Hella 128 Fog Light (Yellow Reflector)

[Michael Winters]

Hello,

Can some one inform me how I can identify original Hella 128 Fog lamp for my 65/66 car?

Anyone a correct picture for that period?
What about the lenses? Sometimes you see the V up and sometimes downside.
Is there a difference in it?
What about the form of the housing?
Just bring it on.

Thanks!

[ckissick]

Auto Foreign Services used to have them advertised. They still show clear lens lights. If you look at the clear lens lights and imagine the yellow reflector shown on the through-the-grill fog light, that's what they looked like. At least according to Auto Foreign Services. I hope they get the yellow lens fogs again. I was planning on buying a pair.

http://www.autoforeignservices.com/

[Ivan Fuller]

Well you do ask about identifying an "original" light

This thread has a lot of good info including some preliminary data I have put together on lenses. (more to come on the rest)

http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...ight=hella+128

So far as color goes I believe they coated either clear lenses or the reflectors. Seem to be more around of the this era with coated reflectors.

My understanding is that as a general rule US delivered cars would have clear lights and Euro cars yellow.

Housings have no rivets on the sides until sometime in '66 but then you might have just one smaller one near the edge. Also you may or may not have one in the center at the back. Until late '66 there will be triangle drain hole opposite the mount - then none. if you are unlucky the drain triangle will be by the mount which means its not a Porsche one. Steel or Brass depending on era.

Lets not get started on Bezels

(still looking for info pics of your original lights to add to my database)

[NeunElf]

There are some really good reproductions and finding original Hella 128s in even restorable condition might be a challenge.

There have been threads about them here and also at the Porsche 356 Registry.

But, some of the stuff I know:

Lenses:

There were many different lenses, both the "V" and the later lens:

Here's a later lens on a 912:

And, here's an original "V" lens:

Note that it says "125cm/5m" at the top--reproductions don't have this. I think a real expert told me this is the correct logo for a '65. There are other logo sizes and some earlier ones had a "crown" logo, like this one from a 356C accessory catalog:

Housings:

Housings came in both steel and brass. Some originals (like the later fog lights on that 912) and most reproductions have rivets:

These are the reproduction Hella 128s (bought circa 1997) on my car:

These have ferromagnetic housings. The original housings from my car's Hella 128s do not have rivets and are chromed brass (non-magnetic):

Light Bulbs:

Original Hella 128s for US-spec cars had 35 watt "tungsten" bulbs (900.631.112.90):

Some Rest-of-World cars had Hella 128s that took H3 bulbs:

The reproductions all seem to use H3s.

Wikipedia says the H3 bulb was introduced in 1966 so "tungsten" is probably correct for any car built before that. The September 1965 Accessories Price List does not mention halogen bulbs.

Yellow vs. White:

According to Brett Johnson's The 911 & 912 Porsche, A Restorer's Guide to Authenticity, US-spec cars had white fog lights and RoW cars had yellow reflectors (although yellow was legal in the USA).

[Michael Winters]

Thanks for this really good info!
Have found a good repro of sotteriks fog lights but finding a original one will be hard.
I think these of Sotterik are pretty the best repros. Dont think it can be better.

[Michael Winters]

And what about these?
Originals?
Correct?
Or not Porsche

[NeunElf]

And what about these?
Originals?
Correct?
Or not Porsche

I don't recall ever seeing those trapezoidal details on the top of the bezel on Hella 128s attached to a Porsche. The real expert on Hella 128s is Ivan Fuller. I dug out a copy of his spreadsheet of Hella 128 features and I think those are probably very early Hella 128s--like late 1950s.

They might have been attached to a 1959 Porsche 356A with "high bow" front bumper overiders (aka "towel bars"). I don't think they would fit a '58 or earlier 356A with "low bow" overiders.

The orientation of the "V" shows that they were mounted above a bumper. You can turn the lens around for under-bumper mounting.

I notice they don't have rivets. As far as I know, all the reproductions have rivets.

Are the housings brass (non-magnetic) or steel (ferromagnetic)?