Hella 128 foglights?

[ttweed]

My '67S came with Hella 128 foglights mounted in the holes in the front valance, I believe. When I got the car from my brother, he had replaced them with a later, rectangular fog light, but still had the pieces of the originals, which are broken. One is OK, but the housing is cracked on the other (it can probably be repaired by some welding or brazing), but one of the glass lenses was broken and missing.

Given the previous discussion re: the later fog lights, I assume I am SOL on finding the replacement lense for the 128s? It's the oval one with the broad "V" embossed in it that was also used on the 356, I think?

Didn't Performance Products list a reproduction set of the 128s for about $400 a while back? Can you buy just the lense from them or anyone else?

Thx,
TT

[Rick Cabell]

I bought a set of the 128s from performance products about 3 years ago. They said that it was a limited run and they were made in Germany. Yes, they were $400. Are they still in the catalog? PP also said that their lights were identicle to the originals but superior due to modern technology bulbs. Side by side they are the same. Unfortunatley,lenses were never available seperatly.

[ttweed]

They don't show in their on-line catalog, and I gave my print catalog away to a friend. I do remember seeing them years ago, though.

I may have gotten lucky- I ran into an old acquaintance yesterday who is a longtime Porsche nut, and I mentioned it to him, and he thinks he's got some lenses laying around in his parts piles, and possibly even the broken bucket piece, too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he can find them.

TT

[Jim Alton]

I bought a pair of Performance Products Hella 128s. They are very nice, and very expensive.

I was living in LA at the time so I just drove to Performance Products. They said the lights are--in fact--made by Hella. Also, the only name on the lights is "Hella." I'm convinced.

They come with 6V halogen bulbs, so you also need to buy 12V bulbs for a 911. My understanding is that Hella made quart-halogen 128s for Europe and tungsten 128s for America, so they probably are original in that respect.

One problem you might have if you're really picky about originality is that the last 911s to have them probably didn't have that curved V pattern on the lens. The replica/new production lights do.

The high price may be driven more by a complex design and low volume than by the use of "modern materials." Stainless steel and glass aren't especially new. High performance plastics weren't around in the early-mid '60s.

Restoring old lights is not cheap, particularly if your reflectors have corroded away.

Finally, I think I've seen them in some 356 parts catalogs, too, but the price is no better.

Jim Alton
'65 Porsche 911
jhaltonii@earthlink.net