[Staowners] {Spam?} Re: {Spam?} number plate lens

[Max King]

Kip offers two lenses 
(http://www.kipmotor.com/Auto_Jumble/Sunbeam_Talbot.htm).  It is very 
difficult to cast such a lens and I applaud them for having done so. I 
purchased one a while back.  It is adequate but not great.  The lens 
arrived hand back-painted with a red background with gold lettering (you 
could see brush strokes, especially if your light is set up to glow -- some 
are and some are not and have an aluminum blanking plate).  When I 
questioned the gold lettering, they said their research showed this was 
correct.  I have never seen gold lettering and no one in STAR that I've 
asked has seen gold lettering and the many Lucas catalogs I have all 
picture chrome lettering if there is a red background: but I wasn't going 
to argue with their research -- my research reaches a different conclusion. 
(I also have an original take-off lens in which the chrome -- vacuum 
metalized aluminum, actually -- lettering now looks gold-ish because it has 
faded and the yellowed fixing agent shows through: this may explain why 
they think the lettering should be gold...).  Since I was disappointed in 
the quality of the painting, I asked to exchange the lens for an unpainted 
one, which they did do, figuring I can paint it better to my 
satisfaction.  There is one other problem with the Kip lens I have.  My 
light has the built-in back-up lamp windows, and the Kip lens back-up 
windows are not as wide as the back-up lamp openings of the chrome surround 
for my Alpine -- looks a bit odd when fitted but servicable.  Tony Bamforth 
tells me that he knows of many variants of the number plate lights, 
including width of the reverse windows (as well as SUNBEAM vs 
SUNBEAM-TALBOT, red lettering on white background, glowing vs. non-glowing, 
&c).  Since I have the luxury (or perhaps curse) of not finishing my 
restoration for a while, the unpainted Kip lens sits in stock and can be 
pressed into service if need be, if nothing better is available...

In the meantime, the Bamforths (Sunbeam-Talbot Spares) have commissioned 
new replacement lenses, and STAR Chairman John Badger has reported over 
this listserv that they are of very good quality.  I know that it is taking 
a while to get them in quantity, this sort of casting as I said is not 
easy.  So, their lenses are in the pipeline but not yet available.  I have 
two on order (I believe in the principle of prudent spares -- who knows if 
they'll ever be available again?), but then again I have the luxury of 
being able to wait because my restoration is still underway.

So, if you need a lens right now, I should think a reasonable option would 
be to fit one from Kip (I would suggest requesting it unpainted and 
back-paint it yourself) until the Bamforth lenses are available.    If the 
Kip lens fits your chrome surround and you paint it to your satisfaction, 
then you'll have a perfectly serviceable lens.   Or wait if you can for the 
Sunbeam-Talbot Spares lenses; we all hope they'll be available soon.

Cheers!  --Max

At 07:30 PM 5/17/2007, Mal Clark wrote:
>Hi all, can anyone tell me if they have obtained, one of Kip Motors, 
>Sunbeam rear number plate lens ???,interested in comments,as I possible 
>want to order one for my Alpine, the colours they use, appears not quite 
>right,but not a problem,if youy dont have one at all. regards Mal Clark.
>_______________________________________________
>Staowners mailing list
>Staowners at sunbeamtalbot.info
>http://sunbeamtalbot.info/mailman/listinfo/staowners_sunbeamtalbot.info

  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  Max King, Ph.D.
  Office of the Vice Provost for University Life
  University of Pennsylvania
  3611 Locust Walk
  Philadelphia, PA 19104-6222
  (215) 898-6081 (Phone)
  (215) 573-5611 (FAX)
  mjking at pobox.upenn.edu (E-Mail)
  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://sunbeamtalbot.info/pipermail/staowners_sunbeamtalbot.info/attachments/20070518/1f98ff69/attachment.html