So at this point, I am waiting on the two solar collectors with the 16 feet of white LED'S to arrive in the mail. Once that happens, I will be able to know where to drill the holes in the top of the tail light's, for the stanchion post of the collector to be attached. Plus getting all of the LED'S tucked into the housing on each tail light, so that the tail lights will light up. Stay tuned for the developing evolution of this cool piece of functional automotive art. Thanks from Dennis.
Well, a small bit of progress to report today. Looked in the files of stuff I have and found a cool older style MOBIL Pegasus sticker, so I stuck that on the on the sheet metal cover that John Harwood made. I have other MOBIL Pegasus things as well that I have collected, so it made sense to keep with the theme, so to speak. I am anxious to get the new solar collectors that are coming in the mail. Patience is a virtue indeed! In the mean time, I am shopping for a cool 20" aluminum spoke bicycle wheel to do some fabrication to, for the base plate that the stalk of the headlight bucket will rest in. Here is a glimpse of some of the other solar powered items in our front yard that are attached to a vintage Cessna T-50 Bobcat Fuselage. Stay tuned fellow HAMBER'S for the latest update's as to how this magical mystery tour will evolve! Thanks from Dennis.
Geez Dennis, I had NO IDEA that the cool COE headlight project was destined to be an addition to a much larger and impressive grandiose display. WOW!!!
Hey @hotrodjack33 Hey Brother, you know dam good and well, that you have stated that you have a pair of those FORD COE headlights, and you and I both know, that time is running out, as we have no idea of how much sand is in our hour glass! I would hope that this little build, has been inspirational to you, and that potentially, you will do something cool with those headlights. Go for it Jack, think outside of the traditional box, you are a hell of an artist, and you have superior skills no doubt! It will be interesting to see what you do with those FORD COE headlights. This little project sure has opened up my eyes and mind, as to what can be done with older truck head light buckets and cool tail lights as well. Everyone's results may vary! Thanks from Dennis.
LOL Dennis. Naw, any attempt to modify my headlights would most certainly pale in comparison to the design you've come up with...besides, I'm kinda busy finishing up another Murray Dipside Pedal Car to be given away at my club's annual car show (I do up a pedal car every year).
Hey Jack. As stated, " YOU have superior skill's " That is a magnificent piece of cool retro art you have created. Just because its a little pedal car, doesn't mean it doesn't deserve to have attention paid to detail! I am truly impressed at the overall looks of that great little pedal car! Even more impressive is the concept of its going to be given away! Bravo indeed, I totally get that concept! Thanks from Dennis.
Thanks for the kind words Dennis...although I just consider myself as a "hack" that just happens to be good at a few things. I find that folks that are really creative tend to be a little odd...at least that's the excuse I use for my demeanor. It's a thin line between art and insanity...and I think you KNOW which side of the line guys like us fall
So fellow artistically minded HAMBER'S, a bit of slight distraction and entertainment, while I am waiting for the solar collectors for the tail lights, to arrive in the mail. The lower winged section of this old hood ornament, was all pitted and bought at the Portland swap meet years ago, for $5.00. What ever car it was from, and what ever was originally in the center section, that piece was missing, so that is why it was sold for cheap. I had it sitting around here, outside exposed to the elements, and I finally got around to using steel wool on it the best I could, to try to revive some of the luster, that was lost, long ago. The ultra cool ball with the hole in the middle of it, is a huge center section from a big industrial ball valve. It already had a tiny pilot hole in the notch, and it was easy to drill a bigger hole, that matched the size of the hole that was already in the bottom of the wing section, from the factory. A simple long bolt, and topped off with an acorn nut, and there you have it, in all of its futuristic space nerd glory! The encircling ring, is nothing more than a bezel from a lighting fixture, for a recessed fixture for over head lighting. It was never my intention to have it remotely look like the "STAR SHIP" Enterprise, from the T.V. show Star Trek, but it kind of does. Every ones results may vary. The really cool thing is, the ball can be rotated with out having to loosen up the acorn nut, reason being is, the curvature of the ball, never losses contact with the wing while still being tight. Now that is cool. I figured @hotrodjack33 and @Okie Pete would get a kick out of these photos, and possibly anyone else that is lurking and observing this thread. I may do some more modification to this interesting piece, to maybe make it into a cool weather-vane, but that will have to wait till the headlight bucket project gets completed. Stay tuned fellow HAMBER'S for more adventures in the realm, of repurposing cool pieces of old cars and trucks. Enjoy the photo's. Thanks from Dennis.
