Trying to make a decision on what lights to put on my 34 three window fenderless coupe. On the rear I'm leaning toward 39 Zepher style or maybe 49-50 Ford. On the front it's a little more difficult to actually know what they really are or styled after, but not too big with the bullet shape seems cool. Incorporating a sealed beam and blinkers would be nice if it can stay in the old school survivor theme. Appropriate in style and functional in safety standpoint. Love to have lots of pictures with information explaining the era that they were popular in, and what ever else is important concerning style and function. What about it?? Pictures of lights with your wisdom?? Teach me something!!
You just have to look at a bunch of lights until you see a pair that says,"these are my lights". The differences in bucket shapes are subtle to drastic. They have to fit the flow of the car. For example, the T roadster below. I really don't care for E&J's but on this car I think anything else just wouldn't look right. They fit the flow, the car is low and long, the lights are perfect for it. Guides or BLC's might make it look a little bug eyed because the grill is so short. This is just my opinion of course.
I think what you have in the picture is a Guide 903J. I am basing this on what appears to be the opening in the rim for the rim fastening screw, but it could also be a reflection that i'm seeing. Do they have tags on them? The 903J is my personal fave on a fendered 32 with a dropped bar. The Guide 682's are the same diameter but with a much deeper bullet, available with marker lights on top (682C) or without(682J). The 35-36 Ford truck lights are similar to a 903J in shape but can be spotted by the Ford style rim with the spring loaded T-latch at the bottom of the rim.
I agree...here's one with an Arrow pod on top. I have a factory set of 682-J's with those pods on top...rare, but funky...not for everyone.
"not too big with the bullet shape seems cool. Incorporating a sealed beam and blinkers would be nice if it can stay in the old school survivor theme" That line narrows it down some. The 682-C's fill the bill; There are two different marker lens shapes for these, the pointy one shown and a more rounded one. Somewhat close repops of these lights are now available, if you like that sort of thing.
I like the BLC 682Js and '34 PU tails as they were both commonly used as replacements for survivor cars running in the 1940s. And they are both smooth uncluttered designs. That is what my cabriolet came with fifty plus years ago when I got it. That is what I am using on my cabriolet now as I rebuild it, exception being only that I am using both right and left tail lights now. Sealed beams often replaced original lights as the original year specific lenses became unavailable or hard to find after being out of production for many years
If in doubt, keep the stock lights. That's what performance-focused hot rodders probably would've done 50 years ago.
Here's link to some great information about the different styles and a little history on Guide/BLC headlights. Lots of pics also. Might help you decide. http://www.hotroddisorder.com/2013/01/guide-to-blc-headlights.html
Yes, I believe 682C is where I'm heading. I love the prismatic lense on the driving light, first one of those I've seen, very cool. Thanks for the link, very good explanation of the different styles and the history of origin. Thank you guys for your input. Many times I know immediately what I like or don't like. Sometimes it's not enough to just like it, I want to know what it is exactly that I like and hopefully why I am drawn to it. I can't seen to attach another picture big enough, but the trim ring has the channel for the clamping screw. Don't know about the tags, all the pictures I was sent are facing the other way.
What about tail lights? How about some information about styles and some pictures from different periods of popularity?
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