Lucas 104

[1985 CCX]

Just sent an email!

Hope I am not too late....

[LMH]

You're not too late Jeff! Glad you like it Roger!
Club Cobra, with its issues, isn't getting it done anymore! I couldn't even find the thread until you guys posted on it! it sure is aggravating!

Larry

[Armrer]

Roger,

Glad you like the final products, and thanks for the kind words. A LOT of work went into doing these right. We'll either do an EXACT repro, or we won't bother.

A shame this website is so neglected, a disservice to all the loyal readers and contributors.

[1985 CCX]

Jeff

Glad we touched base.
We can communicate via email as it may be easier

Jeff

[1985 CCX]

Looking forward to this repop,

The piece is very nice, slightly off scale from originals I have but close in the sense perfect for use.
Unless side by side, very nice repop!

[Ivygreen65]

Got my stem from Jeff today. Great piece and well constructed. Unfortunately, it revealed that I have a mirror that isn’t anywhere close to the correct size. Does anyone make an accurate reproduction?

[1985 CCX]

Local hardware store then paint backside with black crinkle finish

[Armrer]

Originally Posted by 1985 CCX

Looking forward to this repop,

The piece is very nice, slightly off scale from originals I have but close in the sense perfect for use.
Unless side by side, very nice repop!

Jeff,

Please explain the ‘slightly off scale’. Curious if you could post a side by side compario of the OE Lucas part and the one I sent you.

[1985 CCX]

Originally Posted by Armrer

Jeff,

Please explain the ‘slightly off scale’. Curious if you could post a side by side compario of the OE Lucas part and the one I sent you.

Jeff

Please do not take as a slight. Just when I put the original next to the repop its slightly smaller.

For pics I gotta go takem, I'll try after work today.

[Armrer]

Originally Posted by 1985 CCX

Jeff

Please do not take as a slight. Just when I put the original next to the repop its slightly smaller.

For pics I gotta go takem, I'll try after work today.

No slight taken. I’d like to determine the origin of your original. When Lynn Park asked me to do these, he loaned me several from his collection. They were all the same, ( I even checked El Cid, Dirtbag, etc) for continuity. That’s what we modeled, and produced. I have a few dimensions for you to check when you get them side by side in a photo.

[1985 CCX]

Ok I did my best to depict in photos.
Trying to upload, none will take? Regardless of size.
I'll email... Jeff

Not a duplication specialist, maybe the mold was made 100% accurate and the finished unit 98% scaled? Ever so smaller....

My posts came from the folks mentioned and some others. Don't want to inundate them with requests as they are friends and in business.

[Armrer]

Originally Posted by 1985 CCX

Ok I did my best to depict in photos.
Trying to upload, none will take? Regardless of size.
I'll email... Jeff

Not a duplication specialist, maybe the mold was made 100% accurate and the finished unit 98% scaled? Ever so smaller....

My posts came from the folks mentioned and some others. Don't want to inundate them with requests as they are friends and in business.

Standing by for your email.

[1985 CCX]

Standing by on the skinny?
Jeff, the suspense is eating me up....

[Armrer]

Originally Posted by 1985 CCX

Standing by on the skinny?
Jeff, the suspense is eating me up....

Jeff, check your email. Larry (LMH) will post pix tomorrow; D
I’ll supply the facts when the pix go up.

[LMH]

Ok, so here's some photos comparing an original Lucas 104 post and one of our replicated 104 posts. When we started, three original 104 posts and two 103 were compared to make sure they were like each other.
In the photos, the one marked with the yellow tape is mine and is the original post that came on CSX2442. It was not one used for the replication process, so this is a first time comparison.

1:


2:


3:


4:


5:


6:


7:


8:


Larry

[Armrer]

Thanks for posting the pix, Larry. Here's some info on the Lucas #104 cowl mirror assembly:

Jeff Gagnon purchased one of our #104 mirror stems and compared it to an original he had, and found a slight size difference.

Since all of the original OE samples we had came from Lynn Park, and after checking the ones on his cars (Chad Everett's CSX 289, Dirtbag, etc for the #104, El Cid, etc for the #103) and all matched, Lynn suggested that's what we go with. More comparisons with CSX 2472 & 3151 (427 narrow hip street car, history known since new).. all the same, no difference.

The pix above in the comparison show the OE #104 from CSX 2442, and ours. The OE mirror stem has the yellow tape around it for ID. As you can see, pretty much identical. Within a few thou all around.

But Jeff's OE stem was marked as a #104, but was slightly oversized, his comment as posted earlier in this thread. He sent pix to me, sure enough.. a difference. He got the part from Lynn Park as well, more puzzling. Then I caught something in the close-up pic he sent yesterday of the base. A '75' marking in the base the others don't have. It's to the left of the 'Lucas No 104'. All the markings inside the base are not as deep as the others we used for 3D modeling.

That got me thinking about the die cast mold Lucas had in production all those years. The #104 was an off-the-shelf Lucas item used on a few cars, and probably popular at one time. So here's a possible explanation, not proven but likely. Die casting material is Zamak, aluminum and zinc.. 'pot metal' to most people. It's very abrasive to the mold, so mold life is limited compared to say, plastic injection molds. Since the cavity was marked '75', I think that was the year the mold was overhauled. The slide, locks, etc. were probably shot and they repaired them to carry on, instead of replacing the mold. That would explain the slightly larger size, as they worked out any pitting and re-polished the cavity. That would explain the shallow engraving on the slide that forms the cavity inside the base.

Again, just a theory based on die-cast production reality. And the Brits never threw anything away : D

Dan, feel free to add to this : )

[LMH]

A couple other pics. This is Jeffs (1985 CCX) 104 post. Note the "75" on the base. Since Lucas 104 posts were used in other cars, Lucas would have produced these later than Cobra time frame.

[LMH]

CSX2472:


CSX2472 and CSX3151:


Larry

[jolsen42]

Great representative color with the green one.

I've tried to replicate csx2367 which is the same color (as is mine). I've ordered these from Jeff and can't wait to get them. You know it's incredible the amount of money that I've spent on a replica, but that's what an old man with no life does.

One question , can I use the existing mirror that I have from my repro?

John O

[jolsen42]

Whoops, double post.