What Front Side Lenses?

[Stu]

I bought a pair of new front side lenses, but the ones on my car do not have a screw and are not removable from the lens frame.  They are just reflectors, no bulb/power.  I can't just replace the entire lens unit, because the holes for the studs in the fender are farther apart than the studs on the new lens.  

My car was mfd. in Sept 1969 and is titled a 1970, but my car does not have the original front fenders; I was told they came from a '69.

Anyone know where I can buy new lens assemblies of the type on my car?

[7502]

That's a new one one me.

[golf73]

Just a guess, but maybe they changed the reflectors for modell 71? Mine are like the new ones you bought.

[Conserv]

My ‘76 and ‘73 have front reflectors like the ones you’ve newly purchased. But I believe I replaced the ‘76’s at its Big Re-Paint and I’m guessing the ‘73’s might have been replaced since the nosepiece and left front fender are not original to the car.

 

Any possibility that BMW just “updated” the design, without respect to any larger event. Front reflectors were first implemented in the 1969 model year, on or shortly before January 1, 1969.

 

Who else has reflectors of the type Stu’s car has? What is your car’s VIN and manufacturing date?

 

(An ‘02 manufactured in September 1969 is, indeed, a 1970 model, as U.S. model years, at least conceptually, run from approximately September 1 through August 31. My former VIN 1668093 was an early 1970 model, manufactured September 8, 1969.)

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by Conserv

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Conserv said:

My ‘76 and ‘73 have front reflectors like the ones you’ve newly purchased. But I believe I replaced the ‘76’s at its Big Re-Paint and I’m guessing the ‘73’s might have been replaced since the nosepiece and left front fender are not original to the car.

 

Any possibility that BMW just “updated” the design, without respect to any larger event. Front reflectors were first implemented in the 1969 model year, on or shortly before January 1, 1969.

 

Who else has reflectors of the type Stu’s car has? What is your car’s VIN and manufacturing date?

 

(An ‘02 manufactured in September 1969 is, indeed, a 1970 model, as U.S. model years, at least conceptually, run from approximately September 1 through August 31. My former VIN 1668093 was an early 1970 model, manufactured September 8, 1969.)

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

Thanks Steve.  My car's VIN is 1668454.  I have a message in to BMW group archives to verify the model year, and they will be back from the holiday tomorrow.  But based on your info it seems pretty clear mine is a '70.

[Conserv]

3 hours ago, Stu said:

Thanks Steve.  My car's VIN is 1668454.  I have a message in to BMW group archives to verify the model year, and they will be back from the holiday tomorrow.  But based on your info it seems pretty clear mine is a '70.

Stu,

 

BMW Group Archives does not track model years. Their records for these early years are kept solely on a calendar basis. They will tell you that it is a car built in 1969. Apart from the September through August general rule of model years — for BMW and most car manufacturers in that era — the only tell-tale of model year are generally the underhood stickers, mandated by the U.S. EPA, that provide the tuning instructions pertinent to the car, and necessary to comply with the emissions standards. Below are examples of the EPA tuning stickers from 1972 and 1973 models.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[Gordon]

You can always delete your side marker reflectors/lights for a true Euro/ROW 02 look. US spec 02's are the only 02's with DOT mandated side marker lights/reflectors. 

[02Les]

The BMW parts manual shows only the rear (red) sidemarker as having the small screw to allow access, not the front (yellow) one, and all parts shown for the front are different part #s than the rear.

However, perhaps BMW began making the front marker parts (base, seal, frame) same as the rear at some time (to save costs??).

[Mike Self]

Stu

I have a '69 built in February, and it has the side reflectors with no screw holding the lens to its frame.  The two parts are difficult to separate as the lens is kinda melted into its backing plate (under the rubber gasket).  That style lens has been NLA for many years, as it was used only on '69s--and since your car is an early '70 (1970 model year VINs begin with 1666901) apparently they were used on at least some 1970s.  Then the supplier changed the design to the later one with the external screw, probably to accommodate the illuminated ones used on the rear quarter panels starting with the later 1970 models.  That way they could use the same lens and frame for both illuminated and reflective only units.  BTW, they are also used on Mercedes Benz cars of the same vintage--this was before manufacturers--particularly European and Japanese--started integrating those side markers into existing lights, bumpers or whatever.  

 

When an inattentive driver backed into my '69 some years ago and scrunched that original marker, it took me a couple of years to find a parts car with that early style.  At least around here, the studs would rust and snap off when you tried to remove it.

 

Suggestion to solve your dilemma:  remove the lens and gasket from your newly purchased reflector, and measure the distance between the studs on the old reflector.  Then remove the studs from the new one, drill it to match the mounting pattern on the old one, and install with small machine screws whose threads match the original studs, utilizing the black plastic nuts that came with both.  That will keep you from having to re-drill your front fenders.

 

mike

Edited January 5, 2020 by mike

[Stu]

14 minutes ago, mike said:

Stu

I have a '69 built in February, and it has the side reflectors with no screw holding the lens to its frame.  The two parts are difficult to separate as the lens is kinda melted into its backing plate (under the rubber gasket).  That style lens has been NLA for many years, as it was used only on '69s--and since your car is an early '70 (1970 model year VINs begin with 1666901) apparently they were used on at least some 1970s.  Then the supplier changed the design to the later one with the external screw, probably to accommodate the illuminated ones used on the rear quarter panels starting with the later 1970 models.  That way they could use the same lens and frame for both illuminated and reflective only units.  BTW, they are also used on Mercedes Benz cars of the same vintage--this was before manufacturers--particularly European and Japanese--started integrating those side markers into existing lights, bumpers or whatever.  

 

When an inattentive driver backed into my '69 some years ago and scrunched that original marker, it took me a couple of years to find a parts car with that early style.  At least around here, the studs would rust and snap off when you tried to remove it.

 

Suggestion to solve your dilemma:  remove the lens and gasket from your newly purchased reflector, and measure the distance between the studs on the old reflector.  Then remove the studs from the new one, drill it to match the mounting pattern on the old one, and install with small machine screws whose threads match the original studs, utilizing the black plastic nuts that came with both.  That will keep you from having to re-drill your front fenders.

 

mike

Thanks Mike, that is very helpful. 
My car has front fenders from a ‘69 donor car (my car is chamonix and the fenders are Florida I think). So that explains why I have the unique markers.