Page 3 - Butchering Your Aerodyne

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So l stuck with my L594 holes and searched for something nicer than the
Warts to cover the holes up with a nicer looking but safer solution, in-
cluding those on the front. Also, it was 10 years since a respray so the
colour would not be exactly the same etc. etc.
In choosing what to fit, I was greatly helped by EBAY, with a great
selection on offer. My new P770 headlights in the late 1960’s were rela-
tively expensive at £2 pound 19 shillings and 6 pence (£2.975 for the
younger reader), at a time when a sealed beam was only ten bob (50p).
EBAY to the rescue again and £227 for refurbs but with all the right sized
fittings, rings and back shells etc.
Also, in the late 60’s I could buy new cylinder heads from Bristol
Cars, complete with running gear for £89.50 plus shipping! If only! A
shed full would have been a good investment!
An EBAY search through the selection of sales items gave me a
chance to compare a number of different indicators, something I couldn’t
do very well in the late 60’s and early 70’s. These were basically for the
front of my 401 whilst I scratched around looking for a rear indicator.
Needing to visualise them next to 401, I bought L539’s and L691’s which
were fitted to a number of cars in the 50’s and 60’s. I decided not the
L632 as I did not want to change the sidelights but I bought some any-
way. I also bought a couple of Wipac indicators for 86 - 96 mini’s, which
surprisingly would look decent at the front
So, I have L594’s, L691’s and L632’s to dispose of and of course
the Wipac Mini indicators. The Maxparts LX677 looks OK’ish for the
rear and is a much darker orange but it stands out too far from the body
far more than I wanted. I know the purists will cry foul and some tear
drop style tail/brake/indicators could possibly have looked spot on. I
thought the LX677’s look very much better than the “warts” and would
probably have to do if I could make them thinner. Apparently, these were
also fitted to a Marcos model and were “held” over a heat source to bend
them slightly but for a 401 they needed very little re-modelling, if any.
I also felt that oblong indicators were in keeping with the original
lights. A couple of Hella indicators that were considerations in the early
70’s were still in production. However, after a very long trawl through
EBAY and other sources, I could not improve on the LX677’s to cover
the existing holes.
I accepted at the start that nothing but nothing was going to look
perfect but something more in keeping with the shape was going to look
“somewhat better” but like beauty of course is in the eye of the beholder.
The Hella lights were a bright orange/amber in keeping with modern in-
dicators but the Maxpart items were quite a deep orange and probably
more in keeping with my Girlie coloured Honda Camelia paintwork.
I thought I would photograph other people’s “solutions”. So, with
camera in hand I thought I would start a photo gallery, allowing me to
sit and ponder what to do next and if there was anything better but noth-
ing straightforward emerged.
Several years later having rejected all the lights I had bought; a
just about OK solution came up with a Jaguar XJ6 export side repeater.
Apparently also fitted to USA Models of MGB 1970 -1980 / Sprite and
Midget 1970 -1980 / Jaguar XJ6 and XJ12 1969-1987 / XJS 1997-1990
- OE 11727A LUCAS 54570189 L824. I bought a couple, which came
with different “rubbers” between the fitting and the bodywork.