Courtesy light

[J. Huber]

All this poking around my dashpanels has led into focus my need for a new courtesy light. The old one works fine but has a chipped lens (including the chrome-like bezel). I see on the usual sites that they are available. Miller's mentions theirs has no chrome surround. Cannot really tell if the others have the chrome. Anyone have experience replacing these? Thanks...

James
63 230SL

[mdsalemi]

Jim,

As mentioned in a previous thread this courtesy light (Hella, right Doug?) was used on VW's BMW's and who knows what other cars.  Should be pretty easy to find.

If I'm not mistaken the plastic surround has kind of a chrome look but I don't think a new one has a bezel.


At a VW parts store, it is $6.95.  Miller's has it for $25 as a repro.  Go figure.

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/details/QQVolkswagenQQRabbitQQHellaQQInterior_Light_AssemblyQQ19751980QQW0133-1639330.html


Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red 568G w/Black Leather (Restored)
President, International Stars Section
Mercedes-Benz Club of America

[psmith]

I bought the VW one a while ago.  It has a very small VW logo on the inside of the plastic lens.  It's very hard to see, so I just left it.  But I suppose it could be carefully ground off with a dremel.

Pete S.

[114015]

Ah James,

We both are sharing the same problem.
My courtesy light looks exactly like yours but is chipped/broken/uggly-looking as well. The original 230SL-courtesy lamps are NLA and the 280 style looks completely different as Mike showed on his pic.
I have collected a couple of originals over the years and none is perfect; they are all chipped, broken, rusty, inside chrome is fading etc. ...

Pete is correct. I once found a VW (old) beetle lens which looks obviously the same - with chrome-plated surround.
However, there was one electrical connection less inside - only two, not three like on our cars.
I guess we have to live with some sort of compromise ...

Best,

Achim
parts & knowledge collector

[dldubois]

I just ended up using the one from Miller's.  Looks pretty close and the chrome edging was pretty much worn off of my old one.

Dana DuBois
1969 280sl
Corinth, TX