I have a 1938 Ford Cabover truck with original 6-volt headlamps and amber turn signal inside the light buckets. The gl*** lens is separate from the reflector. I found a better set of headlight buckets and stands from a 1938 Ford pickup, but these have regular sealed beam headlamp in them with no provision for the turn signal. Is this a factory option or were they converted to sealed beam? I want to keep the non sealed beam lights because I like the bug eye look better and I want the turn signal in the reflectors. Anyone know when a Ford started using these sealed beam bulbs?
Headlites that look similar to 38/9 PU with seal beam bulb are most likely 1940-41 big truck units, they use a seal beam bulb rather than a reflector. My question to the people that install turn signals in the headlite has been when did you see a DOT headlite with a turn signal unshielded as a unit. To me it would be hard to look at a headlite at night and determine that the flicker was actually a turn signal. Yes I know that you can get away with this but the question is to the safety of the unit when the actual headlight is burning not just being used as a stand alone turn signal.
Sealed beams were introduced in 1940 and quickly became mandatory. Bulb type headlights were made illegal except for pre 1940 cars. So every car maker switched to sealed beams in 1940 or 1941 at the latest.
My original 1938 headlamp reflectors have an amber bulb just below the headlight bulb as an unshielded unit. I'm just guessing that the amber bulb is the turn signal. Truck has factory turn signals, but maybe those front amber bulbs are not front turn signals? I don't really know.
Crosley had the pre 40' bulbs up to at least 47' and maybe through 48..When converted to sealed beam the parking light had to be installed as a separate unit..
Pretty sure no cars had turn signals until the 50's. Those amber bulbs in your headlights are the parking lights (driving lights). They were the same as cowl lights in the early 30's.
Turn signals were optional or add on on most cars before about 1954; more expensive makes got them standard before cheaper ones. Sealed beams came about in 1940 and then a lot of aftermarket kits could be had to convert older headlights to use them. Some went so far as to cast an alternate bezel for the late 30s cars with fancier lens setups. 37-38 Ford and 39 Plymouth a**** others.
I know in the sixties some European cars with quartz halogen lights were illegal. They had to change them to sealed beams to sell in the US. Many expensive European cars of the sixties and seventies have different headlights in the US version. They did eventually change the law.
Buick introduced the turn signal in 1939. Of course the signal unit was located in the center of the trunk rather than outboard in the rear.
Good article from the Old Motor states August of 1939 was when the Sealed Beams came out. I ***ume 1940 Autos came with the new system but there may have been stragglers.....Jeff http://theoldmotor.com/?p=119348
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