Good news to report today. The mailman delivered the solar collectors for the tail lights. Because the area inside of the tail light housing is not that large in relation to the area of red glass, I opted to go with the 16FT string of white LED'S, rather that the 23FT or the 32FT. The 16 FT string will be just right for that area to fit them in. I tested out the brightness of these type of white LED'S, and they should be just right to illuminate the tail lights at night time. Probably going to have to wait till Monday, to get back to the installation of the LED'S. Saturday is the Greenwood car show, and also a big party out at my friends property in Marysville. Now that I have the collectors, it will be easy to drill the right sized hole in the tail light, and trim the stanchion to the right length as well. The collector will sit on top of the tail light housing flat. One other little art project that got accomplished today was, making a composite, hybrid, poster collage, related to the Greenwood car show, as a spoof on the word "FOOD DRIVE" Its laminated, so it can be used as a place mat for the table top, or potentially tacked upon the garage wall. My friend John Harwood, is one of the main organizers of this great annual car show. I made 5 copies and gave one to John for his collection. Well, that is all to report for now, stay tuned for more of the evolution of the "FORD COE" " BUCK ROGERS HEADLIGHT" Thanks for following along. Thanks from Dennis.
Happy 4th of July to everybody, that is still following along on this evolution of the Fabulous "BUCK ROGERS, SPACE NERD, ART DECO, COSMIC HEADLIGHT BUCKET WITH TAIL-LIGHTS" @hotrodjack33 @Okie Pete @Hitchhiker @dana barlow @Marty Strode @J.Ukrop @ClarkH @Jeff Norwell And anybody else that has stumbled down this rabbit hole! Pay close attention! Today there is good news hot rod space travelers and fellow HAMBERS. Today, I got with it and took it apart again, I figured it was time to test fit the light, and try to figure out some kind of steady pedestal for the light head, that holds the LEDS to attach to and, that was no easy feat I can assure you. The metal bracket you see, was found in a pile of stuff in my back yard. I had to drill a small hole in the light housing itself, to attach an old key ring, to hold a door spring firmly to the round housing, I found the spring in my tool box, to attach it to the pedestal. Since the light housing itself for the LEDS, is conical, the spring kept slipping backwards, so the key ring cured that problem. I lucked out and had a bolt and washers and there was already a hole in the bracket as well, and there was already a drain hole in the headlight bucket housing as well. As there is progress going forward, I will probably use a cool big brass wing nut on the bolt rather than a nut. All of this progress today is just getting to the point of seeing this rig light up and work. I have to take it all apart again for the next step, which is to take it back over to John Harwood's shop, so we can accurately drill the hole for the solar collectors to be attached to the tail light housings. I included a picture of the type of 20" aluminum bicycle wheel I will be using for this project, actually buying two of them, because I already have a request from a friend that thinks he wants me to try to duplicate this project, I told him, this isn't for the faint of heart, its a spendy project to take on, and all of this is by the seat of my pants engineering and getting extremely lucky. I am going to shoot a minute long video today to download to YouTube to show you all out there in the H.A.M.B. "UNIVERSE" that the light actually works! Its going to take a bit of tweaking , to bend the wings of the pedestal, wider, to lower the light, to get it centered in the middle of the lens, but for now, I am just fat dumb and happy that I got this far with it! The cool Pontiac hood ornament that John Harwood polished up for me, will be one of the last attachments to the headlight bucket, that is probably the most easy step of this cool little project! Its currently my avatar. Stay tuned fellow HAMBERS, for more progress on the" BUCK ROGERS" Space Nerd Headlight extravaganza! Below is the link to the 1 minute video that shows the light working! Thanks from Dennis.
