i know this is kind of a stupid question but, i'm looking for help. i'm looking for a new set of headlights and mounts. i'm not sure what would look right or out of place. i'm moving toward a look of around 1960 bit by bit. the mounts i have now are aluminum and the lights look like motorcycle headlights to me. i like the look of the "guide" headlights without the lights on top listed on the hot rod company website. don't know if they're right or wrong for the years i'm going for. i tried searching for info but, to be honest i can only read so many model numbers, etc.. before i start zoning out. any advice would be appreciated. if you have any to sell p.m. me.
Yes a little bigger headlight would fit nicer .But Id loose the fenders .That would look even nicer ..
that's going to come eventually. in Pa we need fenders to be legal, unless you have a street rod tag.
I'd vote for larger lights, too. There are plenty of Guide 682-C's out there in various states of condition (which I think would be nice on your ride). You see them here & a lot on EvilBay. They do repop the things, but they're a bit pricey.
I'n the '60's Hotrods ran King Bee's or Deitz headlights. Guide lights would be a hold over from the 50's, but you saw them too. The big pre-sealed beam lights became the thing to have in the late '60's but mainly on "Resto-Rods", not "hotrods." Also, you didn't see headlights as low as Da34guy's lights on the streets in states that still had 25" minimum headlight height laws because it was an easy ticket to write.
before i lay the cash out for some new ones, i might try painting the buckets black. i think it's the mounts more-so i don't like. the fenders have kinda grown on me a little bit too. i have some new tires/wheels on it since that picture and it's looking better. king bee, deitz, guide, 35 ford truck. any others to check out? also, what's the difference between the c and j guide lights? where these headlights stock different years on certain models or were they aftermarket?
I know I live here . That being said .id say 80% of the cars at any given car show in pa have no fenders and no street rod tags .I went the street rod plate route on my 30 sedan it took about a month to get the plates back . but Honestly I didnt need them no one hassled me or anyone in my club . Its a joke the whole process.
before i lay the cash out for some new ones, i might try painting the buckets black. i think it's the mounts more-so i don't like. the fenders have kinda grown on me a little bit too. i have some new tires/wheels on it since that picture and it's looking better. king bee, deitz, guide, 35 ford truck. any others to check out? also, what's the difference between the c and j guide lights? where these headlights stock different years on certain models or were they aftermarket?[/QUOTE] If I'm not mistaken, the "c" jobs have the pods & the "j" jobs do not. These headlights were mainly used on trucks such as Diamond T, Federal & American la France. Here's a set that I used on my rod, which came from a 1947 Diamond T truck. I traded for them from a friend for an aftermarket turn signal. They were in bad shape (as in rust holes), so I had to restore them. I made another trade with a Hamber for the glass in the pods, which were broken in mine. The pod glass comes in two varieties, plain rounded style glass like mine & a rarer arched or pointed style called "hawksbill" or "hawksbeak" (or something like that). These headlights do not have the Guide 682-C emblems & are longer than some than you see. I replaced the lights with a modern sealed beam units & got a wiring kit & bulbs on Evilbay for the turn signals.
ahh.that's Eli's old car and my old chevy intake...I'll buy anything you take off of it and don't use. PM me.
i just saw you replied to this. yeah, Eli gave me a good deal on this thing. he's a good guy. i think i'm going to just replace the mounts and still use the headlights. you're welcome to them once they come off. i've been messing with the carbs on that intake (which is pretty cool by the way) with only bits of improvement. no matter, i have it running good enough for now.
The aluminum headlamp stands were introduced by early makers like Cyclone in varying styles, smooth and ribbed...hmmmmmmm, in the 50s, a hot rod staple since then for open wheel cars. KingBee, Deitz, Arrow...all are period correct for the 1960s era, before and after. The Guides and B-L-Cs before that and even more now. Look for Ford headlights from 1940-47 COE or 3/4-1 ton trucks, larger in appearance than the "little lights" but still use 7" sealed beams too and the mount bolt is hollow for wiring entry. Like the fenders up front but how about some carriage bolts , button heads, or anything but hex head sheet metal screws to hold them to the brackets? Rears are fine too but need some inside offset wheels to get the rubber under the fenders. The forward ends might be tapered and beaded for a little style, maybe the rear too, can't see in your pic.
after looking at it for this long i've figured out it's not the headlights or stands i don't like per se. i just want the headlights in closer to the grill and lower a bit. as far as the fenders are concerned, i agree with everything you said. my wife just had our first baby so time has been an issue lately.
Can't tell by the photo you have up but moving the headlamps much down and in may not be possible without remounting the shocks..maybe. For that car I might recommend removing the cowl lamps too. You may be able to sneak a modified headlamp bar for mounts up front off the frame horns. Congratualtions on your first young one! They're way better than cars anyway.
How about just painting the buckets black just to see what it looks like...and leave the headlight rims in chrome? There was a thread about those headlight stands. That is what was used. A few cars did run lights lower, but the ones you have are cool in their own way.
yeah, i suppose they are better than cars. i'm going to take the cowl lights off and save them. as far as the shocks, they may have to be relocated, you're right. i plan on replacing the spring perches to allow for a bottom shock mount anyway so the top shock mount will probably have to be modified. i've been searching for pictures and i have seen a few like these but, were there a few different brands? where some of them shorter? here's a pic directly from the front and one from the side just to see the rest of the car.
Bob I see you've expanded the garage! And Congrats on your little one I think a bigger light lower would help or a non model a shell might do wonders
Maybe you got something with the radiator shell... Most would go 32 Ford and everyone gets mad What if you did the shell like 30/31 truck..those would be black..Would that change the whole look. Also paint the buckets black. If you ask me, the car does look like an old build and I like it. Love the rear pipe push bar and rear fenders, too. Me? I would remove the cowl lights, rumble step and deck brackets, plus chop the winshield....but that is all just me. I think the car looks pretty dang good right now...the only ugly thing is the front shock angle...and even that looks old timey nice car!
Thanks Jeff. i'm going to carlisle this friday, if you're going to be there, i'll bring that wheel. when coming up with ideas i made a conscious decision to stay away from the 32 shell even though they do look cool. i like that idea about painting this one black though. i kinda like the look of the un-chopped or slightly chopped windshield and it is practical. any way, one thing at a time. what do you mean half a headlight bar mount version? got a picture?
The Jalopy Journal
