Period Correct Fog Lights

[treedoc]

Hi All,
Can someone please advise if 113's where ever originally fitted with rectangular Bosch under bumper bar fog lights as show on the 280 in the attached image. These fogs where on the car when the second owner purchased it some 30 years ago. They appear to be the same fog lights as where on Australian delivered 107's.
Thanks, Treedoc

[Peter van Es]

Mine was originally delivered without extra driving lamps. Because of the rallying I do I needed extra lights.

I had squarish lamps mounted under the bumper (see first picture) and although they were from the 1960's I didn't like the look. They were Lucas as well... doesn't really fit with a Mercedes. Plus they were much larger than the lamps you have on your car. I had to take care with speed bumps and so on.

When I removed my bumper overriders I bought Hella Classic 160 Chrome lamps, and mounted them in the holes left by the bumper overriders. That means that they are a little close together, but with driving lamps that doesn't really matter, they're angled for rallying as well (the right light a bit more to the right, the left one straight ahead). They do give an excellent amount of light, I use them for normal night driving as well.

Recently I've also been able to buy a set of plastic protectors for them (via ebay) because Hella does not make or sell those anymore.

You can buy the driving lamps at:

http://www.rallylights.com/
or http://www.pagodenteile.de/
or Hella Australia i.e. order them from a regular Hella dealer.

Peter

(the third picture shows my car with the original US sealed beams and bumper overriders... you can choose which look you like the best)

[thelews]

here are the fogs on mine

[waqas]

The previous owner of my car imported the car from Germany in 1977 and these Cibie foglights were already installed: waqas230slfogs.jpg, waqas230slfogs2.jpg.

Here is another car in the MB museum: museu2.jpg, Museum-fog.jpg

You can see more configurations in this thread: http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=2054.0

[J. Huber]

Well, none of the photos above show my configuration (just the internal foggers) -- so here it is. The fog lamp bulbs are white and inside on the bottom portion of the lens.

[thelews]

Well, none of the photos above show my configuration (just the internal foggers) -- so here it is. The fog lamp bulbs are white and inside on the bottom portion of the lens.

Mine, pictured above, are the US version of yours, clears right above the amber signal on the bottom.

[Peter van Es]

My European headlights have the internal fog lights also. The driving lamps are high beams...

There's yet another alternative I forgot to add to the poll. All these show the rounded European headlights... then there's also the flat version!

Peter

[Richard Madison]

Here's Ole Beige wearing Hella round on-top-of-the-bumper fog lights. Car color and fog light configuration are much like the Museum car in Wagas' posting above.

I have only seen square below the bumper lights on 107 cars.

My ride is a Euro model with fogs iin the headlights as well as on the bumper. The headlight fog lights and the bumper fog lights are activated when the light switch is pulled out to the Fog Light On position.

Richard M, NYC

[hauser]

The MB museum has a Pagoda with round fog lights.  I believe there's a photo of it here somewhere.

[Dash808]

Here is another car in the MB museum: museu2.jpg, Museum-fog.jpg

That's interesting the pic from the MB museum has a 113 with chrome fender trim.  I didn't know that was an option.

Here is a pic of mine with front and rear foggs installed by the original owner in Italy.   The lenses are actually yellow and the covers are black. Made by Carello.
I've since taken them off.

[treedoc]

Gentlemen,
I thank you for your responses so far, however I think things have gotten away from my original question which was if the rectangular under bumper fog lights, see attached, were optional on new W113's ? These lights where I think standard fitment on 107's
Thanks in anticipation
Geoff Eldridge

[Peter van Es]

Geoff,

All I could find when searching for "Bosch LE1203L" is that indeed they were optional accessories on R107 vehicles, and on 1970's-1980's Porsche 911. In other words, too late for standard optional items on a W113.

However, I could find nothing so far that confirms that. See also 280SL71's post below.

Peter

[J. Huber]

Well Geoff, because that's what we do! I think so far the closest thing to an answer is that the Pagodas came with a round above bumper fog light option (Hella). This would be 345 on the data card. The rear option is 462, mounted below the left rear bumper. What does your data card read?

Plus many of us were drawn to the poll which begged discussion of the various configs....

[Peter van Es]

Geoff,

I know I diverted this thread, so let me get it back on track. I have two small bits of scan from a "Preisliste Personenwagen und Sonderausstattungen" (Pricelist and options catalogue) dated February 5th, 1971, for the 280SL. So it would be the last one issued for Pagoda's. You'll find it in the first picture.

In the second picture you will find the options for Halogen (fog-lights). It offers the following alternatives:

• High-beam, dimmed and fog light (in integrated light unit)
• High-beam and dimmed (no fog light) in integrated light unit
• Round fog lights (next to the integrated light units)

So according to this list, the square fog lights you have were not an option on the last Pagoda's produced.

Note, I have a large pdf of all the Sonderausstattungen for all series of the Pagoda. I'll probably upload it to the Full Member section of the Technical Manual soon.

Peter

[treedoc]

Thanks Peter,
I think that just about puts my question to bed, in the negative.
I like your idea of mounting the the Hellas via the bolt holes of the US overiders.
So I am left with a dilemma, period correct Hellas or Bosch lamps that are out by a few days/weeks
Thanks to all for some outstanding images
Geoff
PS     Car arrives in a couple of hours on a truck from the port of Brisbane. Have acquired euro head light assemblies and bumper bars and will be combining side lights with blinkers/turn indicators.

[treedoc]

Recently came across a set of period correct Bosch Fogs in good condition and at a resonable price, [not half the national debt].
Couldn't resist so out with the new plastic Hella's and in with the Bosch, see attached image

[abe280SL]

Here is the museum car..
abe

[scoot]

I think that this topic has already be beaten into the ground but I'll chime in anyway.
On cars with US lights, separate fog lights came sometimes on cars that did not have the fog light built into the headlight door.  Earlier cars have the fog light built into the headlight door.  So extra fog lights combined with headlight door foglights seems odd at best.   This confines the disussion to 280 SLs I think.  So for US 280 SLs I think that the correct configuration is round Hella chrome fog lights on top of the bumper, which in my opinion don't look good, but that's a separate issue.

On cars with European lights - I don't know if fog lights were built into the headlight door so I won't comment.

My observation is that in photographs, cars with European  lights, if they have fog lights the lenses are clear and smooth on the inside and outside, while on cars with US lights, if they have fog lights, they are a little frosty and ribbed on the inside of the lens.

I believe that the correct US optional round fog light is the same as that found on early 114/115 sedans.

The original post showing the under bumper rectangular fog light is I believe incorrect for all applications.  That's the fog light from a 107 and other sedans of the 70s and 80s. (post 113, post 114/115)

[Peter van Es]

Well scoot, thanks for pounding it a little further in the ground!