I was wondering if anyone can direct me to a source for some repops. I am looking for ones with paintable buckets. Thanks.
I sell em new but a pal is changing from STAINLESS king Bee Repops to larger 34 Commercials. I am sure his never been used King Bees will be for sale?
I prefer paintable ones right now. Someone on e bay had them a couple weeks ago but they never got back to me with shipping costs so I didn't bid. I am going with a allmost ne chrome look for my T so the stainless ones would not fit in.
What's the problem with painting the stainless? At least with SS you'd never have to worry about rust...
I've got two pair of original King Bee lights. One set if original, all painted with good tags that take 7 inch bulbs. The other set is the smaller King Bee fog lights that take the smaller bulbs for that salt flat racer look. I'll photograph them if you want. $130 for the 7 inchers, $150 for the smaller lights. Those prices include shipping.
The King Bee headlight is a homely piece that has no ties with the way things were in the day. It's strictly streed-rod stuff. Deitz headlights cost less, and are as well made as the King Bees -- maybe even better -- plus they look right! The contest isn't even close, and why someone would buy King Bees rather than Deitz is a great puzzle.
Thank you for that editorial, Mike. We all know there is only ONE way to build a hot rod. Regardless, I love this headlight setup with small headlights in King Bee fog light buckets. While I'm on a roll with the photos - here's the same car with absolutely the best example of a '40 dash in a deuce roadster. As far as I'm concerced, the King Bee is the best example of a minimalist light. It's the simplest, smallest, most plain example of a proper hot rod headlight. Maybe they look better on '28s and "T"s rather than deuces, but I think they look great on a fenderless car.
Traditional or not, Dietz headlights look like they were robbed off a Manx Dune buggy to me. Long live the '70s!!! Edit - Never mind - I'm an *** - got mixed up between Dietz, Arrow, and some others. Never paid them much attention. I decided long ago that Fenderless cars got King Bee's and full fendered cars got stock lights lowered a little.
[ QUOTE ] Traditional or not, Dietz headlights look like they were robbed off a Manx Dune buggy to me. Long live the '70s!!! ... [/ QUOTE ] This is some funny ****...modernbeat is too YOUNG to remember that Deitz headlights were "traditional" long before Manx style dune buggys were invented and AV8 is SO OLD I think his "traditional" era stops before King Bee's ever got yanked off the front fork of a Sportster and bolted up to a hot rod. I like them both, but I prefer the Deitz because the King Bee's are kinda flat on the back, and that's why I have some Deitz lights for my Model A. I know they went in and out of style on rods but there have been times when it was a "crime" to put Chevy (guide) headlights on Fords. What's "IN" keeps coming and going in waves.
Yeah, DrJ is right. I was born a few months after man walked on the moon, so traditional = Pete and Jake driving their Streetrods across the country to the Nats. In my lifetime the only thing hotrods were compe***ive at was ISCA compe***ion and Salt Flat racing. King Bees came off Harley's? Really? I ddin't know that. I thought Harley used Arrows that had the rim more integrated with the body and the shell was pointier, and early Indians used something similar to, but not actually King Bees. Anyone know for sure? I'd like to know.
Oh yeah, tell me these things aren't ancient... To my eye, with no other knowledge, they look like late '40s stuff to me.
[ QUOTE ] Yeah, DrJ is right. I was born a few months after man walked on the moon, so traditional = Pete and Jake driving their Streetrods across the country to the Nats. In my lifetime the only thing hotrods were compe***ive at was ISCA compe***ion and Salt Flat racing. King Bees came off Harley's? Really? I ddin't know that. I thought Harley used Arrows that had the rim more integrated with the body and the shell was pointier, and early Indians used something similar to, but not actually King Bees. Anyone know for sure? I'd like to know. [/ QUOTE ] All I know is the Sportster I had came to me with a King Bee on it....
Sportsters or Model Ks came out in '55, right? The only bikes that I've seen King Bee style headlights were some questionable mid '30s ULs and some mid '30s Indians - both questionable as I saw them 50 years after they were built.
[ QUOTE ] Sportsters or Model Ks came out in '55, right? The only bikes that I've seen King Bee style headlights were some questionable mid '30s ULs and some mid '30s Indians - both questionable as I saw them 50 years after they were built. [/ QUOTE ] Wel, This old early 70's pos I usta ride back in the early 80 s had one on it, was stamped right on the shell King Bee. At the ime I thought "What the ****? they put htrod headlights on Harleys?"
The Jalopy Journal
