Herald 1200 Interior Light

[Bordfunker]

Another dashboard related query, is there supposed to be a cover over the interior light on the dashboard?

Or is the whole assembly supposed to expose ragged vinyl?

Mine just has the latter and looks rubbish, hence the question.

Thanks

Karl

[Pete Lewis]

dont recall any cover just a cheap nasty festoon bulb holder and a switch with a mind of its own   lovely bit of kit  Hmmm 

Pete

[Martin1945]

Your right there was no cover for the light

[Martin1945]

Just now, Martin1945 said:

Your right there was no cover for the light

Mine looks good and works well Ive a got nice festoon light in mine

[Bordfunker]

Thanks all!

I’ve got the festoon bulb, and everything worked as it should before I took the dash out, but with the dash going back together it looked a bit sorry for itself.

Is there any edging around the lamp aperture, or is the vinyl supposed to be glued down?

Karl

[Pete Lewis]

its such a poor thing makes you feel like a nice modern LED minature interior unit is worth searching

in the meantime  vinyl and glue to the rescue there was no surround  and dont hold the bulb when its been on for a few minutes it will stick to your skin  ouch !

pete

[Bordfunker]

Thanks Pete.

I think I may try and at least edge the cut out so that it looks vaguely neat.

Karl

[Colin Lindsay]

On some cars - don't ask me the exact years, I'm still trying to determine that - there was a metal surround. I tried it earlier with both earlier and late versions of the courtesy light and on first fitting it fitted the earlier, more solid light; I went back later and it only fitted the later, thinner version so at present I'm frantically scouring reference books to see which cars originally had it. There's no reference at all in my early Parts Manual but this one came off a 1967 1200 and the only photo I've managed to find so far shows one on the padded dash setup. As Pete and Martin have already said there was no cover for the bulb itself.

[Colin Lindsay]

That took a few trips up a ricketty ladder and more than one coffee but I found the bit I needed.

Pre 1963 cars had a solid interior light made of metal, and a cardboard surround shaped for the heavier switch - top one in the photo.

Post 1963 cars with the padded dashboards had a metal surround but a much flimsier light unit. The switch does not turn as far hence the smaller cutout. Behind this the cover was just stapled in place. As with all dates I use them sparingly as there were some 1964 cars with the earlier setup, but as always that's registration date rather than build date.

 

 

[Pete Lewis]

someone went to a lot of trouble designing such a nasty bit of illumination

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

It's above the ashtray so the gentleman smoker could see where his ash was going.

[Bordfunker]

Colin that’s brilliant, thanks for going to the trouble of digging that out.

Mine is a 68, so I’ll need to try and make up a new one in sheet steel, or alternatively go up market and make one out of wood and veneer it to match the dash.

Thanks again.

Karl