1952-59 Ford 53 headlight rings???

Ok so I know its a stupid question but I have been told that my headlight rings are pot metal and I can't weld them in to French them. However if you check my build thread I have stripped all the paint and primer and they look like steel to me. My buddy tells me don't try and buy the frenching kit. But from what I have read here that some use the 53/54 headlight rings to French.

Can I just French my OE headlights without having to spend money and get a kit? I so much would rather use the money else where.


Please help...

Thanks in advance,

Chris

 

Ok nevermind then lol.

 

The '54 headlight rings are pot metal. '53 are steel. If they are '53 you should be able to weld them.

 

53's are steel and they won't even fit a 54 fender because of the peak on the side on 54 fenders.

 

I had a 51 ford afew years ago. I used fibergl*** matting on mine and its stiil there ...just my 2cents

 

There are peaks on the '54 ford fender that aren't technically compatible with the '52-3 ford/merc rings, however they're custom cars.

Night prowlers sells re-pop bezels and stainless rings. You can try and use panel bond adhesive, but they'll ghost around the seam.

 

I welded my 53 headlight rings on with no problems.
More to frenching then just the welding. See how to at
http://www.customcarforums.com/
Contact me if you have any questions.

 

You can also use velcro to keep the stainless rings in, fwiw.

 

sweet! thanks ill check that out! thanks you guys!

 

I used '53 Mercury rings on my '54. Re-formed them with the peaks, welded, frenched. I think they look pretty good. Tried using panel adhesive on the pot metal '54 rings, just couldn't get rid of the "ghost" lines between the ring and fender.

 

Im leading my rings and fenders. thanks to my 75.00 score on oxy/acet torch set up with bottles on CL!