, they are exactly the same. I have seen several bulb configurations in the oldies, but Scott, buy the new versions. It really appears someone has the original template, and just made the same lights. BTW, have Karl send you a pic of his new hood lights, they really "set-off" his car and they even match the color nicely

[bob tilton]

Scott,
It is my understanding that the repros are indeed very accurate but there was something different about the lenses in re: to raised markings/type or font style or...something. Don't remember.

[JBQuick]

The main diff between an NOS and the replica is the color of the bucket. The NOS is light grey or brown and the replica is bluish grey. If you are only talking NOS, AFAIK, the early versions with the Cibie boxes had the light grey buckets, later production with Valeo box had brown buckets.

HTH

[gruen911]

I had originals and a set of the repro's from the guy in Belgium wo flooded the market two years ago. They are virtually identical. The only small item that someone noticed is that the small rivet in the rear of the pod was zinc plated and the other wasn't. Everything else was virtually identical. As for the different color primer used, unless you plan to mount them unpainted, it is really an irrelevant issue.
Hats off to the guy who took the time and effort to reproduce the hood lights. He did an amazing job - and brought down the value of originals by $750-1000!
PS I sold my NOS originals and kept the repro's because they smelled newer!

[hoffman912]

the repros have a rivit in the back.. do the oems have that?

[TRE Cup]

the metal is slightly thinner on the chrome bezel when compared to the original unit. My original ones are stashed away so i can't tell you wht the measurement is.
But overall, they are fabulous repros
we have a few sets left for $525 pair

[gruen911]

Here is the old link to my NOS hood lamps I put up for sale back in 08'. One of the pic's shows the rivet in the rear of the pod. As for the chrome bezel being slightly thinner, I couldn't say. If it really is, it is very negligible. One thing I did notice however, is that there was a slight difference in weight between the original and the repro's. It looked to me like the glass on the Marchal lamps was a little heavier. But maybe that was because they were Marchal....
Here is the link for pic's of the originals so you can see for yourself.
http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...ht=NOS+Marchal
By the way, some clown on the SReg board heckled me for days trying to convince everyone that I was trying to sell repro's. These were REAL and they came from a collector in France in their original boxes and mounting instructions.

[sithot]

I'm hoarding ski racks and punched valences. Hood lights are so passé.

Tom

[hoffman912]

punched valences? what do you mean by that? pics?