Maybe a useful tip for restorers? My 1929 Lucas R47 headlamps needed full restoration, with new clear glasses to replace the diffuser ones(cut to pattern by a local glazier for £3.60!)and in particular new lamp-holders, which had been broken and badly repaired. I noticed that Auto Electric Supplies listed "Repair Single Pole Bulb Holders", catalogue no.132014, at £5.33, which I thought might fit into the original flange at the back of the reflector. This proved to be exactly so, and after twisting and pulling out the old bulb holders, the new ones went snugly in after relieving the flange slightly, after which the projecting skirt of the holder was carefully peened over from the reflector side using the end of a suitable ring-spanner, making a really solid job. Auto Electric also supply double pole versions if you are using a double-filament dipping system.

Good evening all. What Robin has bought are BA15s bulb holders. The significance of the 15 is that it refers to 15mm which was the international standard diameter of the brass part of many of the bulbs produced from early in the 20th century. The 's' refers to the pins on the bulbs being level, 'd' refers to offset pins used for twin filament bulbs.
On the subject of R47's I currently have some for sale, please email for details.
Regards from the creative county.
Stuart

Location: Staffordshire

I really hesitate to contradict you on anything concerning lights, Stuart, but my understanding is that BA15s is a 15mm holder for bulbs with only a single non-earth connection on the base of the holder and parallel pins; BA15D is the same but with 2 non-earth pins on the base of the holder, a BA15d with offset pins, as in a stop and tail bulb, is a BAY15d.

s= single contact; d= double contact

I await correction from the creative county!

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

Good evening all. I'm happy to be to corrected Ian. Goff's lighting page has an excellent data sheet which covers the range of bulbs and their holders.
I source bulb holders, cable and other sundries from 'Vehicle Wiring Products' in Ilkeston.
Regards from the creative county
Stuart

Location: Staffordshire

Ian is of course correct.

I repaired the bulb holder in my 7" Lucas reflectors (which had been messed about to fit twin filament bulbs) by using the shaped plastic piece out of a 15mm single contact bulb holder from 'Paul Beck', which slid into the reflector tube, held in place with a small worm drive hose clip. Not cheap but effective and almost looks correct, allowing the three position bulb fitting to be still used.
The parking bulb holders had spring loaded fibre discs which were breaking up - careful application of super glue fixed this (very careful ).

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Melbourne, Australia.

That sounds a more ingenious solution altogether, and as you say, the three-position focussing facility would still be usable - if it actually makes much difference? The weak point with these BA15s Lucas R47 headlamp bulb-holders seems to be the little fibre disc which is held in place by tiny brass "ears" and which is constantly under pressure from the spring-loaded terminal that it supports. After 80 years or so, the edges of the disc cannot take the strain any longer and the whole disc is pushed out of its tube. In my lamps, at least the side-lamp holders with little 5W bulbs have survived OK, but as you say, araldite would reinforce the bent and frayed edges. Without wishing to start a red-herring, I might add that with two 36W bulbs, plus four 5W side light and tail lamps, plus the coil ignition, we are talking about over 90W with all the lights on (that is, over 15Amps), which that little dynamo would surely struggle to produce. But after some memorably scary night-time drives in Vintage cars over the years, I'm not planning to enter the Austin for the VSCC night-time Measham Rally!

Hi Robin, Like Stuart, I also have a pair of Restored R47s for sale !!!

Location: Near junc 8 M25