So, with Visa card in hand, I called Gennie Shifter----

And ordered up a polished stainless, dropped and V'eed headlight bar for the Wild Canary this morning. (V'eed to clear the 32 grillshell) Ever since I built the car, there has been something that looked just a bit "off" about the front of the car. Although the headlight bar I used (a Henry original) sets level, one end of it has more bend in it than the other. --I really should have noticed this when I built the car, because I had to redrill the 2 holes in the fender support bracket on the drivers side, about 1" lower than their stock position to get the bar to set level. (This means that when I install the new bar, I'm probably going to have to "move" 2 holes in the friggin fender and repaint the area---Damn, damn, damn!!! ) I just put in a bid for a set of original forged front fender brackets on E-Bay, and if I "win" the bid, I'll be all ready for a mid winter project. Wish me luck guys!!!---Brian

 

Be advised that there are at least 2 different forged front fender brackets, 28-29 and 30 and most didn't fit that well on the assembly line.

 

Pasadenahotrod---I know, but these things seem to be scarcer than hens teeth!!! If I am lucky, they will be the right ones, and all will be well. If they are the wrong ones, I subscribe to the adage that with a big enough hammer and lots of oxy acetylene, I can make anything fit anything.

 

doesnt sound like ya need it but ill wish ya luck anyway!

 

Keep us up to date on this, would be a nice little tech piece to check it out.

 

Well, so far I like this 1-800-hotrodding. The headlight bar came in this morning, and it really looks like a quality piece. I had to run out and do a quick mock-up, and this is what it looks like---and what it cost. As near as I can tell, it will drop the headlights about 5" and move them about 2" towards the front of the car, but will keep them the same distance apart as before.

 

300+???? wow. like you said, some metal and oxy/acc, you can make that.

 

Hi Brian, it's DW Horton... I didn't know you were on here! Your car looks great.

Looks like Paul gave you a deal on shipping

 

your whole drivers side fender is drooping
i wouldnt install anything new untill you figure that out

 

Sorry guy, but you are wrong!!! Tape measure and 60" level confirm that top of fender, lip of fender, and top of frame are dead nuts level. The "crooked" issue is with the healight bar.

 

A good friend of mine over on another board is a photoshop wizard, and he added the new bar and moved the headlights down onto it. I really hope it looks that good when I actually get to doing it!!!!---Brian

 

Looks great man! It will be worth the time and the 300. I like your pinstripping too!

 

Damn!!! Damn!!! Damn!!! Some slippery slug sneaked onto e-bay after I went to bed last night and outbid me by $1 friggin dollar and won the fender support brackets I wanted. Surely one of you old die hard model A rodders must have a set of 28 or 29 forged front fender support brackets that you can sell me for this project---Huh??? Huh??? Send me an email.---Brian

 

I have a set of 30-31s but that doesnt help ya

 

Everyone who gets outbid, gets outbid by $1.

 

Okay, I'm gettin' desperate now!!! Time to pull out my stock of "things to trade for fender support brackets". Here we have an original 30/31 chrome radiator shell, which some NOB has spray painted flat black at some point in the ancient past, and a really nice steel front 30/31 splash apron that I walked a hundred miles thru the mud to purchase at the Barrie flea market 4 years ago. (That was before I realized that there was a difference in the 28/29 and 30/31 splash aprons). I also will throw in a slightly lopsided original model A headlight bar which currently resides on the front of my car. If someone wants to trade, I will trade all that for a set of 28/29 original fender support brackets. (I am holding in reserve, one slightly used 3 year old Tomcat which is declawed, and a 24 year old daughter (who I hope hasn't been used much), although she still has her claws and should at least be worth a rebuilt smallblock).---Brian (daughter has refused to be photographed)

 

It's a true story. That's why I'll sit up and watch it the last hour. I'm a master at ebay sniping.

 

I Won!!! I won!!! I won!!!! In fact, I think I've won twice. I just won a set in an Ebay auction, and a gentleman from California is sending me a set in trade for my old headlight bar. This feels so good!!! I will keep the best set for my project, and flog the others on ebay again, or else put them with my other "extra" model A Ford parts for future trading value. Im so thrilled that I get to keep my tomcat---not so sure about the daughter--no, no, I didn't really say that---

 

$5 for the daughter, you pay shipping!

