We ask them so you don’t have to

General

A:  Some people are interested in tail lights in the same way that others are interested in hood ornaments, baseball cards and stamp collecting.  Others buy and sell them at swap meets and on eBay.  Those who can properly identify them can buy them cheap from those who can’t, and sell them at a profit to those who want them for hot rods or restoration projects. 

Q:  Are you connected to the Taillight King in any way?

A:  Our sites are linked but we have no commercial relationship. 

Q:  Are you selling anything?

A:  Not here.  But we do have an eBay account and may sell things there from time to time. 

Q:  Why limit coverage to 1930-1970? 

A:  We have no information about earlier codes and am not much interested in later ones, but some of the information here is applicable to later years. 

Q:  Why no foreign cars? 

A:  We're not interested in most of them, but we have included American-made lenses for European cars in the aftermarket pages. 

OEM Codes

Q:  What does OEM mean?

A:  “Original equipment manufacturer,” i.e. a company that makes lenses for an automaker.  OEM lenses are essentially the same as those on new vehicles. 

Q:  Why not just list every OEM code instead of focusing on the key digits and letters?

A:  Because this site is about learning to recognize codes, and to understand what they mean.  Listing them all wouldn’t help with that.  Besides, we don't have all the codes; possibly no one does.  So why list all the aftermarket numbers?  Well, we haven't done that yet, but we're trying.  There are too many to ignore and no other way to cover them. 

Aftermarket Numbers

Q:  What does aftermarket mean?

A:  Literally, “after original purchase,” meaning after purchase of a new vehicle.  Aftermarket lenses were sold by independent garages, auto parts stores and collision repair shops at lower prices than OEM.  Those made of glass are often of simpler design than OEM and may vary in style and color from one brand to another.  Those made of plastic are more like OEM, though again may vary in color. 

Q:  Where did the numbers come from?

A:  Many are from eBay sellers; some are from the Taillight King, craigslist and other listings on the web; a few are from lenses we have.  The Do-Ray numbers are mostly from a 1965 catalog. 

Q:  Why are there duplicate numbers?

A:  Three reasons:  (1) Different brands use different and overlapping numbering systems.  (2) Glo-Brite uses the same number for different lenses--one might be for a Ford tail light, the other for a Chevy parking light.  (3) Others, as well as Glo-Brite, often use one number for the lens and another for the box it comes in, and the number for the lens may be the same as another lens’s box.  The Taillight King often lists both numbers but doesn’t say which is which, and eBay sellers usually list only the box number, which may or may not be the same as the lens number.  Also, Dietz and others repackage Glo-Brite lenses and put their own numbers on the boxes.  Even Mopar (Chrysler) boxes can contain Glo-Brite lenses.  We've seen several such boxes that had Glo-Brite lenses for Fords in them.  Confusing?  Yes, so to cover all the bases we’ve listed all the numbers regardless of source, and will leave it to you to discover the right one for your lens.  Maybe someday we’ll get them all sorted out. 

Q:  What are the little green check marks and orange squares all about?

A:  They are an attempt to sort out the lens numbers and box numbers.  (See previous Q&A.)  A number gets a check mark if we see it on a lens or if we can infer it from another lens.  A number gets a square if we see it on a box and see a different number on the lens, or if we can infer it from another box.  We may eventually delete all the box numbers, or at least move them to another page if anyone has a use for them.  So if you have a lens with a box number on it, we'd love to hear about it.  Otherwise, it will be bye, bye box number. 

If you aren't seeing the check marks and squares, you might not be seeing everything else the way it's supposed to look--not that it's all that great, but try switching to Compatibility View. 

Q:  Which number do I look for if my lens has more than one? 

A:  Look for all of them.  One may be a box number or an alternate number of some kind, but either way it’s probably listed here, and if it isn’t you can always email us. 

Q:  What if my number is for a different brand than the one on your list? 

A:  Different brands sometimes use the same number for the same lens (wouldn't it be nice if they all did?) so it might be worth trying our brand's number at the Taillight King site.  If that doesn’t work you can email us, which we would appreciate your doing anyway so we can add your brand and number to our list.  Same with unknown brands. 

Q:  What does TMC stand for? 

A:  We don’t know, but we wouldn’t worry about it.  The digits are more important. 

Email

If all else fails

Don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it, but please do your homework first.  Read the instructions, try the exercises, check the OEM code tables and aftermarket pages, read the FAQs above.  If you still need help, send us an email at russelld47@sbcglobal.net.  Note:  This address is not for the Taillight King.  To buy something from the King, please go here:  Taillight King.