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This site is non-commercial.  The items described here are not for sale. 
Welcome!  This is your place for deciphering tail light and parking light lens codes for American cars, light trucks and motorcycles made between 1930 and 1970.
Identify lenses from GM, Ford, Chrysler, AMC, Harley-Davidson, Indian, and aftermarket brands such as Glo-Brite, K-D Triflex, Lynx-Eye, Ser-Do, and Yankee.  
What's covered here 
 
  • Tail lights, parking lights, backup lights, and license plate lights. 
  • OEM (original equipment manufacturer) lenses. 
  • Period aftermarket (replacement) lenses. 
  • American (and Canadian) cars, light trucks and motorcycles from 1930 to 1970. 

What's not covered here 

 

  • Headlights and interior lights. 
  • Imported vehicles. 
  • Heavy trucks, tractors, trailers and buses. 
  • Vehicles newer than 1970. 

This information is very general.  It will tell you the year, make and in many cases the model that your lens will fit, but it will not tell you every year, every make or every model.  You should use other sources of information such as the Taillight King and Google Image Search to find the specific application for your lens and to aid in your identification.  Consider this site as a starting point for your investigation. 

 

 

Step 1.  Find Your Lens Code 
 
Examine your lens for a code of two to five letters, or a combination of letters and numbers, two of which are the last two digits of the year.  Look on the gasket surface if you can't find anything on the outside of the lens. 
 
General Motors OEM codes from 1941-up start with the word Guide, which is a GM brand.  The first digit indicates the make (1 for Chevrolet, 2 for Pontiac, etc.)  Other digits indicate the model and/or year.  Go to GM Charts to see how this works. 
 
            GUIDE R-1      GUIDE R-58      GUIDE R4-53  
            GUIDE R3-57A      GUIDE 16 SAE STD 69 
 
Other OEM codes, including GM prior to 1941, start with the first letter or letters of the make (CHEV for Chevrolet, F for Ford, PLY for Plymouth, etc.) or with two digits representing the year, followed by the first letters of the make or model.  Go to Ford Charts and Chrysler Charts to see how those codes work.  Some early codes look like acronyms, though the letters probably don't mean anything. 
 
 
            CHEVLITE      FRST-55      PLYBI      ARBO  
            SAE TSDB 62 FD      SAE STD B 64 D  
            NU      PAP      DELO      TEACO 
 
Aftermarket numbers aren't really codes (you can't decipher them without a parts list) but we'll treat them as codes here for convenience.  Many are just two or three digits, but some have letters before or after the digits.  Glo-Brite codes may start with the letters TMC; Do-Ray and Ser-Do codes may start with the first two or three letters of the make.  Brand names or code letters may not appear on some lenses. 
 
            GRIFFIN 82      K-D TRIFLEX 265      LYNX-EYE T-337  
            GLO-BRITE TMC-2205      FO-146      SER-DO CH-216  
 
Key digits and letters are shown in BLUE above.  These will tell you the make and model of the vehicle your lens will fit and will point you in the right direction if you need to do more research.  We'll put them to use in Step 2, but first...  
 
 
Part numbers and SAE codes can be ignored.  Part numbers are usually about seven or eight digits, and mean nothing unless you have a parts manual.  SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) codes may contain information about lens function or placement, but are useless for identification, except that the two digits at the end of the code indicate the year.  (Year codes on aftermarket lenses cannot be trusted, however.  See Tips and trivia below.) 
 
            Part number:  5959638 
SAE code and year (bold):  SAE STD C 68  
 
Also...  
 
 
 
Step 2.  Identify Your Lens 
 

OEM.  If your lens is Guide or Guidex, refer to Table 1 GM Guide/Guidex.  For all others, including GM prior to 1941, refer to Table 2 All Others. 

 

  • Look in Column (a) for your key digits or letters.  
  • Find the format in Column (b) that most resembles your code.  Note:  The Xs (Table 2 only) and #s represent other letters and numbers that may occur in your code.  They are not the actual letters and numbers.  Yours will be different. 
  • Verify that the range of years in Column (c) includes your year code if your lens has one. 
  • Bingo!  Your make and model are in Column (d).  See the bottom of the table for notes in Column (e) that may apply.  Use Google Image Search or the Taillight King to confirm your ID. 

