Phantom / Autocycle deluxe rear reflector OG or Repop?

[atencioee]

Is the Schwinn deluxe rear reflector on the left an OG or repop? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the one on the right is a repop.

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

not my field of expertise, but I'd put my money on the left one being original and right one repop.

 

[atencioee]

@GTs58, @Freqman1, @bobcycles, @WES PINCHOT, or any Schwinn experts...any toughts on this?

 

[5782341b77vl]

The one on the left that has a lighter red "tint" to it. I'm saying that is the original.

Looking at the lens of the reflector, the left one has little "dots" that makes up the reflective surface.

The one on the right is a reproduction. Its reflective surface has "sideways plumbob" (if that makes any sense) & has a zig zag pattern to it.

 

[GTs58]

Since the Schwinn Large reflector was produced for at least a decade, I wouldn't say that one is a repro strictly by the lens. That is one thing that changed over the years with all the reflectors. Patterns in the lens often changed every few years and this was very common, so you would need to examine one of these reflectors from each year. The reflector on the right looks like a later issue or the reproduced piece to me. Reproductions are usually inferior to the originals and the one on the right appears to be stamped out of a thinner gauge sheet metal and the wire retainer is a smaller gauge and shaped quite different looking somewhat inadequate compared the one on the left.
I have a reproduction piece on my 53 Phantom and the lens pattern is a bee hive honey comb pattern and the wire retainer looks very similar to the one on the right, but it's longer on the top and bends upward more like the one pictured on the left.

 

[bobcycles]

I'm thinking that at least the housing and clip and maybe mirror back are original
on the one on the left. The right is a repop dead giveaway... has the extrusion marks on
the inside of the housing and the goofy repop clip that has straight angles instead
of the more graceful bend of the originals.
Looks like the one on left might have been rechromed? if that's the case
hard to know if they used the original or reproduction lens

 

[GTs58]

I'm thinking that at least the housing and clip and maybe mirror back are original
on the one on the left. The right is a repop dead giveaway... has the extrusion marks on
the inside of the housing and the goofy repop clip that has straight angles instead
of the more graceful bend of the originals.
Looks like the one on left might have been rechromed? if that's the case
hard to know if they used the original or reproduction lens

Was this style reflector first used on the 1938 models?

 

[Freqman1]

1936 but the reflector was different. I believe on the prewar reflectors "Stimsonite" is upside down. I'm sure I will be corrected if wrong. V/r Shawn

 

[cyclingday]

The earliest ones didn’t say Stimsonite at all.
36/37 only had the Schwinn Script at the bottom.
37/38 and on, had the upside down Stimsonite script.
The reproductions had the Stimsonite script right side up.
Housing differences as previously discussed.
But!
Don’t hold me to any of that, because, I could be wrong.
That’s just my understanding on the subject.
I’m always willing to learn, so feel free, to correct me, if I’m wrong.

 

[49autocycledeluxe]

I think a person would have to look at the lenses in person since the glare kind of throws them off.