Does anyone happen to know what spotlight was used on these cars back in the '50s? i have a pair of the Lorraine Series 32s, but I don't think they're the right ones. from the photos i've seen from that era, the spotlights are of a different shape. thanks for the help.
well... do you want a spotlight or do you want an empty chrome blob to mount on your car? real spotlights installed on 49 - 52 chevrolets were mounted in the door. on the "post" cars they overlapped the chrome trim, on the hardtops and convertibles they went below the beltline trim. you can still get the proper brackets new from chevsofthe40s.com, still made by unity. you will require a short handle spot... like 12" or so. the spots are more or less universal, but each car requires a specific bracket to mount it.
wow, thanks a ton for your posts. i wasn't sure of the correct location to mount them and the a-pillar is so skinny i was pretty dumbfounded, so the photo helps me out a lot.
...yeah.. I had the spotlight for a long time before I figured out where to put it. I saw an NOS bracket on ebay and it had instructions, but it was a passenger side bracket in a drivers side box, then I found out that chevs of the 40's sold the bracket and I was set.
As far as your question about the "right spot lights" I was told and the shape seems to make sense that the 552's were the spot of choice... could be wrong but the shape of the 552's seems to match better than the 112's or the series 32's.
I have been doing a lot of research on this, and Mark Anthony is right. I am putting together a whole post on the history of these spots complete with information from spotlamp collectors, ex[erts, and guys who were there when it happened. But to make a long story short (the long story will be posted with lots of pics and facts in a few days), despite what seems to be common knowledge, the 112 couldnt have been what was used in the early 50's. The 112 was a prewar model. It had a lamp and reflector, and was made untill about 1942. After the war, in about 1948, the model 552 was issued, using the exact same spotlamp housing (which came in 2 versions, pointed and, and blunter end, but the difference is quite minimal, the 112 also had both variations), but used a sealed beam lamp. Its funny that they are always called 112's. They are both identical looking housings, but only the very early customs would have had 112's. By the time customs were in their prime, the 112 model had been phased out of production. Perhaps "Appleton 112" became more of a cultural lingo, much like calling a bandage a "Band-Aid", and the 552 number kinda got lost in the history. Either way, a set of Appleton 112 or 552 are close enough to correct (552 being dead on correct, unless Westergard or some other really early customizer built your car, or your going for that era, which most likely couldnt include a 49-52 chevy) , but will not come cheaply. They are rare. At Hershey this past weekend, id say every 1 in 5 tables had old spots for sale. Out of hundreds, maybe thousands of spots, I found about 4 appleton brand spots. One was a pair of 552's in NICE condition for $750, the other 2 were average spots you'd use on a standard car or police car. The correct spots to use on a period custom are just really uncommon. The 112 and 552 models were originialy sold for upscale vehicles, and they were more money than the average spots, and they just didnt sell that many. Here are 2 appleton 112's from my collection, the one on the left is the blunt end version, the right is the pointed end.
Chad, the one on the left seems a lot larger Sorry I spoke out of ignorance, racalling my experience with someone calling a spotlight a "112" I realize that theirs look totally different than the ones pictured... it's interesting to know that the 112-552 were so similar. Forgive the ignorance begetting ignorance and thanks for the education to come...
First off Chad, I must applaud you on your research and the time you are putting into it...Not too many guys will do that. but in this paragraph... Its funny that they are always called 112's. They are both identical looking housings, but only the very early customs would have had 112's. By the time customs were in their prime, the 112 model had been phased out of production. Perhaps "Appleton 112" became more of a cultural lingo, much like calling a bandage a "Band-Aid", and the 552 number kinda got lost in the history. You say only the very early Kustoms would have had 112's because when Kustoms were in their prime 112's were phased out of productoin. Thats not to say that they didn't use them still. I mean if you theory stood true then Kustoms being built today by some of the big names would be running something big, gaudy, and very similar to the ones on Cop Cars or Taxis. I am not trying to knock you by no means so don't take offense, what i am saying is even though Appleton stopped making the 112's they still were the thing to get back then.............and stiil are! You don't agree?
Oh they definately would have existed, maybe a guy would have a set sitting around, or took them off of an older car or from a wrecking yard, but otherwise he ordered the current equivalent from appleton or whoever the distributer for appleton was, and that would be the model 552. Its not like a guy could go on ebay and find them, the pickings of 112's in the 50's had to be slim. I mean, I have direct spoken testimony through an interview from a famous custom car owner (more to come on who and what in my upcoming history post) who was at the Barris shop in the mid 50's to have his car built, and saw all the cars there had 552's. When he had appletons put on his car by the Barris shop while he was in California then, they were 552's. I doubt it mattered back then what the exact number on the bucket was, as long as it was the right shape, and was a true appleton. His spotlight were of course perfectly respectable at the time, and his car is now concidered somewhat of a landmark custom (featured at pebble beach ast year, but not with the original spots intact). Today the 112 will always be worth more. The model number has been so hyped up that the 552 is forgotten. Let me ask, are you basing your assumtion that having a 112 marked (as opposed to a 552 marked) spotlight in the 50's was so much the thing to have because of the current hype and information that gets passed around, or actual recollections from someone who was there? Over the course of decades, history has a way of morphing itself in many ways. Much of the knowledge floating around today is the result of second, third and fourth hand reccolections, and just because everyone goes around saying appleton 112's are the correct traditional spotlight doesnt mean its 100% true. There is no doubt that they ARE a traditional spotlight correct for a period custom, but that period seems to predate the period that many of us build to represent.
