Thread: Pork Pie - Could we produce some reasonable replicas?

Hi Paul,
By chance I have my Land Rover 1954 to 57 parts book with me at work (3rd edition published June 1956). The tail lights shown are the American (small and circular like the front sidelights) and the D-type. However the parts list says the part 19 is 1954. The list indicates a different assembly from 1955 to 1957 identified only as number 26 with about 7 components. both 19 and 26 point to the same item on the drawing - a D-Type lamp. There is no drawing of a pork pie.
Is this another Land Rover inconsistency?
Where can you buy Wipac lights?

Regards, Paul

I understand the early 80" used the little round lights - basically the same as the front parkers but red. Later 80" changed to D lights.

The 86" came out with pork pies and in Australia these carried on through the 88s until the series 2 came out. Overseas 88s changed from pork pies to the big beacons late in the production run - 58?. However the long wheel base series 1 utes some had D lights and some had pork pies.

While the club price for rear lights is a great price to what is charged elsewhere - you have to admit that over $200 per unit landed in Australia is a hell of a lot of money for what it is. I appreciate the small production run and (as sold only to club members) limited clientele makes costs go up. If I were in that club I would consider selling things like this on the open market as a money making concern for the club - now before people say well why not join the club - well if I joined every club that offered things I needed I would be too poor to buy anything - 101 Club, Series 1 club, Jaguar club, a couple of 4wd clubs, AULRO etc etc etc - so living on a small pension I have to pick and choose.

I have various bits of pork pies that I can use to put a couple together - but I have will have to make my own lenses which I will try out of dyed resin or some sort of two pak plastic. But they may be cheaper when I get around to them so able to buy.

Garry

Originally Posted by Mooloolah-Paul

Hi Paul,
By chance I have my Land Rover 1954 to 57 parts book with me at work (3rd edition published June 1956). The tail lights shown are the American (small and circular like the front sidelights) and the D-type. However the parts list says the part 19 is 1954. The list indicates a different assembly from 1955 to 1957 identified only as number 26 with about 7 components. both 19 and 26 point to the same item on the drawing - a D-Type lamp. There is no drawing of a pork pie.
Is this another Land Rover inconsistency?
Where can you buy Wipac lights?

Regards, Paul

Well I'm no expert (yet ) but have only ever seen the 86 and 107's with Pork pies later I have seen 88 and 109 s with Wipac style but not sure if they were fitted later.. Having said that my workshop manual has a picture of a 107 with D style.???????????
I am pretty sure Olute (my 107) had pork pies because I can still see the paint mark where the round base was. (Currently has Series 2 type tail lights)

Not sure where you'd get those Wipac lights - have seen them on UK ebay.

I tend to agree with Garry it still is a lot of money - I am not set on "everything must be orginal" restoration so I am in no hurry.

I think the variance of lights reflects the way Land Rover operated in the 50s - different lights for different markets and whatever was available at the time.

Originally Posted by Mooloolah-Paul

Hi Paul,
By chance I have my Land Rover 1954 to 57 parts book with me at work (3rd edition published June 1956). The tail lights shown are the American (small and circular like the front sidelights) and the D-type. However the parts list says the part 19 is 1954. The list indicates a different assembly from 1955 to 1957 identified only as number 26 with about 7 components. both 19 and 26 point to the same item on the drawing - a D-Type lamp. There is no drawing of a pork pie.
Is this another Land Rover inconsistency?
Where can you buy Wipac lights?

Regards, Paul

Landrover (and other) parts books do not necessarily have accurate pictures in them. And typically, where an item, such as a tail light assembly, is replaced by another type, they often do not show a picture of the new type, just a different part number, usually with a brief description. I don't have a S1 parts book, but for example, in the S2a book I have in front of me, a single picture is used to refer to Lucas, Perei, Sparto and Wipac lights. The S1 book will be similar - don't place too much reliance on the pictures in them!

John

Hi John, thanks,
Thought so. So its watch out for porkies. (couldn't resist the pun ) Paul

Originally Posted by garrycol

While the club price for rear lights is a great price to what is charged elsewhere - you have to admit that over $200 per unit landed in Australia is a hell of a lot of money for what it is.

Garry

I tend to agree but making this particular lamp is not as easy as it looks.

There are several parts in metal, which would be time consuming to make as well as making the tooling for a production run. Making the bezel and the body as an accurate replica would be rather difficult. Next comes the time consuming and quite possibly expensive problem of having the lense and rubber seal manufactured - in my case by someone else.

And finally; after taking the time, effort and money to make (for argument's sake) 50 lamps, the manufacturer then runs the risk that they might not sell.

Working on $30/hour as I do, would leave me 6 hours to get a lamp made, which includes assembly; testing; painting in two colours and packaging and dispatch as well as everything else.

I think $178 is a fair price; it might be possible to make it for less but that I don't know for sure.

I am in Sleepy's camp - if $178 seems too much, try something else,

Cheers Charlie

I found this site recently http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/

They have a good selection of Lucas original (?) and reproduction lights and replacement parts, including D-lamps, but nothing resembling the 518.

Prices seem better than others I have seen advertising online, but postage often worth more than the item. Does anyone know of a supplier with a similar range and prices closer to home?

I have been looking for replacement rubbers for 489 sidelamps - seems a few people (including this mob) sell replacements for the 488 side/flasher/tail lamp, but don't list 489. Does anyone know if the same part will fit both?

Cheers

Perhaps a cheap alternative is to mount the Lucas 488 on a base that is similar to the Lucas 518. 488's cost 15 pounds instead of 100!

Now that is something that would definitely be easy for me to make and cheap as well. I have some old 488's in the shed so I will look into it,

Cheers Charlie