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Hot Rods T-Bucket headlight mounting options, looking for ideas

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 01mikep, Jul 30, 2014.

  1. 01mikep
    Joined: Jul 26, 2014
    Posts: 125

    01mikep
    Member
    from California

    I recently picked up a 23 T-Bucket project that had been started and shortly after stalled for years. I'm going for a mid sixties drag theme. I've got a good bit of work to do to get this car to look right but one part of the car that just seems wrong are the headlight mounts. I believe they are total performance cast aluminum ones. They sit about three inches out from the side if the model A grill shell and angle out from the frame at a pretty good angle. It looks "bug eyed".

    What is a good look for the era I'm shooting for. Please post pictures if you have them.

    I'll try and post a picture but I'm still learning how to do that. Not real computer savvy.

    Thanks

    Mike
     
  2. Just my opinions. The smooth (not finned) aftermarket aluminum stands usually look right on a T, preferably curved and a little swoopy like the Offy stands. The lights themselves should be small either 5" or if you want 7" bulbs use a bucket with a real narrow rim like the Deitz or Arrow lights, the wide rimmed Guides and BLC lights look way too big. You know you should really have a "T" or deuce grille, Model "A" shells don't look right on a T.
     
  3. hrm2k
    Joined: Oct 2, 2007
    Posts: 4,840

    hrm2k
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I'm doing a T bucket as well. It has a Specialty Cars chassis from back in the early 80's. When I looked at the headlight mounts ( left side of picture ) with light's, I did not like the way it looked............bug eyes would fit very well. I changed the way the mounts fit by moving the headlights in 2 1/2 inches, down about 3 inches and forward 2 inches ( as shown on the right). I think it made the car look a lot better. My mounts are made from 1/4 inch plate and welded to the frame.

    new lights combined.jpg
     
    dmc3113 likes this.
  4. steel rebel
    Joined: Jun 14, 2006
    Posts: 3,604

    steel rebel
    Member Emeritus

    Well the main thing on mounting lights on a T is not to mount them too far forward or back of the grill shell. Either doesn't look right. They should be pretty much lined up with the grill. I'm pretty old school so I still like the aluminum stands. And yes don't put real big light buckets on it.
     

  5. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    The most simple way to mount them (and traditional too) is to cut the center out of a Model A or 32 headlight bar and heat and bend the two ends to make your own mounts. That is what we did on my Son's T bucket. You can find these headlight bars all over the place......swap meets, Ebay, etc, and they go cheap. You will also have to grind the mounting pad a little flatter to lay tight against the frame (it has a little curve to it stock) but about an hours work and you will have them all done.

    Don

    Here they are all heated and bent. You simply grind the little cut off portion smooth to round it into the pocket.

    [​IMG]

    And how the headlights look mounted:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    On my 23 I used the same headlight bar, but I cut the ends off and welded them back onto the center section. I wanted the bar in front of my grille shell. The nice thing about either of these setups is that you get no headlight shake going down the road.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 30, 2014
    overspray likes this.
  6. Here is mine, before and after.-MIKE

    AOL_0025.JPG

    P1000057.JPG
     
  7. 01mikep
    Joined: Jul 26, 2014
    Posts: 125

    01mikep
    Member
    from California

    HRM2K,
    My light set up currently looks like your before picture.

    Don,
    I think I am going to take a look around for a light cross bar or make one similar to the one you have on your black T.

    I don't know if it matters but I'm running a 28-29 grill shell with a 2 1/2 gallon aluminum tank centered at its base.

    Thanks

    Mike
     
  8. 01mikep
    Joined: Jul 26, 2014
    Posts: 125

    01mikep
    Member
    from California

    image.jpg
    This is what I'm working with.
     
  9. Lost Angel...
    any more shots of your car???
     
  10. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    Mike, it should clear your Model A shell ok, I am running the same setup on my 27 with a 32 shell and that shell is wider and deeper.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    One thing you might look at though is that your Moon tank is blocking 50% of your radiator cooling area. These cars are marginal on cooling anyway and it might cause you some overheating issues. Just sayin'.

    Don
     
  11. Don't want to hijack, but here's a quickie!-MIKE:D

    P1000056.JPG

    P1000054.JPG
     
    sko_ford likes this.
  12. clem
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 4,188

    clem
    Member

    Nice one - there in post 5, and lower shot in post 6.
     
  13. need louvers ?
    Joined: Nov 20, 2008
    Posts: 12,903

    need louvers ?
    Member

    I pretty much default right away to the cast aluminum accessory brackets as well. I haven't shown mine yet as I have the ribbed style on it and the P/O drilled a hole through them for motorcycle type turn signals, since removed and ash canned. No the best of situations quite yet. But after this weekend's first out of town jaunt in this car, I'll replacing those with a vintage pair of polished Offenhauser brackets that I have ball milled the tops on so that I don't have to run the cupped washers on top. That will be a major improvement.

