Headlight Frenching Kits Suck!!!

oh yeah, those kits DO ****, but if that's the only thing "wrong" with an otherwise *****in car, does that just wreck everything about the perception of the car from then on? I mean, it can be fixed.[/QUOTE]

For me it does, just as do subframes/ frame swaps with slightly messed up tire location, gm steering columns, headrests, shaved rain gutters-for most cars, 54 chevy grill with parking lights in a merc, when chopped shoeboxes dont have the rear quarter window rounded in the back, modern car looking mirrors, and the list go on with other little stupid things, not saying my car is perfect or anything.

 

why doesn't anyone do their headlights like this anymore?

 

All the things you just mentioned about what makes a car "wrong" I agree with.
However, I started a thread a while ago about how much this fancy-shmancy 49 Merc some family took me to see really let me down: Corvette mirrors, mural paint job, 79-80 Caddy Tail Lights, etc., etc., and I was FLOORED by the amount of negative commentary I got for daring to criticize the man's ride. I didn't even do it to his face, just commented on the HAMB, and I guess after the tirade of comments (some intelligent, some downright ignorant) I thought about it and decided that if I took off the cheesy side mirrors, billet bling, and late 70's Caddy taillights, I would be left with a great old car.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I now try to see the car(s) like I look at kinda-cute girls. They may not be perfect from the front, but they are downright edible from behind.

 

i just dont understand how this can be pleasing to people

Shot at 2007-07-09
when you can have these

Shot at 2007-07-09

Shot at 2007-07-10

Shot with E4300 at 2007-07-10

Shot at 2007-07-09

Shot at 2007-07-09

Shot at 2007-07-09
Shot at 2007-07-09
Shot at 2007-07-09

Shot at 2007-07-09
thats a few

 

alright im really stupid, for 58 lincoln headlights i forgot to use my favorite car as an example

Shot at 2007-07-09

 

When I hear "kit", I throw up in my mouth a little----

 

You know, the kits are really dumb, and I agree with everyone on here. Recessed headlights, (frenched persay) I kinda like them. Not on that car though. On my 49 Ford, they will be pushed in, a tad, but not to the extent, or have a chrome ring on them like that, its going to look like it is all part of the body like it should.

Thats just my .02

 

I purchased a 51 ford project that has those on it. They just don't look right to me. I'm looking for a decent, complete 49 or 50 front clip anyway, so if anyone wants a deal on these just let me know, I can sawzall them off for ya

 

Those Hagen kits look like that old broad that used to be on the GAP commercials!
With the huge eyegl***es.

 

Looks like they are in abowl not frenched, and by the way the Ford ones don't look like the ones on that Chevy. You can buy a kit from Night Prowlers that work sweet. Take care, Rags

 

I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING SAID HERE. THESE KITS LOOK AWFUL. THE DON'T EVEN LOOK FRENCHED AT ALL.

AND WHAT THE HECK IS UP WITH JUST TUNNELING HEADLIGHTS PAIT THE CHROME HEADLIGHT RING AND LETTING IT STICK OUT THERE LIKE A ****** ON A COLD DAY....

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO FRENCHING LIKE THIS (PIC REPOSTED FOR triplexkustoms)

CAN SOMEONE DO A TECH ON HOW TO ACHIEVE THIS PERFECTION??

 

She was actually on Old Navy ads and she's dead, RIP, and I wish Hagan kids would depart this mortal coil too.

They look like some sort of Chinese cooking utensil to me.

 

Okay, shoot me., but I was wondering what they might look like if that conical trim piece was either flat black or body colored.Could be nice
FWIW that car in the first post is beautiful and the french kit seems appropriate there.

 

I agree, here is another BAD example.




The worst part about this is that some folks thought this was my car. It most certianly is NOT.

This is mine and I frenched the lights like the Merc in triplexcustoms
post.



BB

 

Wow. The the pics posted by Bob K prove the point, Perfectly. No more comment is needed, IMO.

