Good day all, I have a 1931 Model that I am finishing building into a hotrod for my brother. (He is no longer on this earth.) The '31 is completely stock, except for the rolling ch***is which he built. The body is metal stock. He purchased a bunch of parts for the hot rod (he knew what he wanted) and since he is no longer with us some of the parts I an not sure where he purchased them from. I have a dropped light bar but trying to fit it is a ******, it is about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch off, the dropped light bar holes don't line up. I have to push down on the fenders to get the dropped bar holes to line up. (and it's still not lined up enough) The stock original light bar fits perfect. 1) is this a common issue? 2) I could heat it and bend it, has anyone tried this? 3) any recommendations for purchasing (another) dropped bar from someone/company? I spoke with Speedway Motors and they said i could try perhaps the '32 dropped bar to see if it would fit better and return it if it didn't fit. 4) Suggestions? Thank you, Darrell 22 Dec 2023 Mahalo folks for all your feed back. The tips and links are very informative. It is much appreciated! I will use the links provided to do more research. (Perhaps purchase another dropped bar?) Since I currently have a new dropped bar. I think we will try to bend the dropped bar using heat. The holes are off by around a half inch. And my Model A expert who restores Model As and builds hotrods advised me since the bar is made of stainless I should heat it up and bend it on each end by the flange a 1/4". He advised to simply insert a couple of nuts and bolts on the flanges; place it in a vice; heat it up and bend it. (Since it's stainless the heat won't damage it and it should polish up fine once done.) Aloha, Mele Kalikimaka, Hauoli Makahiki Hou, Darrell
Sounds like its the wrong bar. It must be a 30/31 to fit. Unless the stock bar has been modified to fit the new ch***is
I bought a Speedway '30-'31 bar and had the same issue. Put it in my press to bend it and found it was hollow and bent REAL easy! Try just bending it around a barrel or a big pipe or something. It'll work. Dave
CW Moss shows one https://cwmoss.com/products/dropped-headlight-bar-street-rod-style?currency=USD&variant=31503169650731&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&stkn=84a2ee9e6111#details I'm thinking that it is the same one that is made by United Pacific https://www.ebay.com/itm/143478490157?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:1pdfK9hYJT3yKkP1BgUAz-Q93&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=143478490157&targetid=1644837434363&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9033112&poi=&campaignid=20125739985&mkgroupid=149128855676&rlsatarget=pla-1644837434363&abcId=9312975&merchantid=138375163&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5vjAj-efgwMVdBOtBh15VwsyEAQYBSABEgI2pPD_BwE Yogis sells a chrome Vintique brand one. https://www.ebay.com/itm/3323306083...JAdy5ca8f7fmoY_DAo1S95jyA_O8dd741z6YaD9i5WdmM I agree with the man down the road from me, if you are going to try to put a bit more bend in the bar to take up that extra length be very gentle.
Good day Dave, "mahalo" for the feedback. Luckily I have a source here in Tacoma that is a wealth of knowledge on model As. (John Hash) and he has been consulting me on my many questions. He also recommended using heat to bend it...
Good day Mr48vhev, mahalo for the feedback. I did speak with Speedway Motors and the guy wasn't much help accept to re***ure me the lengths i had were correct. He did mention that the dropped bars sold by other folks are probably the same as theirs as they are built by the same company or companies...
I wouldn't use heat to bend that light stainless tube. I researched that and more and decided heat would discolor it and found it was not needed at all. Bends VERY easily which is why I think they are flattened when one gets them shipped. Wouldn't take much mishandling to do that. Dave
Hi Dave, Thanks for the advice... we will thread lightly when we heat it up. Haven't decided which way we are going with this issue. The dropped bar appears solid and is stainless so applying heat to it should work but we will go easy to start off. The way I look at it if we mess it up we can use it as an "art piece".
They are solid on the ends but hollow all the way from headlight mount to headlight mount. I say don't heat it. Dave
With out pics ,just guessing & correct bar, its much easer to install bar with fender brackets loose on both side of frame & fenders , I install this way on As & 32s
It was a ****** getting my stock 32 bar to fit I loosened fender and fender supports, jiggled everything until it fit. All fell together like it came from Dearborn
I'm going to ***ume that you don't have an original in good shape to compare it to. The one I have is "wreck damaged" From when the 31 Vic I had got wrecked 50 years before I ever saw it. Someone might have a good one close at hand that they can measure though.
I had a similar experience on a 31 Victoria years ago. You can screw around and bend, and heat forever, and you may never get the bar to fit right. This is how I did it. 1. Make a frame out of s**** square tubing, with little angled pieces near the bottom that will pick up on the original headlight bar mounting surface. Make sure the feet of the headlight bar fits the pieces. 2. Drill and tap holes in the pieces, and mount them to your existing headlight bar, and then weld the pieces into the square tubing frame you built. 3. Now you have a home base that represents the dimensions of the headlight bar that fits the car. 4. Now you can start to mount the new headlight bar in the framework, and immediately see what is required to make the new bar fit your car. 5. Bend, heat, cuss, porta power, jack, push, heat, cuss... When all the holes line up, and you can screw in the bolts to the framework fixture, your new headlight bar will be identical to the old one dimensionally. That's how I did it years ago. Good luck.
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