    Just an observation, with your car, a large part of the "problem" you are having is not the brackets or height, but the fact that the brackets are mounted so far behind the grill shell. If you move them up even straight across with the shell it'll start looking far more in proportion and natural. I too am not a huge fan of '29 grill shells on T-Buckets... Just doesn't look right to MY eye, and it's later model thing since the advent of the dreaded "rat rod" Prior to that, it just wasn't done...

    I have to welcome you over to my thread "The Bucket of ugly". It's 3100 responses and 106 pages at this point of T-Bucket discussion, construction, picture of H.A.M.B. era friendly cars, and basically just the meeting place for the 'bucket guys on the H.A.M.B.
     
  14. overspray
    Joined: Jan 14, 2003
    Posts: 1,417

    overspray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Sit down and look through some old "Little Books".
     
  15. 01mikep
    Joined: Jul 26, 2014
    Posts: 125

    01mikep
    Member
    from California

    Thanks for the feedback. I'll check out the "bucket of ugly" reading. I appreciate the guidance and while I'm not new to building cars I am new to this type if project. I have mostly worked on muscle car era stuff and drag race stuff.

    The grill shell came with the car and the previous owner has had these parts sitting around for about 10 years. He was not a rat rod guy and I don't know much about them. I don't think the grill makes it look rat rod in my eyes but I'm viewing the car through eyes of someone who did not live in the era I'm trying to build the car to (born in 79). I don't have the first hand experience of what occurred in that era but only what I hear and see now.

    Thanks

    Mike
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2014
  16. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    If you do, you'll see TONS of 6" headlights.
     
  17. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,459

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

  18. steel rebel
    Joined: Jun 14, 2006
    Posts: 3,604

    steel rebel
    Member Emeritus

    This is a good one. SANY0022.jpg
     
  19. I think it is more related to the height of the A grille shells, the '28/'29 and especially the '30/'31 shells are too tall for a T bucket. Neither version ends up looking right shortened. On the other hand a deuce shell looks OK chopped. Of course, this is only my opinion; and I'm sure there are exceptions; but after messing with hot rod stuff for a few years now, seems like it is the opinion of the majority of hot rodders.


    Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
     
  20. steel rebel
    Joined: Jun 14, 2006
    Posts: 3,604

    steel rebel
    Member Emeritus

    Some of mine. Tornado headlight brackets. '30s Ford truck buckets. DSCN2062.jpg DSCN2063.jpg DSCN2064.jpg DSCN2095.jpg Ford truck buckets.
     
    26 T Ford RPU and falcongeorge like this.
  21. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,459

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

    shell 1 (2).jpg
    I have my 26 RPU body mounted hiboy style and have shortened my 28 shell 1 1/2".
    I'm in the process of mounting my radiator and the grille shell too, so it will end up slightly different than these mock up shots.
    I also have to modify the lower apron very slightly but I believe the look will be good.
    And as I said before, variations of the deuce shell have been way overdone.
    shell 2 (2).jpg View attachment 2679662 View attachment 2679662
     
  22. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,459

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

    And this is a good thread by the way, lots of headlight mounting ideas. :)
     
  23. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    I'm a "period-correct, little pages" kind of guy, so you can pretty much fill in the blanks on what I think of A grill shells on T's.:rolleyes: To each thier own, I guess.
     
  24. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Man Gary, I think this just might be the best angle on your car. You REALLY nailed it!

    [​IMG]
     
  25. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,459

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

    This is the last comment I will make on the A shell thing, possibly one too many however, despite personal opinions on "period correctness"or little pages or whatever, I always thought that the idea of this hobby was to build what you thought was appealing to you. :confused:
    Instead it appears that some would hold you to a rather narrow path where you have to smell the behind of the sheep ahead of you :D
     
  26. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    not really, we just save the non-traditional stuff (like the vortec headed 327 I'm building for an s-10 with 16" wheels for instance) for forums where it belongs...:rolleyes:
     
  27. Mine uses a cut down A tie bar. Sorry George for the T with an A.:rolleyes: JW
    [​IMG]
     
  28. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Oh, and while we are at it... I have seen at least six (well, make that seven, now that 26ford has chimed in) other t's with model A grill shells on the HAMB in the last year, so rather than breaking any new ground, you are faithfully smelling the arses of the history-revisionist sheep, rather than the "period- correct" sheep. So, different sheep, same smell.

    and 26ford, its all good, as long as you dont start spouting the standard HAMB history-revisionist bullshit justification about being "innovative". What a steaming pile of dung. When Barris put canted headlights on the Ala-Kart?? THAT was innovative. Hanging a Model A grill shell on a T is innovative??!! Gimme a freakin BREAK!
     
  29. We're good George.:D JW
     
  30. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,459

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

    We are being beat up because we like different sheep :D Just because I like the A shell on the many T cars that you can find on the HAMB doesn't mean that I - we don't belong here. :)
     

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