1978-1984 interior courtesy lamp lenses

[bbreeding]

Folks: I have two Avanti II's. One from 1976 and one from 1984. The 1976 has traditional Studebaker interior courtesy lamps with the on/off switch and standard bulbs. Replacement parts for these are easy to find. The 1984 however has replacement lamps which Nate Altman started using in 1978...probably because he lost his supplier. These are larger than the traditional lamps with long tubular bulbs and no on/off switches. They also run very hot and burn through the plastic lenses. So right now I need all three lenses...but don't know the manufacturer or the application...though I suspect that they are either GM or AMC... but that is a guess and I have had no luck in researching them. Can anyone point me in the right direction on this...so I can try to find either used or NOS parts? If anyone can help with this I sure would be a grateful puppy. Thanks.

[jmenacker]

Talk to Betty or Dan Booth at Nostalgic Motorcars. They have a light bulb kit for '83-'85 Avantis.

Nostalgic Motorcars Lighting Page

Best regards,

[MikeValent]

If you do find a solution, please let us know here. I have an 83 with the same problem.

Johnstone's web page says that the courtesy light lenses were used in Chrysler Cordobas and New Yorkers, I think late 70's and early 80's. He didn't note any difference in courtesy lamp or lens design in the older/newer Avantis though.

Those lights certainly are bright. I wonder if we can find a lower wattage in the same style.

[bbreeding]

You are correct...Nate Altman used Chrysler courtesy lights in the later Avanti II's. Unfortunately...I can't find any OEM or aftermarket lenses for those out there either. The ones that I could find in junked vehicles are just as bad as the ones I am looking to replace. So now I am looking into replacing the entire fixture. Something like the ones at www.jeffreyphipps.com. I hate to do it but... Anyway, I believe they will fit in the passenger compartment but not sure about under the dash. That will be my next project...if I ever get at it!

[MikeValent]

I got tired of searching for lenses, so cut pieces out of a piece of "Darice 10 Mesh #33030 Clear" translucent plastic mesh material that I found in a Joann Fabrics store. It's a tight plastic mesh that I think is used as a backing material in some kinds of sewing or knitting.

I cut each piece to fit right inside the light fixture's inside rim, used a very small bead of contact cement to hold the edges, and it works pretty well. You normally don't see the lense on the dash's underside and (unless you're very short) you're not normally going to be looking directly at the rear courtesy lights. If you don't look really closely, they look enough like you'd expect "stock" lenses to look. And they effectively remove that "bare bulb" glare.

Since it is a mesh it should let more air in around the bulb to help dissipate its heat. The stock bulbs are #211-2 12v. I substituted #212-2 13.5v bulbs which feel less hot and which project a warmer (yellower?) light. I also tried #578 bulbs which gave the same white light as the #211-2 but may be a bit less hot.

For whatever it may be worth, I also got tired enough of the mismatched a/c temp and fan knobs in my 83 and solved that by ordering from Vintage Air:

#20558-VUP blower switch label (off-lo-med-hi)

#20571-VUP Rotary thermostat label

#49457-VUI black plastic knobs (2 of them)

The knobs and labels look good, though I probably should have bought their #49457-VUI aluminum knobs.

I wanted some cold air on the door side of each front seat, so I installed one of their 49050-VUL center louvers under the dash on each side. On the passenger side, that involved drilling new mounting holes for the computer bracket, moving it an inch and a quarter toward the center console. The a/c outlet then went immediately outboard of the computer box. On the driver's side, I mounted the outlet just to the left of the steering column. For cold air supply, I ran 2 1/2" hose to the openings in the console sides. Just stuffed the hose into the openings,

It's not perfect but it's a lot better than stock. And the outlet pieces are hardly noticeable, as the passenger side one just looks to be an extension of the computer box and the driver's side one is visually almost hidden behind the steering wheel. If anyone wants to try this, let me know as there are a couple of other small mods you'll need to make it work right.

[jvespey]

The correct part number is 1-03488995. I've bought several from this seller on ebay.

1975 76 77 78 79 Cordoba 300 Charger COURTESY LENS Magnum B-Van D W Ramcharger http://r.ebay.com/jC69kH

[jvespey]

Oh, and these were the same as in my '85.

[cobrajoe74]

James-thanks for the eBay seller!!...A couple of weeks ago I noticed some crazing in the center of the lens in my '82 & just barely touched it & my finger went thru the lens!!...it was thinner & more brittle than an eggshell!!...I was so po'd cause the interior is in great shape...I just ordered the new lens...the same thing is happening on the other lens-I'm not going anywhere near it!!

[Bill Hanlon]

Thanks for the source. Just purchased the last 3 that they had.

[jvespey]

Can someone please post a photo of the BULB that this light uses?

[IndyJimW]

I replaced all my interior bulbs with LED's years ago because of the heat.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/

Dash lights also, those metal rings around the lights could brand you after being on awhile.

Just make sure that the bulb you get is the same color as the lens. White - White, Red - Red, Blue - Blue, Green - Green, Yellow - Yellow.

They work great.

Jim Wood