ever seen a lead lamp like this?

[steveo3002]

found this lucas branded 12v lamp at a car show today

anyone seen one like it?

the tail fins turn around to wind up the cable inside , its all metal and still works good





hook pulls out

[stefan]

thats some very cool tat

[Porsche]

Yeah, my Dad's had one of those lamps in his garage for years. I think the correct plug should look like this...

[steveo3002]

is his gold too? even the wire is colour coded lol

[Porsche]

Yep, looks the same, except for the plug.

Both my Dad and I once worked for Lucas, so have many items like this about.

[steveo3002]

so what that plug something older cars had on the dash? any idea what age they are roughly ? spose its late 50s?

[Porsche]

Sorry, not too sure about the plug or age...

...but I do have many old part catalogues in my garage that I'll have a look through tomorrow for ya.

In the meantime, here's a photo of an old plate that I have in my kitchen to keep my loose change in.



I remember finding a whole load of these plates in a abandoned part of the factory when I worked for Lucas and while we were bored (I ashamed to say ), we used them all for frizbees...all except the one I saved of course.

[Ryannn]

I've got a light just like it, with the cig lighter plug aswell. Came from an old caravan!

[buzby]

That's a Lucas Model 100 'Torpedo' inspection lamp. According to an old Lucas catalogue available online (campkahler.com/files/Lucas-400e-to-M8-ocr.pdf) it was supplied to Singer for the 1955-56 Singer Hunter and Hunter S:


There is a similar (but much simpler) lamp that used to be supplied to the MOD for Land Rovers and other vehicles:

This has got the later version of the plug that is insulated on the cable side (the older one pictured earlier in the thread is an open 'binding-post' type connection). These lamps are still available brand new from military surplus stores (usually with the connectors cut off, as they are worth more to LR owners than the lamps).

The 2-pin connector was Lucas' own proprietary 'accessory connector' (which was later replaced by the lighter socket) - it was widely used on British Military vehicles from WW2 until the 80s and civilian Land Rovers up to the Defender era, and on lots of British cars both before and after WW2 (I've seen references to it being used by MG, Riley, Alvis, Bentley and Morgan). On Land Rovers the dash socket is unfused, which is pretty dangerous (the Army used to rewire the sockets to put fuses in them). I think the design of the connector dates back to the 1920s, the pins are on 1/2" centres and are 1/8" diameter, the same size as the old Belling-Lee 'Wander' plug and socket design used on old British audio and test/lab equipment (which was based on a cut down 1/8" split pin). The 'Wander' plug was later superceded by the international 4mm 'Banana' plugs that you see on speakers and amps, Lucas carried on making the connectors for LR and the military long after 'Wander' plugs were obsolete and cars had changed over to lighter sockets.

Lucas made a few other models of inspection lamps. This is the 'cage' type that was supplied to the military during WW2:


There is the Model 998 from the late 1940s-early 1950s:


There was also this earlier (pre-WW2) nickel-plated brass model that was supplied to Rolls Royce, Bentley, Alvis, MG etc.:


Later on, Rolls used a polarized version of the plug and socket, with 1 pin having a smaller diameter:

Rolls were also supplied with this rather more refined lamp from the 1950s on:

[brawr]

Cracking post Buzby, thanks for that! Would normally have no particular interest in the subject but glad I opened the thread now, that was a great read.

[Porsche]

Thanks Buzby, thats saved me looking through my old catalogues today. :-)

[Seth]

Buzby, excellent anorak-ness there

[akku]

WOW. I've only ever seen one of those in real life before. Awesome.

[steveo3002]

thanks for the info

just had it apart for a clean up and its really built to last , colour coded cable , rubber buffer on the hook with 2 locking nuts , all greased up where it turns etc

[datman]

i found one the same in the boot of a car i bought once. i think i stuck it on ebay.

[Sophers]

I've got something similar. Used to be my gramps.



Connects straight to the battery.

[Autofive]

i have a russian version of the lucas lamp - not as well made, but a bit of an oddity - i ll grab a photo later

[accord83]

I have a cheaper version from the ubiquitous Pifco

[jrevillug]

Jul 9, 2012 11:55:49 GMT accord83 said:

Pifco

Ah, the Provincial Incandesant Fittings CO. ;D

[oxb1l]

I've got the little MOD one as above but it now has some handy crocodile clips on it

Very handy