Anyone have pictures of Hot Rods sporting Quad Headlights? Especially, Model A's Please post what you go.
Very few, if any, old Ford hot rods actually looked good with quad headlights, IMHO. Looking back, it was an interesting trend that only a few ever pulled off well. The Ala Cart and Silver Sapphire come to mind, maybe a couple '40 Ford customs. Most of the average old hot rods would look better with just two traditional headlights. Not as offensive as the rectangular headlight trend that came along later though....
Mark, I don't know how you missed them but there have been a lot of quad headlight threads but they are like everything else, they can slip by no matter how many different post touch on a subject. I'm a member of the quad headlight look better on customs than hot rods camp. HRP
Again,I see a few ,that don't have "Eye of the times!" ** Showing by there notes,how they don't like 4headlights. Ture,they were not for every one ! Yet at the time,was a in-thing to do! Well,try filling in some history that is fun too learn,and you may kind of like 4 head lights a bit better! But if your one of those who love the big headlights that were not used,but are trendy nowdays { the same style big ones we hotrodders of 1940s to 60s put in the trash can,and adding great working 7in. sealbeams.} then a history hotrod book,may not help you.,but I tryed.
I'm with Mark, quad lights are the signature mark of the late '50s/early '60s which as far as I'm concerned was the pinnacle of custom innovation. Yeah, some of them didn't come off all that well but the same can be said for a lot of customs without them. Wish those Lucas lights were still available for a reasonable price... Icing on the cake!
I like quad headlights on SOME cars. Very few people are able to pull it off and look good.....in my opinion. I like the canted quads on 40s era fat fendered cars.
They may still be selling off the first run of them! Dana, we have the "eye of the times". Myself, having attended many LA indoor car shows in the '50s-'60s, as well as several Oakland Roadster Shows, not to mention having an extensive collection of old magazines. But a lot of trends were followed and executed with tragic results in the name of excess and accumulating show points. Most timeless hot rods and customs show a true integration of styling elements and design. Would I appreciate quad headlights if I saw them on an old custom or hot rod at a show today? Sure. Would I incorporate them in one of my own builds today? Probably not.
Yes Sir,your note shows you get " IT ",,,, Thanks I built my first custom in 1960,and did not used 4 lights ether. I liked only a few other customs that did have 4 at the time. I understand why they did. Like you stated well,flow an blend at the right time,not just for the old point sheet{ < That point sheet kind of backfired in a way ,in the 1960's.
https://jollyrogersmotors.com/store/c/139-Lenses-Reflectors.html?pi=2 Reproduced, and not huge money:
Hello, For us, the showing of the Ala Kart Custom Truck, and those quad headlights were the beginning of a custom car item that led the pack. But, in the So Cal communities, quad headlights were not pushed to the back burner. The 40 Ford sedan had canted quad headlights while the custom sedan in the next parking slot had vertical quad headlights. from an early outdoor So Cal car show… The styling of quad headlights led the way to more late model 50s and 60s cars getting their versions of a quad headlight system. We had a 58 Impala with nice factory quad headlights that started the factory Chevy sedan trend. At night, the black impala looked like a big happy face with bright eyes!!! Then in 1964-65, the Chevelle El Camino presented their version. The high beams were ok, for city street driving, but for those dark high desert road trips it was driving in the pitch black environment for several hours. The accessory high beam lights helped on dark So Cal desert and Baja, Mexico roads. But, those pesky CHP vehicle checks do actually check cars and I was given a “fix it” ticket for my 65 El Camino. Then on our next Baja Mexico road trip, those high intensity light bulbs appeared again. We were told that the lights can be used, they just had to have an accessory switch just for those lights. They cannot be in conjunction with the factory quad lights. Luckily, we were never stopped at those CHP vehicle road checks again for the rest of the ownership time. Jnaki For those dark no light desert highways, these high intensity lights were wonderful. No more dark desert roads for the late night road trips to the remote racing sites pit parking areas. Now, the roads looked like driving at 12 noon, as every bump and dip showed clearly to drive safely. But, they gave off such a bright light that for any on coming drivers, even over a mile or so away had to blink to get the lights off. We had to be careful to not blind the oncoming drivers from many miles away. If there were any on the dirt roads...YRMV Quad headlights? Good for driving and for style...
...This is an inspiration I did for @JimSibley for his 34 made from junk...He has a pretty spirited mind for Hotrod and his creativity is inspiring...it's a bare metal ride without headlights yet I think...what would something so wild wear for lighting...dunno but I gave it a shot... @61cad, Happy Birthday Hotrodder...
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