The Ford Barn

mercman from oz · 12-08-2023, 07:30 PM

1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens.
If you look at the centre of these Lens, below the curved line, you can see that they don't match.
The Lens on the left has feint vertical lines while the Lens on the right has distinctive vertical lines.
Are these both correct for a 1939 Ford Deluxe, or are they for a 1939 Mercury?

mercman from oz · 12-08-2023, 07:36 PM

Close up shot of 1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens showing differences.
Can anyone identify these differences?

ford38v8 · 12-08-2023, 08:51 PM

If the marks at the bottom of the lens say 91A, they are specific to 1939 Ford. I cannot see those marks in your pictures. As with other parts cast in molds, the molds themselves can vary in detail.

nickthebandit · 12-09-2023, 08:31 AM

There was more than 1 mold used in making the headlight lens. This variation was probably within the design / manufacturing parameters.

aussie merc · 12-11-2023, 01:25 AM

Just a side track those markings are called Fresnel's its the same principal that concentrates the light beam in a light house. Often wondered and asked but never got an answer where cars built for rhd or left traffic markets fitted with the same as lhd or rhand traffic as the dipped beam of one is reversed to the other and this would strike the lens from a different angle giving i believe a different effect ; Any answers

deuce lover · 12-12-2023, 04:29 AM

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If that was the case then Ford would have assigned a different part number by adding a suffix?

Karl Wescott · 12-12-2023, 06:10 PM

Perhaps DavidG would step in and correct if needed...

If I understand things correctly, If the hypothetical RHD part was made in the US there would be a different suffex. However, if the RHD part was manufactured outside the US for a local market it could have a different prefex. Australian roadster door hinges and latches come to mind.

Karl Wescott · 12-12-2023, 06:14 PM

What I can not see on the photos of the two lenses are the part numbers, and the mold numbers. That might be helpful. The mold number on a headlight lens is usually a 1 or 2 digit number located below/above the part number, or below the Ford script.

12-08-2023, 07:30 PM	#1
mercman from oz Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 10,376	1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens. 1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens. If you look at the centre of these Lens, below the curved line, you can see that they don't match. The Lens on the left has feint vertical lines while the Lens on the right has distinctive vertical lines. Are these both correct for a 1939 Ford Deluxe, or are they for a 1939 Mercury?

12-08-2023, 07:36 PM	#2
mercman from oz Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 10,376	Re: 1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens. Close up shot of 1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens showing differences. Can anyone identify these differences?

12-08-2023, 08:51 PM	#3
ford38v8 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 6,646	Re: 1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens. If the marks at the bottom of the lens say 91A, they are specific to 1939 Ford. I cannot see those marks in your pictures. As with other parts cast in molds, the molds themselves can vary in detail. __________________ Alan

12-09-2023, 08:31 AM	#4
nickthebandit Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Shippensburg, pa. Posts: 417	Re: 1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens. There was more than 1 mold used in making the headlight lens. This variation was probably within the design / manufacturing parameters.

12-11-2023, 01:25 AM	#5
aussie merc Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: sydney australia Posts: 1,034	Re: 1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens. Just a side track those markings are called Fresnel's its the same principal that concentrates the light beam in a light house. Often wondered and asked but never got an answer where cars built for rhd or left traffic markets fitted with the same as lhd or rhand traffic as the dipped beam of one is reversed to the other and this would strike the lens from a different angle giving i believe a different effect ; Any answers

12-12-2023, 04:29 AM	#6
deuce lover Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern France Posts: 5,307	Re: 1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens. Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) If that was the case then Ford would have assigned a different part number by adding a suffix?

12-12-2023, 06:10 PM	#7
Karl Wescott Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,289	Re: 1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens. Perhaps DavidG would step in and correct if needed... If I understand things correctly, If the hypothetical RHD part was made in the US there would be a different suffex. However, if the RHD part was manufactured outside the US for a local market it could have a different prefex. Australian roadster door hinges and latches come to mind.

12-12-2023, 06:14 PM	#8
Karl Wescott Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,289	Re: 1939 Ford Deluxe Head lamp Lens. What I can not see on the photos of the two lenses are the part numbers, and the mold numbers. That might be helpful. The mold number on a headlight lens is usually a 1 or 2 digit number located below/above the part number, or below the Ford script.