I purchased this very piece from seller flfordparts last year when it was formerly listed as a NOS unit, in the Ford box, but having slight imperfections. After waiting for seller to return from Florida for a month plus… he did accept return and refunded part of my original purchase.
IMO… this part has been in some sort of wreck. The top point of the bezel is dented & bent down and is actually in contact with the lens. The reverse lens that was part of this unit, which was supposed to be NOS, was not as described and actually had a stress crack around the top mounting screw resulting from contact pressure with the bezel casting. The lens also had multiple deep scratches. Prior to placing the winning offer on this unit back in 2020, I specifically ask the seller if the lens was in perfect, NOS condition… and his response was Yes, perfect. The wiring harness also has gouges in the rubber insulation that appear to be pinch marks. Wiring photos were not shown in the 2020 ebay listing.
The mentioned dent that’s located on the opposite side of top inner mounting stud (stud is broken off)…might also have a stress fracture in surface that’s hard to see.
So, if any of you fellow hobbyist happen to be looking at this auction… do your diligence and ask plenty of questions, and for better photos.
Seller also happened to mention that I was the 2nd person that had requested to return this piece to him. Hmmm…
As the supply of quality NOS parts ( those with ‘normal’ shelf wear, or hopefully less ) becomes scarce, it seems more and more of these substandard grade NOS parts are cropping up. And yes, some of our more ‘precise’ members would like me to remind the readers that NOS parts are Service Parts, and may or may not be the same as what was used during the production of that particular model. As the actual date that the NOS part was made moves farther and farther away from the vehicles model year, the more differences are likely to appear in the NOS part ( especially evident when Ford puts a cautionary note with the part reading : " This is a multi-use / expanded application part" )
Back to the topic : prevalent issues ( increasing as the NOS supply shrinks ) related to NOS parts sales on eBay :
(1) Parts lacking the original boxes, bags, wrapping, etc.
(2) The use of a Ford box or bag ( usually in like-new condition ! ) that has no part number on it, and claiming that the NOS part comes with an original package.
(3) The use of a ‘blank’ Ford box or bag, where the part number is hand-written on the packaging. I’ve seen examples on eBay where a Ford blue oval parts bag has been imprinted with the part number, using a computer font not in use or not available in the 1960’s or 70’s ( dead giveaway ) !
(4) Seller is substituting a reproduction part into the original NOS box (after they used the authentic NOS part on their car or sold it previously “without the original packaging” ) and claiming it to be an NOS part with a matching NOS price.
(5) Seller has listed ( usually hardware items ) in single and multiple quantities, and states that only a certain number are available, and the last one. two or three sold will get the original package. Who the heck is to know when the last one is sold and to whom ( and did they actually get the original packaging ) ? These hardware items are usually clips, screws, grommets, etc. and readily available from multiple online and jobber sources - this is a simple case of a ‘bait and switch’ sales tactic.
