All depends on what you're after...if you want a 'period correct' 60's build, then I'd locate as many 1960's photos as possible and study/copy every detail. I doubt you'll find many early-to-mid 60's rods running large non-sealed beam headlights...but if 'nostaliga' is your thing then you've got some "creative license". Best of luck, hope to see more of your project!
I went the opposite way. I run early A headlights on my '32. I like the smaller size, the shape (may have something to do with my fondness for perky*****s) and the flat lens. DrJ is right about smaller lights in the late '50s and 60's.
Fixxxr I don't think that the era matters at all, guys have always used what they could get or afford. Maybe for instance the best looking car I had ever seen in a magazine was running King Bees, but what I had were deuce lights, even though I thought that the King bees were****s, I would be running deuce lights because I would much rather be running then waiting to have enough money to run. I think that a big point that we have a tendency to miss we meaning me and anyone else that is willing to own up to it is that hot rods have always been economy and supply driven. Your don't eat porterhouse on a bologna budget.
I never cared much for those smaller lights even way back when. I like the larger lights. I think the 32 version is the perfect size. I believe they will look good on your A. Anything at all just about will beat those hideously grotesque looking E&J things that some people seem to think look good.
I always liked the big '32 headlights b/c they were reminiscent of the big Classic era cars, like Bentleys and Duesenbergs and Lincolns. I never could understand why 98% of all '32 hot rod owners went with the smallest lights they could get; but then again when the industry switched to sealed beams, that's what became the standard. The only look I absolutely could not stand was the brief 70's fad for square headlights on rods.
Don, I hate to admit it but I do like the look of a Deuce commercial light on an old hot rod. But I also have a soft spot for King Bees, I think that each light has its own requirements as far as rod style and one or the other will just look out of place on the wrong build.
I put 32 headlights on my model A roadster, but I put everything else 32 on it that I could think of also. Headlights on early Fords is like cup size on women. The bigger the better.
I was initially going to use 36 Ford headlights, but they were physically too big for my setup, the tires hit them. So I found an early set of autolamp model 101's. I think they look much better.
Can you share a pic of what the lights look like from the side of the truck? I like the old school look of where you put them too. I'm wanting a light like what I had decades ago on a 50s built full fender car, but don't know what brand they were. Right now I have the long bullet shaped BLC, and they don't look right for my taste. .
'Searchlites' on rods. Might as well be pizzas. Arrow, Dietz, King Bee...Hot Rod headlights. Fog lamp housings and 5.5" sealed beam 2 filament lamps are for 'LEGAL' class drag street roadsters. E&J...Not for anything I can imagine. Unless it's Gallo. That's some good table wine.
You got that right Don,add me to the E&J headlights are fugly bunch. I will say the only time I liked them is when I was cleaning out a storage building and found a pair and sold them for a nice chunk of change on E-gay. I knew I wasn't going to use them and I was hoping for a hundred bucks or so,,,3 guys kept bidding them up till two said uncle. HRP
It seems to me that “Back in the Day” Hot Rods were really about going fast with rods earthier built to run at the dry lakes etc. or built to look like they were built for the lakes. It wouldn’t be too big a leap to think that if your build was about speed you would want the smaller headlights. Just a thought, I wasn’t around in the 40’s LoL.
I would like to see what the difference is between the 32 comm headlights and the standard ones. On my ‘28 I am installing 30-31 headlights because I personally like the shape of the later headlights better.
The '32 commercial lights are the same as the standard ones except regular steel instead of stainless. The rims are still stainless. Charlie Stephens
I'm with HRP, I like the Big**** Head Lights & Yes and on women Too. I have used them on all my 32 Ford builds & my 34 Ford pick-up . The only problem is they do not broadcast the light very far . Jerry Drye from North Carolina
On my 12 volt AVATAI have the "brite" (their spelling) bulbs from Ron Francis wireworks and original reflectors resilvered. If you are using reproduction reflectors they may be slightly off shape. Charlie Stephens
The Jalopy Journal