It took a lot of adjusting and re adjusting and a lot of patience, to get the LED light centered on the aluminum pedestal just right. Here is the link to the YouTube video of the centered light. Thanks from Dennis.
Geez Dennis, you never cease to amaze. That is coming out beyond my expectations. I appreciate the amount of precision you incorporate into every process. Truely art!!!
Hey @hotrodjack33 I appreciate the positive response to my apparent insanity! As stated Amigo, I have seen what your artistic skills can do, and I pale by comparison, BIG TIME. You have that pair of the same lights as this one, and YOU have skills as well. Consider the gauntlet as being thrown down brother, do like wise, you have seen all of this build, as a sort of road map to duplicate this or even to make your version even more kick ass! The "H.A.M.B. UNIVERSE" is waiting to see the Jack Murphy version of this portal to another realm, of even higher precision! Your results, may vary, everyone's results may vary! Thanks from Dennis, to everyone for following along on this strange journey to "LED NIRVANA"!
First test run at night time to see just how intense this creation is! Here is the link to the video of it at night time on our front porch! Thanks from From Dennis.
LOL. Sorry Dennis...it ain't gonna happen...they're a matched pair and worth too much money. There is a rough pair on Epay for $375 and if I rewire/re-bulb and prime mine I should be able to pull $500 or so.
Hey @hotrodjack33 You know Amigo, you are absolutely right about that. I saw that same pair on Ebay, the crusty ones, they are too far gone, and that is just fine with me. I was just yanking your chain, to see if you would bark, and you did! I was momentarily thinking about doing something with a 36 Ford headlight housing, decided against it, they are too nice to destroy or to modify, and they are very spendy as well. I have already found another very cool light housing that doesn't have anything to do with the automotive field, but is perfect for the second project, as soon as this current project gets totally finished and functioning in the front yard, next to the fuselage ! The intrepid journey continues. Those really aren't my hands, nor is it my cool vintage light, I am just teasing @hotrodjack33. That light belong's to a good friend that is putting it on his inline 4 cylinder Indian Motorcycle. That light is very cool, and very beautiful! Be well Jack, and do well, I know that you will! Thanks from Dennis.
Its been hot weather here in Seattle this weekend, and that is just fine with me. So today I pulled the trigger on ordering those two bicycle wheels that I posted earlier, they will be delivered here on July 15th, or possibly earlier, depending on the Amazon delivery system. In case anyone is interested in the cost of this project so far, its kind of border line insane, but I have no kids, so I can spend the money on stuff I like. And lets face it, this project is going to be amazing spinning in the wind, all lit up at night time. I figured @Okie Pete and @hotrodjack33 will be interested in how much this rabbit hole costs so far! But to me its really worth it! "Money, has no value, unless its spent" Cost of project so far! Cost of the Ford COE Headlight assembly..............$10.00 Cost of the first 47 Chrysler tail light........................$10.00 Cost of second 47 Chrysler tail light, Ebay,............. $175.00 Cost of two pack of LED spotlights............................$35.00 Cost of two pack of 16 FT white LED lights..............$22.00 Cost of 1 can of black Rustoleum spray enamel........$9.00 Cost of two 20" aluminum swirl pattern spoked bicycle wheels...$207.00 Cost of cutting the back out of the sealed beam...............for free! Total, $468.00 Update on the total cost. Final total, $849.00, and worth every penny I invested in it! And still more to go, but the finish line is in site! Stay tuned fellow intrepid HAMBER'S, the "BUCK ROGERS" Space nerd, signal beacon, apparatus, is making great progress! Thanks from Dennis, for following along. Current shot of busy work table area, true madness!
