Spotlights or No Spotlights

whatever happened to the car in the picture?

 

The OP was last online in December2016 so he's still around. Maybe next time he jumps on we'll see what come of it?

 

Hello,

In our neighborhood of Long Beach, real Appletons had to be installed because there were no fake ones at the time. The custom cars in the neighborhood had them and it was very cool looking. My favorite 56 Ford F100 truck had a pair installed and it just topped off the total custom look. The spotlight use came from those old CHP TV shows. They used the spotlights to light up houses and addresses when on a police search. Also, they lit up stopped cars to wake them up or have them move along if parked in dark place.

My dad had a couple installed on his stock 53 Buick 4 door sedan. Why? He used to go fishing early in the morning. He wanted to showcase the rock jetties and beach areas while getting prepared with his gear. Also, on his three forays into deep Baja, Mexico (100 miles south of the border), the spotlights were a necessity to light up those super dark, winding, dirt roads that led away from the main highway for a mile or two down to the secluded beach.

Jnaki

Today, new ones seem to be available and there are plenty of used ones on Ebay. The only problem is finding a matching set. If a person had electrical knowledge, they could be salvaged. The mechanism that turns the spotlight needs to be refurbished if it moves too loosely.


Check out Rik Hoving’s site:

The great article on refurbishing the Appleton Spotlights by Manuel Reyes.

http://www.customcarchronicle.com/how-to-2/appleton-spotlight-restoration/

But, for us, it was playtime at the drive-in movies at the half-time intermission. Since we had two, the two brothers always ruled the big screen. Yes, we even tried to blind each other, but got in trouble with people walking around or in cars.

 

Yes it would have a great look with spots! Make sure you use real ones not the fakealoos. Congrats on a nice car

 

{A Story} Has this happen to you? Back in my high school days, I would find a place to park with my date. Then the town cop would find us, and turn that spotlight on! He and everyone else new my hot rod. We would get down on the floorboards. And then just wait him out. I'm sure they had a great laugh. Then they would just leave. So do I like Spots on Kustoms ? Yes I do, but so much on those old cop cars. lol Ron...

 

Ron,

Great memory of that spot light moment in history. That scene was played out all across America in those early 60's. Every CHP/local police had at least one spotlight if not two. When they (Long Beach police rode around with partners, being a big city and all...) found a car parked on a dark, quiet, side road, those bright lights came on, after they rolled up on the car without their motor running. Sneaky ba%$#@%^$. If that did not work, then the police issue flashlights came on with a knock on both windows. Those times were exciting as no one ever knew if they would take you down to the local jail and call your parents. So goes that relationship and future dates.

Junji

So, did those police all across America just roll up on any parked car, on any dark street? In my neighborhood, that would have been hundreds of cars parked on dark streets… They were smart enough to see if there was any condensation on the “inside” of the windows and not just dew on the outside. Live and learn… There were some good uses for those cool looking spotlights. That stop and desist moment was not one of them.

VEHICLE CODE 24404 ARTICLE 2. Headlamps and Auxiliary Lamps [24400 - 24411]
(a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two white spotlamps, which shall not be used in substitution of headlamps.

(b) No spotlamp shall be equipped with any lamp source exceeding 32 standard candlepower or 30 watts nor project any glaring light into the eyes of an approaching driver.

(c) Every spotlamp shall be so directed when in use: That no portion of the main substantially parallel beam of light will strike the roadway to the left of the prolongation of the left side line of the vehicle.

That the top of the beam will not strike the roadway at a distance in excess of 300 feet from the vehicle.

(d) This section does not apply to spotlamps on authorized emergency vehicles.

(e) No spotlamp when in use shall be directed so as to illuminate any other moving vehicle.


In 1968, I got stopped in the red El Camino at a CHP vehicle checkpoint. They gave me a vehicle repair notice to replace my second set of headlights inside of the dual headlights that came stock with the car.
Those high beam headlights were a pair of those super clear, high intensity, lights. They were in the stock location and only used in the dark Mojave Desert roads late at night to get to the motorcycle camp, near the start line of the Saturday morning races. But, for some reason they violated the vehicle code, while a cool looking,custom, 55 Chevy with twin Appletons got the clearance to drive right on by the designated CHP stop.