VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Brake Light Lens

I have two separate glass brake light lenses that fit my brake light bucket. One lens is perfectly convex while the other lens is also convex but with a flat surface directly in the middle of it (on the outside surface, of course). I also have a celluloid (?) lens I believe will fit. Is one of these lenses more correct than the other for the 1924 Touring?

Thanks

Mike the part number for a 1924 tail light lens is: #41428. The picture in my parts book shows a round flat spot in the middle of the lens. I hope this helps.

If the surface is a bit dull or scratched from age you can make it sparkle like new by applying a coat or two of 'clear coat' as used on most cars these days, and readily available in spray cans. I resurrected an otherwise sound, but most unattractive lens this way, and if in time the clear deteriorates then it is a simple matter of stripping and re-coating it.

Thanks guys, I will go with the one that has the center flat then. Just wanted to be sure.

For what it's worth, and just for the record, in 1924 there is no brake light - although many cars would have had one added if the car remained in service. In original configuration as built, that would have been properly called a tail light. There were many interesting after-market brake lights, many of which say "Stop" made in the lens arcing across above the factory tail light.

I haven't gotten to the wiring yet but are you saying the red light on the rear of my '24 is not opperated by the foot brake pedal at all? Is the light controlled more like the modern running lights and opperates continuously with the headlights? Like I said I haven't gotten to the wiring yet but I'm sure I would have wasted a lot of time trying to make it work like a brake light.

Chevy Guru is correct. We didn't have a stop light until mid 1926.

That's right, Mike. The tail light comes on with the other lights, and stays on. There will be one position on the switch that lights up the cowl lights and the tail light; and the next position will then also light the headlights. Or, you may have "dim" and "bright" positions for headlights. But at the lowest "light-switch-on" position, the tail light will be steady "on" - or whenever any of the "lights-on" switch positions are selected - it has nothing to do with the brake pedal.

Any brake light would be an "add-on" feature, with a second lens (usually above) the round tail light.

(Now having said all that, it is quite possible that in the intervening years, someone may have ADDED a brake light switch and made it into a brake light, too. But it was born without one.)