 

Damn Jay....I think out of your 531 posts, better than 250 of them are about the Hagan headlights. I might just buy a brand new kit and bring it to Lead East so you can smash em...let out the Hagan-agression.

 

I did mine the old fashioned way.......... Merc rings from a swap meet!
Wife loves them, says she like "innies" better than "outies"

Well, thats not a great pic, have them ***embled now. Need more pics I guess..

 

I agree with notpete here, could someone post a step-by-step tech thread on how to "correctly" french headlights? I picked up a set of complete headlights(rings,buckets)from a 53-54 pontiac for my 40, not sure if I want to use these or something else. later shawn

 

I think that people who by "kits" do it for one of two reasons:
They don't possess the confidence to undertake certain modifications "alone". Buying a kit - at least tells you it's been done before and someone else has figured out the "hard stuff" for you.

-or-

They believe it will save them time or money and justify the cost that way.


To each their own.

 

check out this http://kingkustomstemecula.com/wst_page13.html
clean work..IMO.
any one have pictures of 53-54 buick headlight trim on a 49-51 ford shoebox?

 

Why the distinction of it being "human"?

Are other forms more acceptable?

I don't care for the person in question myself, but the description really caught me....

dv

 

the problem with these headlights i think is that some people just cant tell the difference but little do they know they are making a huge mistake, there needs to be Hagen headlight awareness week on here or something. Point out the bowlness/conical shape and stuff.
And no there is no way possible to make those things look good, there is no way you can hide how it makes the headlight look small.

 

I stick with the '54 Merc rings.... Thank You

 

Hagen Awareness Week hahahahaha Friends don't let friends buy dumb parts. hahahaha

 

The Hagens are enough to make the French call them Americaning Kits.

 

For those that are asking "how to", there was a pretty decent article in R&C a few years back. They did it on a early 50's Chevy. Fairly simple:
remove rings, buckets, etc.
reverse the clips that the buckets screw into (so the "threaded" side is on the outside of the fender.
Grind or cut of the lip of the bucket. You can now take the bucket and install it from inside the fender and screw it to the reversed clips.
test match the trim ring to the fender using masking tape, if all fits you can then start spot welding the ring to the fender.
Go slowly and keep going around until it's welded up.
clean up welds and finish with some light body work.

 

HAHA i didn't think anyone actually bought those damn 'kits'....ugh i feel dirty just sayin it.

 

Even better than that, you can drill some holes and weld 3 or 4 1/4" bolts in so that they're even easier to take off. Those screw clips can rust out real bad over the course of 50 years and rather than re-order them, just eliminate them.

 

[/QUOTE]

Excuse my ignorance here, but on this car the headlights are not "Frenched", IMO.

According to Bill Hines, the term "Frenched" came from the look of men's cuffed shirts back in the day, that had cuffs on them that were rounded out and starched. "French Cuffed Shirts". They had a "tunneled" look around the wrists.

As such, "Frenched" headlights to me, display a bit of a tunnel effect in terms of how far back the headlights sit. They are set back a bit, to different degrees depending on the taste of the builder. The headlights in effect are set back in their openings from 1-3" or so.

The car in the pic above would therefore have "flushed" lights, where the headlights were reworked to sit flush in the fender opening. I would not look at this car and think it had "Frenched" lights, although I would stand back and admire it's beauty.

Am I the only one thinking this? I think the term "Frenched" has lost it's perspective in relation to what it originally came to mean.

But I can be ****.

The other pics I've included from this thread are what I believe are what one could consider an example of "Frenched".........The Hagens are in a league of their own.

 

What gives you the right to post a picture of a guy's car and bash the hell out of it? I hate posts like this. The guy had a dream like we all do and busted his *** and checkbook to build it. Five star rating my ***. The guy had a dream or vision in his head.He built it to the best of his ability. I am sure he did not build it because he wanted your thumbs up. What a DIP**** ....