Hi, My new Model A project has 39 Chev headlight buckets installed by the P/O. I love the look, but the headlight mounts are shot and the trim rings and lenses are long gone. Does anyone know if standard 7" Dietz rings and sealed beams will fit the 39 buckets? Thanks!
Call DiOrio's Old GM Parts. Joe has old trim rings and lenses for the '39 buckets so you can convert them to whatever you want internally, but still have them look original. Rod runs the counter and can help you. Tell him Vall sent you. Phone: +1 503-771-9416 I converted my stock '39 headlights, but kept the rest looking original on my '39 Coupe. All junkyard parts that cost me $10 to do the job.
@1971BB427 Good thinking to up grade bulb to modern bulb .. Just asking , did you play / experiment With bulb depth in relation to Flutes ? It affects the quality of the beam .. Model As the bulb was adjustable Moving inward and outward from the Flutes. The Drakes corrected the bulb location Over first one's that used 9004 & 6
It seems I saw a nice tutorial on that conversion that @1971BB427 posted. Maybe he could link that here.
GM used Guide lights during that period, so I'm sure Guide or BLC trim rings will fit. They fit my 37 poncho lights fine
In answer to both questions. I simply found a 1980's GM car (Pontiac or Buick?) that was hit up front and headlights broken. But the reflectors weren't hurt, so I broke them out and the yard charged me $5 for the broken reflectors and sockets with lamps. I think lamps were H7 style? Once I cut out the sockets with a holesaw I JB Welded the cut down reflectors to the back and added the 4 rivets to ensure it stayed together. I bought the 1157 repair sockets for about $2.50 each and drilled another hole for those also. They snapped into the hole, but I bent the tabs over to ensure they never came out either. As for flutes and bulb depth, I just held the new reflector up to the back of my '39 reflectors and the shape matched perfectly for contour, so I gambled they'd be correct. And once I put it all together they worked perfect, except being a little whiter than originals. I simply bought different lamps and plugged them in that had a little more yellowish color like old cars to make them perfect. They look like old headlamps, but a lot brighter now!
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