Value of S1 headlight rims and lenses

Note: I am also interested in the logo which several have asked about. The photos really were bad. This logo is etched, not engraved. The logo is hard to read even with a magnifying glass but I can maybe describe it better : The top of the logos a circle comprised of one word around the top, and one around the bottom. The top word is TRIPLEX, the bottom word might be “TOUGHEST” or it could be “TEMPERED”. In a triangular pattern in the center are three "x"s , one on top of two beneath it.
Then there are the letters beneath the circle “TEMG”, or “TEM6”. The bottom of the logo is a heart shape of dotted lines, There is one horizontal dotted line across the heart form side to side, then a lightning bolt-like line from the upper right to the lower left of the heart.That is all.

Can someone please suggest what a friendly price would be for a LH and RH set of chrome headlight rims and lenses? The rims are certainly not concours but are likely driver quality. I believe the lenses are OEM as new, I remember buying them20 years ago, Thanks for suggestions,
Mike Moore


Mike:

I would go to one of the major suppliers like SNG Barrett or Moss Motors and see what they charge for new pieces. I would then price these nice, used pieces at 50% of that.

Good luck,
Alan
N.J.

Thank You Alan. I actually did that, and I also looked at ebay for used ones.
BTW most suppliers get ca $US 300 each for new surrounds and $US 250 each for lenses. It’s hard to imagine that.
Best, Mike Moore

My impression, perhaps incorrect, is that “correct”, factory glass is quite valuable, as it is now in very short supply. IIRC, they should be clearly engraved with a Triplex logo.

Given that there have been some truly awful repro trim rings made over the years, it’s also important to know if the trim rings are real. Some of the repros have the holes in the wrong places, so cannot even be fitted without modifying the bonnet. Not sure how those could be identified other than by fitting them to an unmodified bonnet.

I am suspicious these may be mislocated. I had several sets of headlight rings from three bonnets I got frm Barry’s car and mine and I do recall a bad set. I certainly want to point that out .

I wondered why one of the suppliers is selling brass (unfinsihed) rings with no holes in it for about half cost.He says you can shape it and put the holes where you want.I suspect thats what you do when the car you bought had the fender holes relocated due to bad rims.

That’s fantastic. I wish every fitted chrome part could be purchased this way. Even if your bonnet has never been apart, it’s hit or miss whether new chrome bits line up.

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This afternoon I studied exactly what the logo is which is etched into the glass of my lenses. I have described that in the revision I made to my original post.
I found the logo on page 49 of Thomas Haddocks 1997 edition of " Jaguar E-Type 6/12 cy. Restoration Guide". There are some subtle difference but I think it-is the correct Logo for an early S1 car. Any opinions on value?

Mike this might help decipher the triplex codes

My experience with rare original parts from rare vintage vehicles is that somebody will pay a LOT for originality.
Somebody posted earlier they are half the value of repro from the likes of SNG,:rofl::rofl::rofl:, I’d say at an absolute minimum they are multiples of that figure. You are offering lenses for an expensive vehicle and some people want their’s absolutely correct.
I’d be calling some high end E restorers/builders and trying to buy some, you’ll soon find out market value.

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Thanks Craig for the comment. I own a mildly rare 1962 Chrysler 300H, it’s one of 450 made. I once worked on a legal case with a man whose father owned a dealership and was very familiar with those cars. He casually mentioned one day at lunch that he had a set of Goodrich Blue Steak tires which were take-offs from a new 300H years ago. . He had given me numerous parts which I had shipped as personal baggage from his office in DC to my home in LA. He told me he still had the tires but he had installed them on some of his farm trailers. I decided I did not have any use for them but would find a home for them. Another 300H owner, who was restoring the world’s most authentic 300H bought them from him for $1000.

Whilst that is true ……glass especially needs to be perfect ……without that …mmmm. At the end of the day willing seller and willing buyer will determine a price

If you peruse ebay you’ll find several original Triplex headlight covers for sale at $250-300 apiece. Problem is these pieces have been for sale for months with no takers.

So the question is: do you want to sell these headlight covers quickly? If so, price them aggressively…below $200.

If you want to wait indefinitely for the unicorn buyer who’s going to pay you several hundreds of dollars you’ll need to be very patient.

Good luck,
Alan
N.J.

I have to agree with Danny. For the few original headlight lenses I’ve seen, the glass is not in very good shape. For JCNA judging, we do not judge the logo but we do make deductions for the condition of the glass. Pitted glass is pretty obvious in this location.

The same issue with the rims, most are pretty beat up. If I were to use original rims, I would subsequently have someone that knows what they are doing straighten them out and rechrome them. So add that to your sales price and the reproductions at around $250 each start to look like a good value.

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Much of what is offered for these cars on eBay is overpriced, and some of it is grossly overpriced. Used original parts are the most outrageous but even new generic items are subject to the “Jaguar premium”. As an example, I recently rebuilt the brakes on my XK120 and in the process replaced the large and small copper washers at the four corners - p/n C3925 and C3926, six each of either size, twelve total. Purchased from SNG for the combined price of $16.56, which I assume reflects a healthy markup. They were part of a $70 order so shipping was free.

The same 12 washers purchased on eBay will set you back $60 plus $5 shipping, so nearly four times.

I’ll buy spares on eBay only as a last resort.

Thanks Alan. I agree.
Mike

I stocked up a few years ago with E Bay lineup components for my 62 Chrysler. I was able to get OEM spark plugs no longer available and OEM Naders in the USA ignition points. I skipped condensers because of bad luck with old condensers. I actually paid less than currently available parts for the car which may well be inferior. Mike Moore

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Harvey, are you referring to the lenses and rims in my photos or other ones you have sold. I could not discern pits in my glass but if you did that’s important that I know that (I do have vision problems).I originally expected the buyer of my rims and lenses to be buying them for a driver. Thanks for yur comments, Mike Moore

Mike, no, I wasn’t referring specifically to yours. The pits/blems I am talking about probably wouldn’t show up via regular photography. If yours are indeed blem free, I think that would increase their value quite a bit.

Oh how I wish I hadn’t chucked my original glass headlight covers from 1967 when I moved to a new home in 1995. I had obtained NOS replacements in 1986 and put the originals on display in my “showplace” garage, but tossed the suckers when, newly married with wife and infants, we moved to a new home, as they seemed worthless with all the nicks and dings from the car’s prior history. Sigh…

You drive that sucker enough?

:wink: