At the AMCA Dessau 2005 meet my 1935 VDS was judged and the rap sheet was long as the Nordic winter. The taillight housing was painted black as I believed it always had been, which the judges noted as a deduction of points. After all we decided not to cut it up to a chopper, but re-restore it. The rivets holding the cups were removed on both the bike and the sidecar.
The cups could now be examined on the table. There is no trace of chromium anywhere only bare metal not even surface rust. (the bike has been sort of taken care of since new, no basket or junkyard find).
The sidecar light unit is salvaged from a '37 UL, which was in original paint 1969. We also disassembled a third taillight I found at a swap in Spain. There was no sign of chromium there either, but that could have come out of a military bike or something. I understand that the Servicars did not have chrome taillight housings. Also, a buddy has a '37 WL, and that had no visible chrome in 1968 when he bought it in original unrestored condition.
My questions are: Could it be that some export bikes (to Finland) did not have chrome?
Or were the taillight units plated together with the painted license bracket riveted so no chrome would enter the backside of the cup and no chrome would stick to the bracket?
If I get some support for black taillight housings, I'd like to keep them so, as the bike has a special history and I try to change it as little as possible.
Regards,
Fiskis
The cups could now be examined on the table. There is no trace of chromium anywhere only bare metal not even surface rust. (the bike has been sort of taken care of since new, no basket or junkyard find).
The sidecar light unit is salvaged from a '37 UL, which was in original paint 1969. We also disassembled a third taillight I found at a swap in Spain. There was no sign of chromium there either, but that could have come out of a military bike or something. I understand that the Servicars did not have chrome taillight housings. Also, a buddy has a '37 WL, and that had no visible chrome in 1968 when he bought it in original unrestored condition.
My questions are: Could it be that some export bikes (to Finland) did not have chrome?
Or were the taillight units plated together with the painted license bracket riveted so no chrome would enter the backside of the cup and no chrome would stick to the bracket?
If I get some support for black taillight housings, I'd like to keep them so, as the bike has a special history and I try to change it as little as possible.
Regards,
Fiskis
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