History Why spotlights?

What's a cigarette lighter? Do you mean the accessory data port?

 

The company gave us those plugin spotlights after they quit putting them on supervisors rigs ( Small blazers). Had a magnet base. Set em on top of rig if needed and spot light on pole to fix/climb if needed. Guess they drew too many amps. Caught the whole dash on fire-one went up totally in flames! End of those.

 

I thought they were for spotting deer when hunting at night. Oh wait, never mind......

 

I always thought it was for spotting deer. That is what my dad did with his. It was a yearly tradition to go spotting farmers fields every year before hunting season. May be a Penna. thing. That was with his Merc's after that we used a handheld. Still happens to this day.

 

They made sense to me from a utilitarian standpoint on a pickup, work rig, Jeep, etc., but on a cruiser...
Eeeew! Too damned much clutter on many otherwise nice cars. No thanks...

 

I am a fan of spotlights and side pipes. I see a lot of “ruins the lines” comments. Not sure where that comes from. Probably because so many cheap, fake sets were bolted on. When I get around to it, I will get a functional set of both. Not a must-have either way, but they certainly are traditional.

 

I was 12 in 1958 when my cousin bought a 56 Ford triple black convert with skirts,flipper wheel covers,and small functional spots.That car turned heads everywhere we went. Can’t remember anyone *****ing about the spotlights “ ruining “ the looks of that car. Plenty of what’s referred to as a mild customs back then had spots along with full length “lakers”

 

They were a pretty big fad in L.A. in the '50's but they had to be turned down toward the cowl. If the light was pointed ahead you looked like a ****.

 

****s same as dagmars. With the spot you could reach out the window and get a handful.

 

And not get slapped!

 

getting alspped was part of the fun. Hell it still is.

 

...........or when you were out bushwhacking your friends on the country roads.

 

Here is a thought. The absolute most popular spots with the old custom crowd (Appletons) were non-functional. Looks were what it was about not function.

 

Appletons were functional. Both 112's and 552's, the most commonly used, are fully functional.

 

I thought I remember reading that in some states they were illegal, except for police & fire, that kind of thing. Definitely useful out in the sticks.

For a while “million candle power” spots were a thing with long haul truckers. I found out the hard way many years ago. Had a misaimed headlight that I was too lazy to readjust, was driving somewhere out West on two lane blacktop in one of those Large Square States and kept getting flashed from somebody two counties over.

About 15 minutes later just before we p***ed, he let that thing off right in my face. The whole cab exploded in light. Jeeze Louise! LOL! I could see the bones in my fingers with my eyes closed as I covered my eyes.

yeah, I got my headlights aimed properly after that

 

Old guy I see driving in my town has twin dummy spots on a late nineties Sable.

 

It's like when you got a new bicycle as a kid and you just had to dress it out like Pee-Wee Herman.

 

Because not many people have an authentic matched pair of Appleton 552's.

 

Well I did that in 1956 when for my 12th birthday I got the down payment for a new Western Auto boy’s 26” base model. I was delivering papers and cutting lawns and everything beyond my bicycle payment money went into accessories. Chrome fenders, mirrors, brodie knob with pin up girl inside, mud flaps, chrome leaping grey hound on front fender, seat bag, chrome caps on axle ends and more! Did not have a clue in those days about PeeWee Herman.

Two years later I stripped that bike of ALL the claptrap down to bare frame and wheels….the bicycle equivalent of a ‘29 A Roadster Highboy…..in my mind, anyway!

Ray

edit: see related post #57 below

 

I'm not a fan of the dummy spots but do like seeing the real deal on a nice custom car.
I've got a pair that will be going on my '50 Plymouth.
Kinda feels like it's a way to keep the old school way of customizing going...
To each their own though. I've seen some nice customs without them too...

 

All my bikes were stripped down POS, I was all go no show too Ray.

 

I think they're just a fad started by the cops.

 

Spotlights, especially dummy, look like *** on a car to me. First thing I did when I stripped my Buick was to weld that hole shut! I don't like them on any car. Dumb.

 

In my part of PA, spotlighting on someone's property may find the "deer" taking pot-shots at your vehicle. It is not a well respected practice.

 

I gotta tell y'all, I'm in the dark on this.

 

My 'new bike' came AFTER a less au****ious start about two years before. My first bicycle was a bare frame with wheels, but no tires, a chain, but missing the master link. It was given to me by a sympathetic neighbor. I had no money for tires and tubes and family money was tight. I took an old garden hose and wrapped it around the rims for tires, fastened with baling wire through the 'sidewall' of the hose and over the rim and twisted with a pliers. Used the baling wire to make a 'master link', which was truly the 'weak link' and broke with some regularity. So, I carried a pliers and some baling wire to replace it as required. The obvious shortcomings of this contraption were a struggle and after, maybe a few weeks or very little more, I retired it (no pun intended). This an absolutely true and unembellished story.

Next up, maybe a year later, was a well used 20" model given to me by a kid who wanted out of his paper route, but I had no (usable) bike. So his parents agreed he could give his old bike to enable me to take over the route.

Now, here is the kicker, actually a prequel. On the eve of my 12th birthday, the brother of this same kid, who also was a good friend, stayed over at my house for a small b'day party. The next morning I was giving him a ride home, riding double, and he got his foot caught in the front wheel spokes. We both went *** over teakettle, not seriously injured, but the bike was a mess. Front wheel spokes both broken and bent and the wheel twisted. I needed a bike, pronto!

That was when the story in my post #49, above, began.....

Ray

 

As a young guy I dig spotlights because they are goofy contemporary accessories that cars don't have anymore. Same reason I kept the cigarette lighter in my other car even though I will never smoke, and certainly not in the car. Part of the charm of older cars is that they have features that seem pointless or anachronistic today. Beyond that I think they look kind of sinister on the right car. They aren't must-haves but I think if I built a custom it would have dual spotlights.

 

Very eloquently stated, and I agree!

 

Guess I will have to cut the fins off my Caddy, because, like dummy spotlights, they don't do much either.