Calling all Hella 128 experts

[LeftFootBraker]

I acquired a pair of these 128's quite a while ago for use on my '67S restoration. Now that I've researched a bit I'm confused and hoping you can identify what era and car they are actually for. Thanks for any help you can lend.

Here's what I've seen comparing them to photos I've found:
- The lenses are from '68 and later since they are not the V type
- They don't have the 2 rivets on each side because the assembly screws go into a complete rim piece attached with adhesive to the body
- They were originally for 6v bulbs and achieve a ground by the the two tabs connecting
- The reflector is painted silver rather than polished

[CarmelSkip]

For 356 I think

[Ivan Fuller]

No easy way to say it bit I dont think these are NOS - perhaps the boxes.

Housings - these are up to late ~ late 65. Thats when the solid rim finished and they moved to tabs for the bezel screws. the tabs can be spot welded or have one or two rivets. They are "Porsche - 356/911" housings as they appear to have drain triangle opposite the mount wheras generic ones have drain by the mount. The center back rivet was 65-66 only. These data points combined indicate ~65 housings.
NOS housing would have cad plated swivel and rim - these both appear chrome plated and there is rust pitting under the chrome on the rim.

The bezels with the notch and drain slot are later than the housings - mid ~66 onwards. The drain slot in the bezel allowed the lights to mounted with mounting up or down and there was no drain triangle in the housing - so the bezels are a mismatch to the housings.

Lenses are non V and not likely to have come with these housings but I do have date coded NOS bar lenses from Dec '66 which means they could be ok for you 67.

Something odd about the reflectors - not shiny enough - is there anything printed on the back of them - there should be date code....

NOS showing cad plated mounting


Reflector - date code

[Frank Beck]

No easy way to say it bit I dont think these are NOS - perhaps the boxes.

Housings - these are up to late ~ late 65. Thats when the solid rim finished and they moved to tabs for the bezel screws. the tabs can be spot welded or have one or two rivets. They are "Porsche - 356/911" housings as they appear to have drain triangle opposite the mount wheras generic ones have drain by the mount. The center back rivet was 65-66 only. These data points combined indicate ~65 housings.
NOS housing would have cad plated swivel and rim - these both appear chrome plated and there is rust pitting under the chrome on the rim.

The bezels with the notch and drain slot are later than the housings - mid ~66 onwards. The drain slot in the bezel allowed the lights to mounted with mounting up or down and there was no drain triangle in the housing - so the bezels are a mismatch to the housings.

Lenses are non V and not likely to have come with these housings but I do have date coded NOS bar lenses from Dec '66 which means they could be ok for you 67.

Something odd about the reflectors - not shiny enough - is there anything printed on the back of them - there should be date code....

Thus sayeth the 128 guru.

[LeftFootBraker]

Nothing printed on the back of the reflector except the word OBEN stamped on the top. I suppose these are a mix of parts in original boxes and passed off as NOS.

I have a '62 Roadster these will be great for and I'll go with Soterick's excellent repops for the '67.

Thanks for your help on this Ivan.