I have an interest in old cars and spares. Recently I bought a quantity of Rolls Royce and Bentley parts. When sorting I found a Glolite Headlamp Lense. Via your website I note these lamps were fitted to Durant cars! Glass size approx. 9,5/8 dia. Convex. vertical flutes with 5 horizontal lines in the glass. It also has a location inset at the bottom for location. Can anybody tell me the application. I would wish to offer it at a reasonable price to a car owner. Thanks

Where Are You From? England

Do You own a car built by Durant? No - Just interested in old cars.and spares

Does the center horizontal line only go part way across? Could the lens be 9 7/16 inches in diameter? If so, that is the size for my 1931 model 619. May fit other also.
What would a reasonable price be?
Wayne Farrand, Iowa, USA

Where Are You From? Iowa

Do You own a car built by Durant? 31 model 619

Wayne/
Thanks for your reply. I still make the Dia.very close 9.5/8ins. This includes an approx 0.5ins flat land round the rim which I expect is for seating on a reflector and seal. You are correct in that the horizontal line in the centre runs for about 3.00ins only. The convex dish is approx. 1.25ins deep. Markings are GLOLITE and under that is Headlamp at the bottem of the glass. "top" is marked at the top of the glass!! Hope this helps you to confirm application for your car. Please let me know - If it is ok perhaps you might like to make me what you think is a fair offer - postage would have to be sorted. Roy

Where Are You From? England

Do You own a car built by Durant? No - Just interested in old cars.and spares

Roy
I'm very familiar with the Glo-Lite lights and lenses. They were fitted on the 1928 Durant Model 65, which I have and the model 75. Don't think they were used much after that and not sure if any 1929 (possibly the Model 60 or 66) used them. Today they are getting hard to find. The glo-lite for the model 65 and 75 of 1928 had a piece of copper metal with a cup that went in front of the headlight bulb and was fastened to the light reflector that was gold plated. I guess it was supposed to help with the reflection, but when you look at it, it appears to be yellow from the outside. Take a look at the Model 75 pictures for Larry Fogarazzo's car in the photo section. It kind of shows the light from the front. Most people just discarded the gold piece when changing bulbs. My lite buckets also have a small parking lite in the upper part of the reflector, which usually did not go on the cars with cowl lights, but mine has both. It took me awhile to get everything together for my lites to be correct but now I have them complete. Lenses here on Ebay I've seen run from $50.00 to $150.00.

Where Are You From? Oviedo, Florida

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1928 Durant Model 65 4 door

Mike/

Thanks for your informative note. I will take a look at the cars you metion. I have no idea how the lens came to the UK. The package it is in looks original but no address details. I live near Birmingham and have always been involved with the motor industry but never previously met up with GLOLITE lamps! No reason to think they were fitted to RR or Bentley.

Regards

Roy

Where Are You From? England

Do You own a car built by Durant? No - Just interested in old cars.and spares

You might want to check out Don's Bulbs for the lense to see what it fits.
http://www.donsbulbs.com/cgi-bin/r/t.pl/library.html

Under that look for Guide universal catalog #806
lamps and lamp parts July 1st, 1937 Pages out of this for Durant, Continental, Frontenac, Rick has put for me in our site.

It doesn't list all makes of cars and Bentley isn't one of them. Rolls Royce is but only 30, 32 / 33 I suspect its North American built vehicles.

As far as why the lense is in the UK don't forget Star / Durant is Rugby there and most likely from Leaside as the export plant. Number of Leaside vehicles in Europe popping up. Fords were built in the UK as well, as were other vehicles plus ship loads of imports. Reverse is true with RR, Lagonda's ,Bentleys, Austins, Fiats etc shipped here. One never knows where our hard to find parts will pop up. I've seen a number of Durant / Rugby items in Ebay.uk.

Now in that catalogue online it does list two Glolite
9 5/8 convex #962GL and 9 5/8 flat 963 GL ... neither are Durant lenses.

No idea why the US 1935 after market catalogue doesn't mention lights and lenses but the Canadian one does.

9 7/16 x 8 1/2 Glolite # 988GL is for 65, 70 and 75
10 1/8 x 9 15/16 Glolite #1013 GL also for 65, 70, 75 Same with Twilite 10 1/8

9 7/16 x 8 1/2 Glolite # 944GL is used on all Durant Motors vehicles 30 / 31 (Wayne and Ricks 619) US and Canada except the 617 which was 10 1/8 Glolite or Twilite.

Dominion Motors used Depress Beam 9 5/16 x 8 1/2 on all cars 31 - 32 #11471. 33 - 34 same size but convex #12877. 11471 was used on 15 different vehicles and always on Ebay and fleamarkets.

I recall in the 60's with my 1930 614 Durant that 31 Chevy lenses were same and had piles of lenses to switch from my 30 D to my 31 Chevy canopy express truck if I busted a few. (didn't)

There is presently a set of Glolite's on ebay ending shortly for 30 - 31 Durant's Item number: 150803968167

Mike note Roy said convex lense not flat. No idea when convex lenses began but I think with us it was 1933.

One final thought is Larry should know what the lense is for selling lenses. www.oldcarlenses.com

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan

Roy has sent me this pic of his lense to put on forum for him. Its clearly mid 30's with 1.25 inch deep convex dish. Car use unknown unless Larry has an idea.



As comparison this is the rare Depress Beam # 12887 with dish at just under 3/4 inch deep convex used 1933 / 34 Frontenac's, 1933 633 Durant, 33 Reo, 32 Rockne.

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan