Need some tail light part number help

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Can anyone tell me the part number for a 24-29 Type A “backing light”” lens number?

Thanks in advance.

Bill”

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Hi Bill, I looked at some lenses, and my first [sarcastic] reply was going to be: Unobtainable #1.

But as I looked more I actually did find a name and some numbers. I found a name ONLY on a tailight lens, no name on either the ‘S’ lens or the clear back up light lens. but they did have numbers.. that required a magnifying glass to see!

So on the taillight lens is the name HOUZE then 216

On the ‘S’ lens, the tiny number is 197

On the clear lens the tiny number is 192

But the size, style and appearance of the lenes for your ’33 836 a very different.

Greg L

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Greg,

Man you go above the call of duty. My thinking is there may be some lenses out there that fit Pierces but if the people don’t know it, then they list it as a Duesenburg or some other car, like the one just on ebay. One on my lenses has Stimsonite on it, so I look for Stimsonite lens.

I was also wondering what the size difference in the clear fluted lens was for a Type A vs. an Aerolite one.

Bill

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The lenses are not common but can be found. The S lens sells for a lot more than the others. I think 125 or 150 would buy one. The usual problem is they are often sold as a set or you have to buy a entire light. The repro lenses in the rear are hard to tell as long as the color has not changed.

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Not sure if this helps at all, but my Series 80 parts catalog gives a part number for: Lens, backing up lamp (white glass-ribbed) as c-104189. I will try to see if it has a make or number on it as well.

James

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Bill, if you are looking for lenses for your 836, they are very different from the ones for the earlier cars.

I’ll go dig up some examples and take some photos tomorrow.

There really is no way to confuse the lenses the early ones are smooth on the outside, the later ones are ribbed on the outside, and the center tailight is almost flat with a very rough inner surface.

Greg L

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Hello All,

The 29 Pierce parts book shows following part numbers. Hope this will help.

Back Up 104189

Tail Light 104190

Stop 104191

Happy Motoring

Rick

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Just curious. are these part numbers a Pierce Part Number? or are they a vendor’s part number ??

Or is there an interchange book that will cross-refference the Pierce number to a vendor number?

So, does Pierce list a Bosch & Lomb part number for the headlight lens for the S80? or a Pierce Arrow number?

Greg L

These lenses are for a S80, ’27-’28 model 36, a ’29 or ’30

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This is the outside of the three above lenses.. the clear lens is there, but the camera didn’t catch an image. The lenses have a smooth polished exterior.

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Here are the outside and inside of the lenses for the later cars up to the ’34 with the ‘batwing’ taillights.

The light assembly is from an 836, this 1933 model year with the oblong or oval backing plate for the light buckets with no license plate bracket. The taillight assembly is bolted to the cast taillight mount/gastank filler neck mount.

Greg L

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This shows the other side of the lenses, the outside of the brake and reverse lenses are ribbed, the taillight is smooth and almost flat, not much of a curved surface at all.

Greg L

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Greg,

Great pics, very , very helpful. Thank you for your time.

Looks like the ’24-29 are smaller. The part numbers for the lenses in your bottom picture appear to be, below (I used the PA part# and description and guessed that the backing light is the white one).

White (Backing light non California)750985, CA 750992. and I thought the California only spec was a new thing.

Flat Red/dot tail light 750972

Ribbed red Stop light 750992 (same as CA Backing)

Since I am coming very late to this parts finding party, below is what I have assembled for my ’33. It has the oval backing plate but the casting doesn’t have the “ears””.

The license bracket mounts over the light assemble on the top of the casting and kind of works like the top mount of an easel

“

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another picture attempt

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Hi Bill, a majority of the ’33 cars had the outside ‘ear’ broken on the taillight/filler-neck casting.. It sticks out enough that a person can hit it with their knee, or a suitcase, or ?? But being made from potmetal/zinc, it is pretty weak.

You can find some good metal-parts restorers to repair or weld the potmetal.. but you have to have the missing or broken ears..

I think Rich Lange in California just had his casting repaired for his 1236. You might send him an email and see how he liked the repair job/cost.

On your lenses, do they have the part numbers on them that you listed? or are those Pierce Arrow part numbers from the parts book??

On my 836 red-dot lens there is ‘Guide Lamp No. 914149′ on the back of the lens’ rim.

So unless someone has a Pierce Arrow cross reference book to match Pierce’s numbers with numbers and maker names on the actual lenses we might find at a swap meet, I’d say that the listed Pierce part number is pretty useless? Unless there is a Pierce parts depot with parts still labeled with Pierce part numbers ??

The earlier lenses are 2.5″ diameter, the later lenses are 3″ diameter.

Greg L

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Greg,

Thanks for the info on the bracket. I have a picture of mine below. It doesn’t look like something broke off either side. They just look like they were made short, Mid year modification?

On the lenses, none of the lenses, including the curved license glass, in the photo are from a Pierce. They are ones that I have fabricated out of other glass lenses until I can find real ones.

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I’ll take a photo of a taillight / fillerneck casting. Nope, there are ears behind all three tailight buckets.

. The modifications were done to make the casting look more ‘right’ rather than have broken edges.

Greg

do you use a wet belt sander to shape and modify the lenses? is the curved glass for the license plate ‘window’ glass or plastic? if glass, did you cut it from a bottle, or are you a molten glass artist ??

Greg

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Greg,

I think you are right. I took the bracket apart and it is a little unequal in dimension.

The curved lens is the same width and has a similar curve as a 1928 Ford Model A Drum tail light. It is slightly shorter and is glass. When installed with a cork gasket, I think it is passable, particularly if the license is below the light. I relieve the edges some with diamond bits, so it fits in the opening better. The one on the left is an original PA lens

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Greg,

The other lenses are all larger in diameter, so I epoxy them to a board and cut them out with a diamond hole saw in my drill press. The center one is cut out of a Lynx eye T-359 Stop/Taillight lens for a ’34-36 Dodge.

All but the center one are pretty thick and need some modification, again with diamond tools, to be able to install them in the rims and with the reflectors.

The lens on the Right is original PA

I use 32 Ford Cowl light lens retaining clips, which are stainless, I think, to hold them in. The Lens for the Cowl light fits in the Pierce rims.

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Here are the cut out steps.

This is probably a waste of time, but that is what I nave until find the real things. That or plastic.

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Here is a photo of the taillight mount, unbroken.

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