Aftermarket.  Refer to Aftermarket Numbers 1-200, 201-400, 401-700, 701-1000, or 1000-up.  Look for your key digits, then for the format that most resembles yours.  Don't be distracted by code letters like T or B or TMC that may or may not occur, but do note letters on Do-Ray and Ser-Do lenses that indicate the make (CH, FO, PL, etc.)  Use Google Image Search or the Taillight King to confirm your ID.  

 
 
Try These Exercises  
 
Exercise 1 
 
Say you have a lens marked GUIDE 16 SAE STD 69.  You'll refer to Table 1, and look for the key digits 1 and 6 (they look like the number sixteen but are really separate digits), then you'll look for the code format that most resembles yours.  Guide 16 SAE...## works.  The ellipses (...) indicate the SAE code, which you can ignore, and ## indicates the year.  Your year (69) falls within the range (1965-up) in which this format was used, so your lens is for a 1969 Chevrolet.  The first digit (1) means Chevrolet, the second (6) means full-size, which can be either Impala or Caprice.  A visit to the Taillight King will probably tell you which one it is.  
 
Exercise 2 
 
Now say your lens is marked FRST-55.  It’s not Guide, so you'll refer to Table 2 and look for a format that starts with the key letter F.  FRST is a perfect match.  The range of years (1949-61) includes your year (55) so your lens is for a 1955 Ford. 
 
The notes say you have a F(ord) R(ear) S(top) T(urn) lens--in other words, a tail light that also functions as a brake light and turn signal.  If it had been marked FPT-55, it would be a F(ord) P(arking) T(urn) lens.  If it had been marked MRST-55 it would be for a Mercury; if it had been marked LRST-55 it would be for a Lincoln.  It could be for a Ford truck, so you may want to do more research, but to save you the trouble, it's for a car. 
 
Exercise 3  
 
Suppose your lens is marked PLYBI.  You'll refer to Table 2, and look for a format that starts with P or PL or PLY.  The closest match is PLYXX, and the range of years is 1949-61.  It's for a Plymouth.  The letters BI don't mean anything if you don't have a parts manual, but fortunately you have the Taillight King instead, where you'll discover your lens is for a 1957 Plymouth station wagon. 
 
Incidentally, AMC and most independent codes before 1962 are also of this "alphabet soup" variety.  Exceptions include Studebaker (mostly aphanumeric after WWII) and International (mostly numeric).  
 
Exercise 4 
 
Finally, suppose you have an aftermarket lens like Glo-Brite 564 (or GB-564, PT-564, T-564, or TMC-564--the letters don't matter for what you're doing).  You'll look in the aftermarket pages and probably find two or three possibilities:  1955-56 Pontiac, 1960-61 Rambler, and maybe a third or a fourth.  Then you'll do a Google image search or go to the Taillight King and look for a picture. 
 
You needn't be concerned if the King doesn't have your number.  He may have a different brand, or he may have an OEM lens.  That's not important.  What is important is the picture.  If it looks like the one here, it's for a 1960-61 Rambler Custom, Super or Classic.  
 
If this same lens had been Do-Ray or Ser-Do, it would be marked RA-102, and the letters would matter because they would tell you it's for a Rambler.  If it had been marked PO-103, it would be for the aforementioned Pontiac.  
 
