Hot Rods Proportion, Symmetry, Balance...Headlight Choice and Placement...PICS

Some guys get it right off, some don't. Headlight choice and placement is important to the overall visual appeal of the total package...not too high, not too low, not too far forward or back, not too big or little...you get the idea...

My own personal opinion, but these guys got it right...I'll be adding alot more later...

Feel free to put your own favorites up here...

 

HAHAHA it really screws with your head when you look at it in detail. I think it took me 2 weeks to bite the bullet on position. For me the headlight trim ring had to line up with the grill shell.

 

If a car is chopped or channeled, makes a big difference on which headlights look right...

 

And who could forget Chris agonizing over his headlights while everyone was coaching him where to put them?

 

I think every car will require somewhat different h/l locations due to proportions of height and width - for me, many great cars have had the head lamps located forward of the grille and no higher than the wheel/tire. Clearly no need to over think it - plenty of reference available.

 

Playing the devil's advocate, "What you smoking, Willis?" IMHO, on fenderless cars I don't think there are that many choices.

If you look at most of the sample cars above - and discount the various overall diameters of the buckets - they are all mounted at virtually the same height, at or near the top of the shocks. Or on Ford truck shock mounts, or on a modified headlight bar combined with perhaps a ss bumper or truck shock brackets. I'd bet all of those mounts are within just a few inches difference in height from each other. It's a popular and easy way to go. How many high mounted lights do you see on highboys these days? Perhaps in days gone by, but high mounted lights kinda take on a tractor look, eh?

How far the headlights are ahead or behind the grille shell, or spindle / axle, is another matter altogether. As long as the buckets don't get hit by the wheels you're ok, but once again I think you may have fewer options there than you might surmise. Too far forward on the horns and you get the low, bug-eyed cartoon look, and too far back you might decrease the spread of the beam if the tires or sides of the hood block some of the light. My 2c, Gary

 

I thought this was pretty good.......no?



CB

 

Gary, all I wanted to do is show what looks good. I wrestled with the idea of posting pics of cars that looked totally wrong with their headlight choice or placement, but realized beauty is in the eye of the beholder...even if they are wrong.

 

this one looks good.

 

I don't know much about this car but this is one of my favorite 3w's ever. So slick and perfect!!!

 

I like the 1/3rd propertion...the bottom 1/3rd on highboys and the top 1/3rd on channeled cars.

I struggled with the placement on mine..I don't know if it fits the bill but it has grown on me...

 

i think that headlight placement is one of the toughest things to get right on a build. fought for 2 weeks trying to find the right size and style and finally went with the stock 30-31 lights. i agree with previous post i personally like the headlights to be even with the grille shell and fairly low otherwise to me it makes car look front heavy. my personal opinion. heres mine. not for everyone

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to put on a headlight police hat.

In my truck's case, the lights look high, but that's mostly because the hood and grille shell are low. The lights are mounted right about where 90 percent of them are all mounted, on top of the shock mounts with the very same cast ss headlight mount de jour everyone else uses. Other than perhaps larger or smaller diameter lights, I got what it is - fad lights in the fad positions. Gary

 

Different H/Ls different style mounts both are original bars modified to my taste.

 

Btt

 

Agreed. Funny how much of it is taste. I think most of Larrys examples are too low and too far forward, reflecting the current esthetic. #3 on the first post and #1 on the second post look about the best of the bunch. There was another thread on this recently, and I posted pics of this car as one that nailed it, but headlight placement is so perfect to my eye, I'm gonna do it again. Most of the cars on this thread are too low, too big, and too far forward. I spot a couple that are downright hideous to my eye.

 

Human fly, how about a shot of your headlight placement?

 

Here is my 34

 

bump

 

Bar or no bar is always an issue.......

<a href="http://s614.photobucket.com/albums/tt223/hotrd32/HAMB%20Stuff/?action=view&amp;current=Mark-and-Me-.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

 

how bout these...mounted right on the ends of the ch***is rails

 

This is the best pic I could find. Some would say too far back....too low.....goofy looking car bla bla bla! Thats the place I thought they looked best.

 

Mine...

 

Looks good to me! Goofy is NOT the word that springs to mind, you are way too modest. Love your choice of tire size as well, period perfect. Someone did their homework.

 

I bumped this thread for THIS???!!

 

Car was originally built with '29 A headlights. Replaced them with Zipper fibergl*** E&J reproductions for a better balance.

 

By all the previous posts, I will ***ume that headlight placement is not important on sedans!

Not a single fendered car in the bunch!

I have big (34 Ford car), stock (31 A) and little (7" sealed beam buckets, similar to BLC without the marker lights), and I have 2 stock headlight bars.

Show me some options for my 31 A Tudor (banger with 35 wires).

 

This thread goes along with another thread:

The Art of the Headlight location.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=764017






.

 

Not only the headlight placement but the overall look of this Model A makes it stand tall in a sea of hiboys,,and this is coming from a hard core Deuce guy! HRP

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1685635&d=1341795781

 

Awwww, mamma - you are right HRP - that baby looks good!