Cat's eye lighter

[Geoff]

Posted this on the CLC parts wanted forum but no response yet.  Can anyone here help?  Do you have one in your stash CF?  I find several on eBay but they are all different in some respect than what I need ---

"Am in need of a red cat's eye lighter for my '35 Cadillac.  There are apparently many different variations of these lighters with Cadillac having their own (maybe Buick is the same?).  Picture of the pull-out map light below shows the type of knob with 3 rings stamped into the chrome that I need, it is identical to the cigarette lighter next to it.  I also need the heater element. I am heart sick about this --- it is the result of theft, the one I had was in very nice condition and worked well, though never used as I don't smoke."

Edit:  When you click on the picture it will be upright.  What isn't chrome, is black.

[Otto Skorzeny]

What a bunch of crap!

This happened at a car show?

[Carfreak]

I don't believe we have one but I'll ask Ed.  They are very cool and can be $$$.

We had 42's rear cig lighters snagged at a show early on; we couldn't figure out where and when they disappeared just suddently they were gone.  I forget if we finally found a pair of the same color; we did find a different color.  They came ivory and brown; they are hard to find & $$$ too.

Another reason why we keep our car locked.    The last time it was at a CLC National show or event in 2005, we sat about 20' away and watched MANY members attempt to open the locked doors to see the artifacts we had inside the car.  Same year after requesting someone to not lean on the car that I eventually removed him physically from sitting on the fender.  Come to find out, he was a National Board member though I found out later, not highly regarded and apparently for good reason.  Interestingly, I can't recall the last time I saw anyone at military events attempting to open our usually locked doors. 

Good luck! 

[Otto Skorzeny]

Another reason why I rarely go to car shows.

[Geoff]

I don't know exactly where it "went missing", I would think I would have noticed right away, but ---.  We took the car to the Daytona Rod Run, went to dinner with it Thursday and Friday nights, and drove it home late Saturday afternoon, one would think I would have noticed it missing then at some point, if indeed it was missing then.  B.R. participated in the Vero Beach Christmas Parade 10 or so days ago, I did not notice it missing then.    
When we go out for dinner, etc., with the car, I always lock it with the power door lock button and then go around and check each door in case one lock did not work, which occasionally happens.  The doors aren't locked at shows, and weren't while waiting for the parade to form, but I, or Jan, or some member of our local AACA region are always around the car.  I still cling to the hope that it is somewhere in the car.  I did have to remove, disassemble, clean and reinstall the dimmer switch after the parade because it started to be intermittent.  Possibly I caught the lighter with my sleeve and pulled it out without realizing it, but Jan and I have both done a thorough search of the car's interior --- guess we will do it again.
Thanks, Geoff 

[Otto Skorzeny]

Geoff, does the knob stay lit up when the headlights are turned on or does it light up when the element is ready to light a cigarette?

[Geoff]

The knob only "lights up" when you push the lighter in.  The "light" is actually the glow of the of the cigarette lighting element as it heats up so you know when it is ready and can pull it out, it does not pop out automatically as a more modern lighter does.  There is no bulb in there as there is in the map light. 

[Otto Skorzeny]

That's pretty cool.