I've very bullish about the turn signal and taillight lenses (and other products) that I'm getting from my supplier in Italy currently. I'm going to go ahead and make a fuss over them because I'm emboldened by a message about them that I received from an accomplished F Series builder who has a car displayed at Petersen Automotive Museum:
John,
You are absolutely correct that these lens are much nicer than
anything else out there in the market. They look and feel great.
Best,
AG
Here's a bit about them that I took from copy at the AC Store.
How do you choose lenses?
Might as well rank them with an objective factor, so let's start with price. When you compare prices of replacement signal lenses there are lenses available at at least four tiers of pricing, sometimes an indication of quality, sometimes not.
(1) Everyday cheap reproductions.
These are cheap and that's the only good thing about them. OK on race cars, maybe.
(2) URO Parts
These are made in China and are of good quality. We were somewhat surprised because URO has had a reputation of producing cheap parts at times in the past but they have taken things to another level with these. These are not much more expensive than the cheapos but they are much better.
(3) EuroLens s.r.l. (Audette Collection)
These are made in Italy and are of outstanding quality in every way, which you will read below. These are a bit more expensive than the lenses produced by URO and we believe they are of higher quality, particularly sturdiness.
(4) Porsche lenses
These are predictable very expensive and there has been mixed opinion here about their value proposition.
Why Eurolens? Time to discuss quality.
I continually buy and evaluate all lenses that are available. I then grade them based on a number of factors including authenticity, color, shape, fit and overall quality. Here's how the Italian lenses measure up for me.
Fit - As a restorer, I am really particular about fit and these are precise. Ill fitting lenses have caused me way too much grief over the years. For example, the small tabs on their SWB lenses that protrude through the housing click perfectly into place as you as you mount the lenses, a real pleasure to feel. All screw holes on both SWB and LWB are perfectly located. And the curvature of the lenses nestle closely to the housings. They nailed their molds.
Colors - Colors are accurate and brilliant to my eye (not the best eye for color admittedly).
Correctness - This is where these fall short of perfection. There aren't very many markings and no Bosch marking at all. There is one plus, however. The backup light clear section is very close to the original, closest I've seen so far.
Quality construction - These are of heavier construction than most lenses. You can feel the thickness and heft in your hand. For example, the black trim U.S. taillight lenses weigh 19.8 grams while another popular lens weighs 15.3 grams, a 30% difference. They feel substantial, not flimsy.
Price - Price is the cherry on top. These are not only the best, they are priced at very attractive prices, lower than inferior competitors in some cases.
They're all available at the AC Shop and priced at $59.00 each, $199.00 for a full set of four. Correct screws included. The only negative is that these are hard to keep in stock and production runs are periodic.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
John
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