High Beam Indicator Color - At last the answer

[Rob Glasgow]

I purchased my 1960 BT7 from the original owner in 1963. To the best of my recollection, the Ignition light and the high beam indicator light never had any colored lens in them. When the lamps were lit, they just glowed white.
I had seen a picture of a BT7 dash that had a red lens in the ignition socket, but could never find an answer to what color the high beam lens would have been.
I don't think Smiths did a very good job of glueing the lens into the gauge faces since every used speedo and tach I've seen on EBay looks like the lens are missing.
A year ago I asked the forum what they thought the high beam color would have been. Someone responded blue. While I think that was the color on the BJ cars, I don't think "high beam blue" came into automotive fashion until the mid 1960's.
Last week I found my answer. My tach started making noise, so I removed it and opened it up. Guess what fell out. The tiny red plastic lens for the ignition light.
Thinking I might be as lucky with the speedo, I opened it and out fell another RED lens for the high beam. Imagine that, both missing lenses riding arround in the bottoms of the gauges for all those years.
So the question is finally answered, both indicators were red.
I have glued them back in place and all is right with the world.
Now I have one final question for all 100 and early 3000 owners out there. How many of you have both lens in place on the gauges? I'm guessing not many. But if your interested, you might open your gauges and see if there is a tiny treasue inside. Happy hunting....

 

[glemon]

Rob, went through the same thing with my 100, at first I wondered if there was even a lens as both tach and speedometer were missing them, then found one floating in the guage, then finally got the other when I found an old guage in a bone yard, was very happy to have the missing discs back in and discover the right color (both red on the 100 as well), don't know if they were not well glued in when new or whether they were a press fit and shrunk, but I was quite proud of my little red discs once I had them in place.

 

[zblu]

and from memory all mine had was a bit of colored cellofane between the bulb and the little hole in the gauge!, and I think that might be the original method!

 

[Rob Glasgow]

glemon, I had to chuckle at your comment "I was quite proud of my little red discs once I had them in place" because that was my exact reaction. They looked so perky sitting there in the dash. Much better than the black holes I had looked at for 45 years. I guess that why a "correct car" looks so good. We all know what it's like to "make do" with something, but when you get it right, it's special. Eventhough there are but a handful of folks that would know the difference between the two situations. I guess that's why a "100 point car" is so special. I will never get my car to that level, nor would I ever want too, but I can still appreciate what it takes to "make it correct".