> From: Andrew Mace <amace@unix2.nysed.gov>
> Subject: Re: Originality research
>
> Continuing on the lighting theme, around 1964 the Spitfire 4 gained a
> larger, plastic-lens front turn signal lamp for the U.S. market. This
> upgrade roughly paralleled that on the TR4. Strangely, though, despite the
> fact that U.S. cars went to amber parking lamp/turn signals in front in
> 1963, the front turn signal lens on most all Spitfire 4 and Mk. 2 models
> remained white.
Same thing on the GT6, although Thomason's book DOES have
several photos of RHD Spitfire4 Mk2's and RHD GT6 MkI's with the
small beehive turn indicator lenses in amber. In addition,
there is a rear shot of a GT6 MkI with British license plate
with the same small amber lenses on the rear turn indicator
lights where North American cars had the large red plastic
lenses. It seems that only North American cars had the big
white front lenses. Very early home market cars had the small
beehive front lenses in white. Richard Newton's Triumph Buyer's
Guide (I know, I know....no flames please) has a bunch of
what appear to be "period" photos (women with bouffant hair
styles) and early advertising copy of both American and home
market cars with both amber and white small lenses. You could
go bonkers trying to decide what is "correct" and what
is not. Unless you were there when the car rolled out of
the factory, I think it would be impossible to tell.
Maybe I will put some big amber lenses on the front of
my GT6 MkI to confuse everybody? :-)
As long as we are discussing trivia, Thomason does
point out that Spitfire Mk3's up to body FD7031 mounted the
new one piece front lamps on an aluminum plinth which was
used in order to use up the remaining stocks of the earlier
type body panels with the two round holes. I wonder if the
same thing was going on with the GT6 Plus????
> U.S. Mk.3 Spitfires went to a different, combined lamp with the change in
> front bumper height. Until the 1969 model year the two-piece lens on that
> lamp was white for parking and amber for turn signal (although I've seen a
> few all-white lenses as well on early Mk.3s). In 1969 it became all-amber.
> In 1970 the lamp was changed to a single dual-filament bulb and a
> one-piece, all-amber lens. Of course, none of that is shown in most
> Spitfire books. (Apologies to Thomassen [sp?] if his book documents these
> changes on U.S. Spitfires, as I've not seen that book to study thoroughly
> - -- yet!)
He has photos of amber/white and all-amber lenses but doesn't
discuss the differences. I will bring my copy to VTR if you
want to see it.
>
> There's so much that a: makes the U.S. cars different and b: is difficult
> to document from most books currently available. [How about wiring
> diagrams for U.S. versions of the "Mk.1" Spitfire 4, huh, Ross? :-)] It's
> this sort of thing that the Vintage Triumph Register can and will focus on
> more and more. Perhaps VTR and others may be able to help make future
> editions of some of these books more accurate and pertinent to cars sold
> in markets other than the UK.
>
Has anybody documented the fact that the windscreen wipers
on the GT6 MkI (and possibly Spitfires) were either left
or right handed, depending on whether the car was LHD or
RHD? All the GT6 Plus's I have seen seem to have wipers
that pivot from the right, regardless of whether they are
LHD or RHD. Am I correct in this assumption? I noticed
this when my car (KC3565L) was parked next to a Plus.
Newton (I know....) has a photo of what is allegedly a
Spitfire Mk3 with the wipers pivoting from the right
side. Thomason notes that the left hand wiper after
FD30784 was mounted further outboard on RHD Spitfire
Mk3's. Was there a similar change on North American
Mk3's? Just one more thing for you to worry about,
Andy.
Regards, Dave Fain
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