I still have no 'enlightened' info in my head as to the use of singles. I just read through this again thinking I missed something, but other than the term "ditch light" which I wasn't hip to prior to the topic, sorry. Nuthin. I'd hate to find out it's just a recent hipster idea born of misguided research. The use of a single on Packard senior cars of the depression era was because the license plate was in the way of a pair mounted on the front spreader bar. Pairs were added to the bumper brackets for rigid mounted (non-pilot ray) types of accessory lighting. Here's a single Pilot Ray that steers with the wheels on a 34 Packard. Easy to see why 2 wasn't possible, even with the operating hardware out front. There's a lever and push rod affair under the driver's side fender that clamps to the Pitman arm.
I think so. The 'biker code', (according to Fat Mike of the Gypsy Jokers, San Jose: "If ya got an ol' lady, you wear yer keys on the right. If yer 'available', wear 'em on the left.") Always the 'perpetrator', I then asked: "What if you're gay?" He gave me that sour look, right down his nose. Everybody else laughed, however nervously... Ear rings are like that. Left ear you're 'straight'. 'Been around the Horn', or some such shit. Right ear? Not 'straight'. There's another 'horn' you've probably been around. I recall cars being separated in two lines at a Goodguise show (Pleasanton) The single fog lights on the left got in one line, and the right side and twin lamp crowd got in the other. Couldn't tell if one persuasion was lighter in their sneakers, though...
When people ask, why the single lamp, I reply the Bentley owner came back to his car sooner than I thought. But when you drive a grey car in a town of grey granite with dreich weather they are handy.
If it's on the other side, it's probably on a car that's driven on the wrong side of the road.....like they do in the U.K.! Actually, when a single light is mounted on the driver side of the car, it is aimed towards the right slightly so as to not cause a glare in the fog for oncoming cars!
Single fogs are for wimps. How about three? And all the way with visors! I think the big boy is called a "driving light" for when you need some extra candlepower down the road. Edit to add new, to me, information. I have read these referred to as "Passing Lights" also. The idea was to flip it on as you pull out to pass a slower vehicle to light up the road ahead but hopefully not 'light up' the slower drivers mirror and eyeballs. I sort of perked up at an earlier comment about keeping the headlights off when driving in fog and just running the low mounted foglights to produce less reflected glare. I remember doing that over the years if and when I had fogs. If that logic holds true, a pair beats an ace. And maybe single fogs are, dare I say the fad word? Obviously singles are sold at swap meets all the time but I'm going to stick my neck out a little further and say, I think new foglights usually have been sold in pairs. But I'll also say, I don't think there are any regulations regarding singles versus pairs.
I like how one looks. There was an oval one in the parts classified the other day that I wanted but I was to slow at the switch........Mark
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/fog-lights.1180049/#post-13536333 Hello, Having driven in some of the thickest fog in So Cal coastlines over the years, my experiences with using a fog light is nil. They give old hot rods a different approach to style, but the yellow fog lights just do not do it in thick heavy fog. When I had my second 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery, a friend gave me a yellow fog light to put on the front bumper. We did and rolled down Coast Highway around 10 a.m. Normally, it would have been a nice ride down the coast, but this time, it was day two of a week long coastal fog. Where we live in So Cal, after several days of hot weather, the land cools and the ocean takes over with a rolling bank of fog coming towards the shore. When the land starts cooling off, the fog sees an opening like the tailback running through a hole and cutting for daylight on the field. To me, the fog does the same with the land cooling off faster in some places over others. Then the battle begins. But, if you live on the coast, the fog is a way of daily life happenings. So, the yellow fog light was supposed to make things easier. My friend commented that all it did was make a yellow fog screen in front of our sedan delivery heading towards Dana Point. It did not make the road any “clearer.” It just made the fog look like a yellow wall in front of us. So, the yellow light was turned off and the low beams made the road look clear, but not crystal clear. The normal low beam lights are better than the addition of yellow fog lights. Jnaki Each driver will have their own fog stories using or not using yellow lights. But, I took that single yellow light off of the front bumper and gave it back to my friend. He had good intentions, but it was not for me. I have to admit, a yellow light on the bumper gave our 1940 Ford red sedan delivery some additional style and looks. In the old rock and roll song… I was “blinded by the light…” “Blinded by the night, Revved up like a deuce, Another runner in the night…” Manfred Mann Two is not always better than one, but it does make a nice symmetrical design and style on any car. I am sure if this So Cal Sedan Delivery was out cruising around yesterday on Labor Day, he would have used both yellow fog lights. But, driving anywhere was nearly impossible, it was hard to see the neighbor's house in the cooling fog. The whole coast line was so thick with fog, it was almost impossible to see. In So Cal, the theory of three-four very hot days is immediately followed by thick fog battling the heat for superiority. The land cools and the fog starts its journey inland until it hits a wall of heat. (AND REVERSE) In this case, despite the heat very far inland, the So Cal coastline and miles inland was covered with thick, cold fog. The beaches were jacket weather, no sun tan lotion necessary... But, it was nice cooling weather.
Just a personal opinion I think it looks goofy. If a bone stock ride sure but a hot rod no way. Imagine California Kid with. It would make you puke. Kinda like a full nerf to obscure front. Natural front end with rake can’t be beat. Again during this let’s be nice time it’s only my opinion.
We tried it for a while and always thought we would find a second one as that was the look it had ,like one fell off or were missing one . So took off the lonely light as the unbalanced look was .... well .... unbalanced. Kinda like it needed a white cane to feel its way along .
I've had this fog light question on my mind for awhile now. When I got my 38 Dodge, It had an old "FOG and HEAT' switch in it under the dash, used for a heater it had in it at one time. I took it apart, cleaned it and set it on the shelf above the workbench while I took the car apart and reassembled it. Cars been on the road now a few years and every time I sit at the workbench the switch catches my eye. I've seen pictures of cars on the HAMB with 1 and 2 fogs. I like the look of 1 fog lamp on the drivers side. Time for the switch to go back in.
I've run a single on several of my past builds way before "hipster" was even a word. I kinda like the asymmetric look it gives. My .02 NAES Sent from my SM-N950U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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