 

Lil' Billy---I see by your profile that your the right age----come on up to Canada and get her.--Gotta warn you though---she's Hell on groceries and spends a lot on clothes and shoes---and she's a lot meaner than the tomcat!!!

 

Does anybody know what the story is in regards to the material these things are made of? I see that people refer to the 28/29 series brackets as being cast, while they are calling the 30/31 series "forged".--And I have seen either 30 or 31 original equipment braces that are made from a pressed steel similar to the aftermarket ones that I am currently using. Its been many, many, years since I had a whole darn bunch of model A Fords during my high school years, and to be honest, the fender support brackets aren't something that you pay that much attention to.---Brian

 

I thought the 28-28 were forged and the 30-31 were stamped? By the way Brian I have a jig to re bend a bars. That coulda saved you 300 bucks and it woulda fit like it shoulda but you wouldnt have all this fun either
Dave

 

Jusjunk---I could have rebent the bar myself, bur Hell, I wanted something shiny and high zoot for this winters garage project. I don't have a problem with shiny peices and a touch of billet here and there.

 

Me either.. Sometimes shiny is a lot less work..
Dave

 

Okay---I didn't plan on doing this untill mid winter, but my new friend in California who wants my headlight bar wants it NOW!!! (Can't say as I blame him.) I have had a couple of requests to make this into a tech article, so here are the first disassembly shots. There is a bit of a secret disclosed here---When you buy a set of the flexible stainless steel headlight wire covers like I used, they supply you with a nice rubber grommet to put in the side of your grillshell, but nothing to attach it to the hollow threaded bolt that that holds the headlight bucket onto the headlight bar. However there is a ferrule that will slide up over the end of this 1/2" diameter hollow bolt, where it extends down past the nut that holds everything together. Once I had everything wired properly, and tested, I mixed up some really thick 2-part epoxy, coated the outside of the 1/2" bolt (below the nut) with it, slid the ferrule over it, and taped it into place with masking tape for an hour. Once the tape is removed, it makes a really clean installation. This has worked fine for the last 3 years, but has given me reason to learn a whole new set of words while taking things back apart. Actually, it came apart easier than I thought it would, without wrecking anything. I always splice the wires inside the bucket, as you can not get 3 wires with splices down thru that flexible conduit. Also, as you can see, I always solder my wire connections, then sleeve them with shrink wrap, then use some black electrical tape over that (I wear a belt and suspenders too). I have color coded the wires with some red and black magic marker (this doesn't show up real well in the pictures) because I have to "unsolder" the wires to get the headlight buckets off, and when I get the new headlight bar back on, I don't want to play "guess and blow fuses" when I hook the headlights back up again.---And for those of you who were commenting on the pinstriping on my fenders, I put a shot of my dash in there too).----Brian

 

Hi Brian

It's probably just me.......but I would think about removing the Bumper Bar now that you have lowered your Lights.......Just a nice S/S Spreader Bar or a couple of nice fancy Nurf Bars.

 

pvcerod---Personal taste, my friend. (and road safety laws in Ontario, Canada). I wanted to maintain a lot of the original Model A Ford flavour with this build, hence the original gas tank filler still on the cowL and the Model A Ford front bumper.

 

Okay---Headlights are now dismounted, and I am going to show another great hotrod secret. This is why I was able to undo the headlight bolts without desroying anything, even though they were coated with epoxy to attach the headlight wire covers.----Anti-Seize compound. I swear by this stuff---I use it on virtually everything that bolts together on a hotrod. Because I know (thru bitter experience) that EVERYTHING you assemble on a hotrod is going to have to come apart again sooner or later. And, no, grease just doesn't cut it. In the ancient past I used to use grease on things that I assembled, then 5 years later found I had to use breaker bars, cold chissels, and oxy-acetylene to get the damned things apart. This Anti-seize compound seems to last forever!!!

 

And here is a picture of the existing fender brace in place---you can see where the inside of my tire has been scrubbing it on real severe "parking lot" turns. For those of you who never really thought about it, the two bolts and nuts that you see in the picture are the same 2 bolts that hold the headlight bar in place. The fender itself is sandwiched in between the headlight bar and the fender support bracket.

 

So there ya go, my new California friend!!! As soon as the original front fender support brackets that you are sending to me get here, the headlight bar is ready to see that warm California sun!!!