M35A2 -Clear Dashboard Light Cover Lenses

[saddamsnightmare]

HEY GUYS! I missed your answers on my looking for a supply source for two new dashboard light covers with clear lenses instead of the red.
The eyes aren't what they used to be twenty five years ago, and the red light on the speedo face just isn't making it for me. Saturn Surplus used to have them, but they are currently out of stock, so I need two clear lenses & covers if anyone knows where I can get them.
I am also looking for one or two useable convoy flashers and wiring/posts, etc fo my Desert Storm deuce, and I also need a source for four windshield bracket arm screws for my driver's sash, as I have the arms and no screws.

IF ANY OF YOU ARE COMING THROUGH PARIS,TEXAS with your military trucks, come visit the Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site, 812 S. Church Street, Paris, TX 75462, open 0800-1700 daily, tours free before January 1st, 2008. Also next year I am looking for restored MVP to arrange several WW2 and Military Vehicle display days on a Saturday or Sunday here as part of the programs relating to the house and nearby Camp Maxey. Call me at : (903)758-5716, ask for the Curator, Kyle F. McGrogan.

Thanks Much, Have a safe and Happy Christmas and New Years,

Sincerely,

Kyle F. McGrogan

owner:
1971 Kaiser Jeep M35A2 Wo/W
1963 Swiss Unimog 404.114

 

[Westech]

only seen green and red covers.. sorry

 

[m16ty]

Clear lense covers may screw with your night vision and make it harder to see the road than it is now. I agree the red light dosen't luminate the gauges very well but I don't know if clear is the answer. My m715 has red but they are not painted over on the outside. Seems to work better than my m35a2 that only shine behind the dash.

 

[Recovry4x4]

You can mod the red ones by drilling small holes in them radially. Allows some extra light to come out.

 

[alphadeltaromeo]

...or just get an external (colored) LED light that will illuminate the dash better. It could also be used (if flexible) to light up a document/map, etc...not while night driving though of course...

 

[cranetruck]

This has been a bit of a problem for me too, since day one of owning the deuce.
Here are my partial solutions:

1) Clean all light passages on the instruments
2) Use 1/8 inch spacers to move the light fixtures a little further into the dash, so that the bulb filament is not hidden.
3) Use a bulb which has its filament closer to the base, such as #356
4) Use 14 volt bulbs in a pinch and keep "DIM" position out of the bright position.
5) Replacing red caps with more clear red ones (I have seen dark and clear red).
6) Drilling holes in red lens to get much brighter light beams on the instruments. The xm757 truck came with the lenses already drilled (see image)!
7) Keeping a flashlight handy works for everything, kind of like Andy's suggestion above.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

December 14th, 2007.

Thanks gentlemen, I'll give the suggestions a try and see how they work out.

I remain,Sincerely,
Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[sermis]

They do make a clear lens. I picked up one a couple weeks ago. It was in a control switch panel for a water purification unit of some type. The cover is like the high beam indicator but is clear and the back side that screws in is clear. It uses a red bulb.

 

[sermis]

Here is a pic of the clear lens and red bulb.

 

[WillWagner]

Steve, got any more of BOTH the bulb and cover? PM me if you do.

 

[sermis]

That is the only one I have. If I get more I will let you know.

 

[jimk]

I cut 2 slots with diegrinder and burr. Two 1/2"-1/4" towers support the threaded section. Those towers can line up with steel part in gage so you can get 90% red light to 90% white with a 90* turn of cap. I'll update post w/pic.JimK

 

[cranetruck]

Tested the #356 light bulbs for the dash and they work very well, even illumination on all instruments.
The lower location of the filament puts the light source in line with the openings in the instruments....clear lenses would be perfect.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

August 22nd, 2008.

Dear Cranetruck......

I'll give the #356 bulb a try, as it is, I can read the tachometer really well and the speedo not so well, but since January 2008 I've put 4,500 miles on her, so I have a good idea what RPM's in what gear equals what MPH...... KUDO's for the research, but I still think we oughta twist one of the suppliers arms to come up with clear, light blue or light green gauge lamp cover castings..... 1948 style illumination just plain sucks sometimes, and the older I get.... the worse it gets.
Thanks for posting you results.... I'm indebted for the kindness as always....


Sincerely,

Kyle F. McGrogan

1971 Kaiser Jeep M35A2 Wo/W "Saddam's Nightmare" Desert Storm and Vietnam Veteran Deuce
1968 Johnson Corp M105A2 Cargo Trailer
1967 Hercules MEP023A Gas Gen-Set APU
1963 Swiss Army Cargo Unimog, S.404.114 MB (plain white numbers front lighted guages- still weak lighting(As always brought to you by MB and the Swiss Army!!!).

 

[tmbrwolf]

The parts book shows clear lenses come on the newer HMMWV's, they use a green LED setup with it, don't know how available they are aftermarket.

 

[saddamsnightmare]

August 23rd, 2008.

Dear TMBRWOLF:

Thanks for the input.... I'll fish around and see what I can turn up.... The NAPA guy wants $25.00 for a box of ten (10) #356 bulbs.... I can use maybe three with the air shift light.....the other 7 will be lifetime spares to be sure... TMBERWOLF's got me thinking.. I wonder if there's and LED replacement for the #356 bulb that would be green or white (if I could get the clear covers....). The Unimog uses black gauges with white numerals edge lighted with white bulbs (and none too bright ones either).... more like older locomotives and tractors.... So white light in small amounts isn't that bad... and we're not running night ops with blackout conditions much.....

Thanks again,

Sincerely,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[cranetruck]

Got the 356 bulbs from bulbdirect.com and cost me $6.30 for ten plus shipping...they put out more light than the 1829 types and the life expectancy isn't very long, so I'm keeping my extras.

LED type lights may be more complicated to regulate intensity wise.

 

[emr]

I keep a flash light on the seat facing the panel, works just fine for me... ...I guess I just like things original, but love the other ideas also...

 

[rmgill]

Newark.com is also a good source for odd type bulbs in voltages other than 24 volts.

 

[bulldog_mack13]

Kyle,
Hey buddy , go with red. I have 3 in my duece now and they are great! White ones can be found on ebay if you wanted to go that route, I paid 3.00 for my red ones. - Jay , Katie , and the Col.