Well, today was a very big day and a very productive day indeed. I went back over to John Harwood's shop, and I had all of the components with me that needed to be dealt with, and I had previously taken out and removed all of the elements that were going to be in the way of other functions. After careful measuring, we got the holes drilled for the stanchions that support the solar collectors for the twin 47 Chrysler tail light housings. Because of the angle at the lowest most point were water might collect in the tail light housings, John drilled an 1/8th" hole for water to drain, that was a smart move. We kept after it, and we also got the vintage Pontiac hood ornament mounted as well, and it looks great. I have to re-polish it by hand with some FLITZ, and call it good, because when the shine fades as it will over time, the only way to get it back off, is to do another disassembly of the guts of this cool creation, to remove the hood ornament, this ain't pebble beach, so its going to have to be good as the elements do a dance with it, as it will be an outside display unit, that is fully functional. I thought I would post a few shots of what we accomplished today, and as it sits totally disassembled, naked and helpless, awaiting the pieces to be put back together. I have gotten pretty good at taking this thing apart and putting it all back together, a few times, and each time, its gets easier, and it teaches me certain moves, in order to make the reassembly fun and interesting. I am opting to leave the main bolt long, that is the attachment for the aluminum pedestal. Main reason being, its a great potential attachment point, for maybe a set of wings from an ancient yet to be discovered Motometer thermostat from a Model A. Time will tell. Its nice to have that option for potential modification and attachments in the future, with out having to totally take it all apart again ! I am sure" BUCK ROGERS" would approve, of such forward thinking! And hopefully, so will @hotrodjack33 and @Okie Pete ! Hopefully the next video will show the functionally illuminated tail lights at night time! Perfection cannot be rushed! Thanks from Dennis for following along, on this trail of mad money, turning into functional automotive art, the journey continues!
It's so easy to get side tracked and distracted, by a million cool objects here in my old hippy shack, domicile, museum of the cool and absurd. At the end of my couch is this cool vintage Fire Helmet. I noticed that I had decorated it with some cool vintage license plate reflectors. So like a good Crow, I will detach the two cool green units from the front of this helmet, and replace them with a couple of extra yellow, not so cool, boring yellow reflectors. "Nature abhors a vacuum" Since I have not started on the reassembly of the Headlight unit just yet, with all of its guts and so forth, I think the addition of these two Green reflectors, strategically placed, will help to embellish, this already cool "BUCK ROGERS" art deco, space nerd, signal transmitting, rescue beacon! Yes, the Pontiac hood ornament, can also double as a cool antenna! Or something like that. Stay tuned for more exciting updates, on the cosmetic embellishments of this project! Thanks from Dennis.
I decided to go with the extra, non matching yellow reflector, to my eye, it works, the other, less than impressive green reflector, just clashed with the other two, far more interesting reflectors. Just about ready to button this machine up. Thanks from Dennis.
Hey @Sharpone (Dan) It appears that we have drug another fellow HAMBER down the rabbit hole, to join the stalwart @hotrodjack33 and @Okie Pete, as this exercise of money and elbow grease, help to bring this kick ass creation to a higher level. Stay tuned kids, this is getting some major attention today! Currently doing the last polish with Flitz on the Pontiac hood ornament, and its getting new iridescent metallic green paint, to replace the red magic marker that John Harwood had originally put on the wings, just to see how it would look! More to come! Thanks from Dennis.
Good lord Dennis, don't know if you're waiting for the "mother ship" or just waiting for the guys in the white coats LOL.
To quote the great line from the film (GLADIATOR) "Are you not entertained ?" "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED" ? Being out in the sunlight, truly does offer a completely different dimension to this creation! I was going to try to do a final finish with some turtle wax, but I have opted to just let the elements do what they want. As stated, this inst going, to be displayed at Pebble Beach. So today, as of this minute, this is the last time this hood ornament will be dealt with, time to get the rest of it put back together and get on with getting the tail lights to light up! Thanks from Dennis. Stay tuned, more exiting developments to appear soon!
I’ve got an old quart jar stashed away somewhere full of glass railroad crossing sign reflector that belonged to my Grandpa . Got me thinking I need to find them and use them on some art project .
Hey @Okie Pete I am glad that this little project, has set your mind in gear, to make some kick ass piece of art, go for it, and post all of the build, it will be cool to see what you come up with. Thanks from Dennis.
The Jalopy Journal