Chad S, good insight on something I took for little granted. Meaning, I thought all 112's were equal. Not paying attention to shape more carefully and the 552 series. You bring up some very good points on what the folks were using. Here's some info I'd like to share, the catalog is dated 1949 (I also take crappy pics too): 1) is a 112 (blunt end, Now I know) 2) Appleton (no markings, pointy) 3) Appleton (No markings, pointy) 4) Lorraine (series 37, pointy) Thanks for opeing my eyes on this. I need to look at this rest of spotkights I have collected over the years. I think I have about 7-9 more Appletons of different series packed-up. Ken
Hi Guys ! Im happy my favorit subject of all subjects Appletons on customcars has come up . Im new to HAMB but Im not new to this subject ! For long I was leed to beleave that all the early fifties customs had 112:s and have collected atleast 6 sets of different styles . I got with and without stamping and also the blunt and pointy versions ! I have rejected 552:s for the longest time because of this assumtion BUT I think it was last year I started to look closly on Rik Hovings pages of the top of the line customs like the Hirohata and the Mataranga and Lopez . To my great horror the original Hirohata has in one picture handles that look like they came from one of my Lorraine sets and I think it was only the Mataranga that had the typical 112 style handels . The other had 552:s and other unidentifyebles . However most of them look like the blunt version also opting for Chads idea of pointy 112:s being of a prewar production . Also the pointy 112:s is looking like the early Lorraines . I have never seen pointy 552:s and usually they have the pearshaped handles see: http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/great_custom_idears/appleton_-_lorainne/traditional_custom/appleton_552/ The handles interchange between 112:s and 552:s so I have written off the few 552:s Ive seen with the early handles common seen on 112:s and some Lorraine ! The other Lorraines had a angled gear type and if they were ever earlier I dont know . However I have always being frustrated over the major lack of information that has surrounded these spotlights and has from the real guys like Gene Winfield and others heard several original stories but never seen hard facts like a lineup of which car had which spotlights . I was to tornup over the fact I was so wrong on the Hirohata that I didnt persue the investigation but maybe its time to do so now . I also have not found any original document or assembly manuals for these babys until Rik started to collect pictures and find patent sheets . I have also made some comments in Riks album in this subject if you want to read : http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/great_custom_idears/appleton_-_lorainne/traditional_custom/appleton_112/1apptn3.html and about assembly: http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/great_custom_idears/appleton_-_lorainne/appleton_assembly/ Im sorry if what seems to be hijacking the original question "what fit the -49-52 Chevy but as far as old Larry Ernests (that I meet in 1990 when his car was once again restored) Barris built beauty find any Lorraine , 112:s or 552:s and put them in the post very meticules checking the original pictures ( cause Ive seen some horrible assemblys of these things ) Its bound to look dynamite ! http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/barris-1/larry_ernst_51_chevy/ Wolf
Yea, Im trying to find concrete evidence that the handles on the 552 were always the pear shaped ones. Its certanrtly possible that there is some crossover. I have never seen a 112 with the pear shaped handles, but I think I may have seen some 552's at some point in time with the earlier fluted side handle. Im waiting on a calll back from Ron Charney, as he is probably the most knowledgabe spotlight guy around. He's not a custom expert by any means, but he is a spotlight collector, and has more literature than anyone else may. The pointy and blunt versions of the 112 were offered at the same period, thruought production. According to Ron Charney, the 112 model (both versions) was phased out by 1942, but some remaining old parts may have been used after the war II. That may explain an Appleton 112 in my collection that has a sealed beam lamp! I spent a few hours at a friends house 2 days ago, who has an extremely extensive library with lots of old book and little pages doing research. I was doing just as you did Wolf, looking at the handles. From the 1950-1955 I saw only one or 2 cars with the early handle used on the 112, and almost all the later pear shaped handle. I also have copies of ads from Eastern Auto Supply (Like Kens catalog posted above) featuring Appleton spotlights for sale. Thee adds date from about 19553-1957, and they all show a blunt end Appleton, with the later pear shaped handle, and its unmistakinly a 552. The add says nothing of a part number other than Eastern Auto's inventory number (thats in no way related to an appleton part number), it just calls it the "Appleton Teardrop Spotlight". If the 112 model number was important, or even used back then, the add would have refered to it as such. Its seems that the blunt end version of either spotlight was the prefered choice at the time, and most 552's you see are blunt end, but I see about equal numbers of each model in the 112 series. You can also add the Herb Ogden 41 buick to the list that had 552's, and not 112's originaly. We're obviousely at the point where history has proven that the 552 was the teardrop shaped appleton available in the late 40's-mid 50's, and not the appleton 112, but the next step is to figure out why, at some later date in history, the idea that the 112 model was the spotlight of choice in the 50's was spread around as fact.
LET ME KNOW IF YOU STILL NEED HELP ON YOUR CARS SPOTLIGHTS I HAVE A FEW LIGHTS AND MOUNTING BRACKETS . IF I CAN HELP CONTACT ( [email protected] ) Jim
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