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To "Marchal" or not to "Marchal"

mmarsalone

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2004
Messages
324
Location
New Orleans, LA
Before I start a search for the elusive Marchal fog lights, I would ask for you gurus to let me know whether my car should have them. My sequential number is 147881 and my car was built on 03/04/68. It was bucked on 2/29 and sold on 3/21 according to my Marti Report. Would this car have had Marchals from the factory or Lucas? If it came from the factory with Marchals, would they have been changed to Lucas at the dealer before it was sold. I like the Marchals and would like to go with them, but I also want it to be correct.

And here's a thought, I wonder what the Ford dealers did with all of the Marchals that were replaced by the recall...............?

Thanks,
Mike
 

68sunlitgold

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
1,357
Mike,
The swap to Marchals happened in April and since your car was built in March, it came from Ford with Marchal lights. As for who changed them depends on when the car was purchased. If it was still at the dealer when the change happened, the dealer would do the switch, if it had been purchased with the Marchal lights a recall notice was sent to the owner and he brought it in to the dealer for the switch. This is why some still have Marchal lights, the owners did not bring them back to the dealer for the recall.

I have purchased a set of Marchals and plan to do the switch during my resorations. I too like the look of the Marchals over Lucas (but that is just my opinion).

Doug
 

68gt390

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
Messages
2,021
Location
Columbus, Ohio
I agree with Doug. The Marchal lights just look so much better the way they just seem to float in the grille. Nothing against the Lucas lights, I just don't like the pedestals. My car had the lucas when I bought it but, I switched back to the Marchal's when I put in the new grille and trim pieces. It's very hard to find them on ebay not priced sky high. I bought mine from Orlando Mustang. If you can find a set of used housings, they will give you a pretty good deal on an exchange set that are refurbished. I bought a new NOS set priced at $850.00 and that was without exchange.
Contact Pete Geisler at 1-407-688-1966. From what I was able to find out Orlando Mustang was the only folks that had them. http://orlandomustang.com/restoration.html

Don :D
 

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Sarge

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 22, 2002
Messages
333
Location
Folsom, CA
I bought my "replacement Marchals" from Hans in the Netherlands. Seems that they used them on some french cars or something else... I have since "lost the link" (having replaced home computers a couple of times) but do recall that I posted it to Doug, who responded to it on this site. Cost was $650 if I recall correctly, and they are beautiful, new, and with correct bulbs.
Good Luck,
Robert
PS: If I had a car which "could" have been manufactured with those lights, I would certainly replace them, as I love the "floating look" versus the "pedastal look", but that is my personal preference........ To each his/her own.
 

Talan423

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 29, 2002
Messages
222
i believe that this is his website... http://www.italparts.com/

he doesn't update the site very often, so his prices and stock might have changed some, but i do know that he is a very good source and a good guy to deal with.

hope this helps
tom
 

68sunlitgold

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2002
Messages
1,357
Tom is correct,
Italparts.com is the website, I found this about 5 years ago and purchased a NOS set of Marchal lights for $350, I thought is was a great deal. His name is Hans, and he is very good to work with, if he does not have a set have him look for some and he will emial you once he finds them. He may also have replacement lenses (if any of you are looking).

On a side note, he also has 653 lenses that are not correct for the GT/CS but look identical and from 5 feet away you will not be able to tell the difference, as a matter of fact I bet most judges could not tell the difference. So ask him about them if he is out of 656's. Don't forget to ask him about bulbs too. And for those who use Lucas lights, he does car them sometimes and does have NOS covers (or did about a year ago).

Good luck and email soon because they go fast!

Doug
 
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mmarsalone

mmarsalone

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2004
Messages
324
Location
New Orleans, LA
Thanks guys, I had found that website here in the past and had checked it out. I guess I'll be calling or emailing Hans soon.

Thanks again,
Mike
 

PFSlim

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2004
Messages
1,546
Location
Weatherby Lake, MO
We have decided to Marchal. Due to pure luck and a good friend, it has allowed us to find a set of Marchals.

We like the look of the Marchals so much more. Not that there is anything wrong with the Lucus, just like look of the floating lights. For us, it meant upgrading to a new grill but in the end, I think the car will really look cool.

Paul
 
P

PNewitt

Guest
For what it's worth...

If you're showing your car, the Marchals would only be accepted on cars on or before the for light recall. Cars built on or before the factory Lucas installations could use either type of lights. Those dated after April 26th (I think it was April 26th? It's in my 1988 book) can only use the Lucas lights.

But...that opens up a judging rules Pandora's Box. In the empirical world of car show judging, do you accept something like Marchals as a car that was not brought in for retrofit? Do you judge the car as it came from the factory--or as it should be from a recall? And..if it's an early enough car to have Marchals--but they have dealer retrofit Lucas--is that right or wrong? I say either is right, as long as it's a pre April 26 car.

As a point of interest...the Marchal 656/323 were tested in a Euro magazine in 1968, and there were three different wattage bulbs, and they had them on a Capri. They were the BRIGHTEST driving lights in the world then!! That's why Shelby used them on the Mark III street version GT-40 (they are also VERY popular to the Ferrari fans for the 250GTO cars).

The Calif Highway Patrol had someone who made on the spot judgements on fog and driving lights. Pretty subjective, tho, and they brought in Fred Goodell (Shelby chief engineer) in to Sacramento to basically yell at them for using the Marchals, and the side running lights and narrow high beams on the '67 Shelby.

Paul N.
 
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mmarsalone

mmarsalone

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 10, 2004
Messages
324
Location
New Orleans, LA
Thanks Paul,

i just wanted to be sure that my car had the Marchals on it originally and that it was built before the date of the factory switch over.. I'm going to keep the Lucas, but I am going to search for the Marchals.

Mike
 
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