 
Tips and Trivia  
 
Helpful hints and marginally useful information: 
  • Most Guide and Guidex lenses are for General Motors vehicles, but some are for other makes.  If you can't find your Guide code in Table 1, try Table 2. 
  • Studebaker codes in the late-40s and 50s use a letter/number/letter or number/letter/letter format.  Examples: T6C, T9G-6, T14A, 3HD, 5HT.  Look for these in Table 2. 
  • SAE STD B doesn't mean Studebaker, as is often assumed. 
  • On Guide and Guidex lenses, don't confuse the key digits (make and model) with the year code.  For example, Guide 68 SAE STD C 65 is for a 1965 Cadillac, not 1968.  See the GM code charts to learn how this works. 
  • Many aftermarket lenses have SAE codes as well as aftermarket numbers.  The year codes on these lenses cannot be trusted.  Glo-Brite 321, for example, is marked SAE STD B 60, but is actually for a 1957 Ford. 
  • A few OEM lenses have codes that look like aftermarket numbers.  You'll find them in the aftermarket pages with a note indicating they are actually OEM.   
  • Automakers went from glass to plastic lenses in the early-1950s.  If your lens is glass, and it doesn't have a year code, it's probably 1953 or earlier. 
  • If your parking light lens is amber, it's 1963 or later, unless it's aftermarket.  Some aftermarket lenses were made in both clear and amber versions.   
  • Bezels, buckets and housings may have codes that are very similar to lens codes.  This also applies to headlight bezels, etc. which may have the letter H indicating function. 
  • 1970s and later codes are similar to those of the 60s, but they're harder to spot among the DOT codes and part numbers that were added over the years.  Also, the letters for model names are different, and GM has gone back to a number/letter format.  But Ford is still F, Dodge is still D, and Chevrolet is still #1, in codes at least. 

  

Make and Model Minefield 
 
The make and model names on on this site are those given by the automakers rather than the popular, but sometimes inaccurate, names used by hobbyists.  Thus, LaSalles are not called "Cadillac LaSalles" nor are Edsels called "Ford Edsels." Also, 1955-75 Imperials are not "Chrysler Imperials," 1959-58 Continentals are not "Lincoln Continentals," and 1957-65 Ramblers are neither "Nash Ramblers" nor "AMC Ramblers."  Conversely, LaFayettes are "Nash LaFayettes," but only from 1937-40, and Terraplanes are "Hudson Terraplanes," but only from 1938-39.  This subject can be a minefield even for experts, so here's a cross reference guide to get the rest of us through it: 
 
             
  Make and Model Names Cross Reference  1930-1970  
  (Not comprehensive)        
             
  Name See Also   Name See Also  
  AMC Rambler (1957-65)   Lincoln Continental (1956-58)  
  Buick Marquette (1930)   Mercury Meteor (Canada 1949-61; 1964-76)  
  Cadillac LaSalle (1927-40)     Comet (1960-61)  
  Chrysler Imperial (1955-75)   Nash LaFayette (1934-36)  
  Comet Mercury Comet (1962-77)     Rambler (1957-65)  
  Continental Lincoln Continental (1959-up)   Oldsmobile Viking (1929-31)  
  Ford Monarch (Canada 1946-61)   Packard Clipper (1956)  
    Edsel (1958-60)   Plymouth Valiant (US 1960, Canada 1960-66)  
    Fronentac (Canada 1960)   Pontiac Oakland (1909-31)  
  Hudson Essex (1919-31)     Acadian (Canada 1962-71)  
    Essex-Terraplane (1932)     Beaumont (Canada 1966-69)  
    Terraplane (1933-37)   Rambler Nash Rambler (1950-56)  
    Rambler (1957-65)     Hudson Rambler (1954-56)  
  Imperial Chrysler Imperial (1926-54)     AMC (1966-69)  
  Kaiser Henry J (1951-54)   Studebaker Rockne (1931-33)  
  LaFayette Nash LaFayette (1937-40)   Terraplane Hudson Terraplane (1938-39)  
             
             

Auburn, Crosley, Frazer, Graham, Hudson, Hupmobile, Kaiser, LaFayette, LaSalle, Nash, Packard, Pierce-Arrow, Rambler, REO, Studebaker, Terraplane, Willys
 

This site is not affiliated with the Taillight King.  To contact the King, please go here:  Taillight King Website. 
For reciprocal linking, suggestions or corrections, or help with tail light codes, email:  russelld47@gmail.com.  
 
If you have a lens to identify: 
  • Send a picture. 
  • Mention all names, numbers and letters, including any on the gasket surface.  
  • Say whether it's glass or plastic. 
  • State the diameter if it's round. 
  • Allow a few days for a reply. 
No guaranty of accuracy is expressed or implied.  Do your own research.  
 
Pictures are from various sources on the web.  If you claim ownership and object to their use here, send an email.  They will be cheerfully removed.  
Design and contents copyright © 2008, 2009 by russelld47.  Reuse for commercial puposes is prohibited without written authorization.