I'm building a sixties style '28 A coupe, channalled, Z'd frame but no chop. 265c.i. sbc and 5 speed box.I,m hopefully going to have it painted in FLAKE black.Maybe with a horizontal grille insert (Deuce Shell).Now here's the question i like the sound of running quad headlights probably 4.5'' mini bates bike headlights.I want your input YES or NO?
there was a post on her about a month or so ago you will have to search it or maybe one of the other guys can give you the link ,but i was called something like "sunshine with your morning coffee?? " any way it had hamb member i believe "hotrod1939" his model a with heavy gold flake paint it has quad lights on the front with a sixty 's style grill it should give you a idea of the look ,hopefully you can find it or someone else can post it back up for you,there was also a pic of this car in the thread about gnrs space by "axle " good luck
I think it would be a great idea---very representative of what many top builders were doing in the sixties. Of course, execution is everything--if done correctly it will look great---done incorrectly it will look like a mutant frog. All the "traditionalists" will squeal like a pig, but I say "go for it"!!!
I say not. Not that it wasn't done in the timeframe that you are interested in emulating, but rather that it didn't look good then, either. Note that this is an opinion, and not an invitation to start a food fight.
I can't think of any way quad headlights would look good on a Model A... sorry, I'm tryin'... can't do it!
someone on here has a coupe with quad lucas headlights, it looks nice, the style looks good if your running a custom grille shell or custom insert in a duece shell, also matching front and rear nerf bars make it look more show-rod style
Why not run a set or normal headlights, and the old smaller yellow fog lamps?? i have a couple set of the fog lamps, I plan to use them on my A if i can figure out how to make them look nice.
Thanks for the input so far,I love the look of 60's show cars very O.T.T. Thanks for the above pic yngrodder and to abe lugo for making me think again about nerf bars.Going to start to build the trunk floor tomorrow.
Look at the Harley Sportster headlight for a smaller '60's headlight light source. Id run one Sportster (DOT legal here) and one Lucas on each side. Several companies usta sell aluminum quad light mounts like the one's on the Barris TwisterT. They might still be available new or swap meet item.
Anything can be done to YOUR car, some things you do will require a very "thick skin" when it comes to the comments and opinions of others. That being said, I know the look you want and some of the most memorable showcars in the '60s had quads, but if it's not done right and perfect, your skin will be tested. I say go for it. If it doesn't come out right you can always go back. Hot rodders are a forgiving people. If you don't try it, you'll never know and it will haunt you.
Some how, it seems when the lights are just bolted onto a perch, it just doesn't work. In my opinion, of course. The '60s show cars that made quads look good, seemed to have the headlights molded into the grille shell or sometimes, the fenders. I'll try and find some pics.
If you are a Roth fan then do it. Do a search for that morning coffee post and you will see Johnny B's gold metal flaked model A , which I hear is back up for sale. Some of Roth's ideas weren't acepted at the time but still have a large following.
One of the prettiest quad headlight setups was on the AlaKart. If you are going to do a quad headlight setup molded into the grillshell, then you have to have the pods extended into the hood sides to make it look right.
NO I'm old, seen a lot and never saw an early car that looked good with quad headlights. It may have been a fad, but it one of those fads that died quickly thank goodness.
The 60's were bad enough without those. But if you have to be different, how about a single rectangular light on each side?
Quad lights didn't look good then, don't look good now and won't look good in the future. The same goes for square or rectangular lights.
Opinions are like a-holes...everyone's got one and they all stink. That being said, I say go for it. Early 60's style show-rod builds are almost non-existant. Would have to 2nd the idea of moulding the lights into the grile shell..ala the AlaKart.
I have them on our roadster, "El Tiki" Don't know how to post pictures but do a search under Goodguys Indy, Streetrodder Magazine NSRA Louisville nats 2007. An Early 60's style show-rod has got to have them... along with a set of Lucas Flamethrowers.
Yuck... I dig the scallops, but IMO that car would look sooo much better with "regular" headlights in place of the quasimodo look, a real deuce insert sans desk drawer knobs, ...and nothin kills the look of the whole deal any worse than those radials.. but again, that's JMO. The dude in the red shirt sure does seem to dig it. Is that extra p***enger side headlight for illuminating the side of the grill shell? Here's a similarly styled Model A coupe we all know...which front end treatment do you prefer??
Here's a mock-up picture of my coupe with 7'' BLC headlights on a cut down 'A' headlight bar.The grille shell has been sectioned 2'' since, but i think that they look too big with the grille shell being so low.Gives the car more of an earlier style??
Again just my opinion, but your headlights are indeed way too high... and too far back too. Take a look at the gold car I posted above, the headlights are lower and farther ahead...(perfectly placed actually.) Move yours in front of the shocks, and lower, and it will look great. Headlight placement is one of the most important aspects of "what makes a car look good" and getting yours lower will do wonders... its a cool ride already, just needs a little headlight placement tweaking... definitely doesn't need quad headlights on it. -JB
I know what you are saying about putting the 7'' headlights forward and down i just had another look with them like that, but i just can't get over that FUNKY ( read odd/yuk) quad headlight look.
When I was building my roadster pickup, I had downloaded a picture of a sixties era show truck that was built from either a 31 or 32 roadster pickup. It had quad headlights on it, and it was painted a royal blue colour with white upholstery. Now I can't find the damn thing, and I can't remember what it was called. I know that Tommy the Greek just finished a clone of the AlaKart.---and "Funky" is in the eye of the beholder.
Brianangus Funky is GOOD, I hope i didn't piss anybody off with first funky coment.I think it's better to discribe the look as O.T.T.Hope you can find that pic of the pick-up so you can post it for me to have a goggle at.
I don't think quad headlights look good, except for a few custom grills where they'd been molded in. I think headlights are like eyeballs and give the car some personality. With four headlights, it starts to look like some kind of insect.
The Jalopy Journal
