GT5 Front Lamps

What state in aust are you?

The lamps are from an old Austin (A40?) and pretty difficult if not impossible to find.... that is unless you contact Larry Finch who bought up a bunch of Euro stock reproductions which are almost identical except for horizontal vs. diagonal screw placement. Larry goes by the username LF - TP 2511 and IMO its a no hassle guaranteed way to get something that fits and looks right.

Julian

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The lamps are from an old Austin (A40?)

I have never heard this before.

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except for horizontal vs. diagonal screw placement

All the two-color GT5/GT5S lights I have seen have had the lens screws in a diagonal pattern.

Also, when I bought my set of two-color lights from Wilkinson what I received had the screws in a diagonal pattern.

I have sold replacement lenses and entire assemblies to owners of GT5 cars, and what I have sold have all been diagonal pattern. No one has ever mentioned a mismatch.

That said, some GT5 photos DO show a horizontal screw pattern, but only if they are all amber units - just as on the Ford L-model cars.

And of course, being De Tomaso, he could well have used what ever he found at the local Modena Sunday swap meet, too.

The two-color units I sell were found in my searching for the Group 4 tail lights. Their original application seems to be a Renault 12 of sixties vintage. These were subsequently used on UK-made TVR and Reliant autos and the Romanian version of the Renault.

The Romanian version is what I now offer. They are the same physically as the ones I bought from Wilkinson, except the housings were originally metal and the lens quality was better. I have found this metal style made by Seima, Cibie, Yorka and the Romanian plastic housing brand.

Tony (JAZZ) and I have already been in touch. I guess he is hoping for a local source?

Larry - Is that one UGLY car, or what?

P.S. - Thanks, Julian.

P.P.S - For info on my two-color lights, visit this photo album at the POCA website:

http://tinyurl.com/ybfqkdg

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All the two-color GT5/GT5S lights I have seen have had the lens screws in a diagonal pattern.

I will stand corrected on the screw location, maybe I was thinking of the all amber versions.

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Tony (JAZZ) and I have already been in touch. I guess he is hoping for a local source?

I used to try searching out a lot of parts and finally came to the conclusion that the risk-reward and time spent doesn't make it worthwhile. You can spend hours of time that you could be doing other jobs on you Pantera to find a part that saves $20 and then doesn't fit properly when you get it. I go through trusted sources and confirmed part #'s these days.

Maybe this why there are so many Panteras laid up in garages while their owners search for parts that are readily available through established vendors. I also came to the conclusion supporting our few vendors will ensure they stay around plus by having a relationship with a vendor I can make a call and get free advice too.

That said having lived in Australia I do appreciate there is a significant logistical and import duty side to being across the pond.

Julian

Thanks for your help guys I hope i can return the favour someday. I'll only use those lamps from you Larry as a last resort, sorry but they look a bit too yellow.

That photo may be deceptive, mine don't look like that at all and they are the same lights....

The POCA Interchange guide says 'Austin 1100'- a sort of large Mini sold in the '60s. Keep in mind that most old lights have the same problems as OEM Panteras: non-existent reflector surfaces in the buckets; just mounting them is only half the problem. Larry's reconditioned lights will work much better than any salvage jobs IMHO.

Hey Jazz,

I have an 82 GT5 and one of my original lenses was burned. I bought a set from Larry and figured I'd change them both - but I only put on the one. They are "identical" and you can not tell the difference from the originals.

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Larry's reconditioned lights

My GT5 lights are all new. My Group 4 lights, though, are usually restored.

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I bought a set from Larry and figured I'd change them both - but I only put on the one. They are "identical" and you can not tell the difference from the originals.

The set David got from me was original NOS Seima brand, not the Romanian brand I sell in my sets.

Larry

The photo shows three brands. The Romanian is at the top. Center is a Cibie brand, and bottom is the Yorka brand. Tony is correct when he says the Romanian brand tends to be more yellow than amber. To which I way, so what? I know our cars are each fine-tuned to our own individual tastes, but whether yellow or amber, upgrading to the two-color units is one of the easiest ways to get a totally improved look for your Pantera's front end. IMHO

Hi guys,
just a few observations on the differences between front lamps. Original RHD cars (non GT5) had 2 colour lights for UK and Australian registration. Because there were so few in RHD they sourced the lights from the nearest thing (both in shape and sourced from nearby) which was the Austin/Morris 1100 - a very common UK and Australian car of the early 60's, which was also produced by Innocenzi in Italy, and which of course Detomaso ended up owning. So a genuine RHD has these lights, which have a chrome surround and horizontal screws (see attached a picture of #6585, a RHD GTS but with the morris lights - also a morris picture for comparison) As usual however, not all of the RHD cars had the same lights and the photos in the registries show a couple of different variations.

Larry's lights are great (my set were delivered to rural Australia at a good price) and appear the same as later model GTS/GT5. IMO they are much better than the morris lights, which are too big and pretty ugly. But if someone has a genuine RHD car they may find Larry's lights would not fit because there appears to be a slightly bigger cutout below the bumpers.

And the Morris front lamps for comparison