What's with the E&J headlights?

Now I'm an old fart and I keep preaching tolerance of other peoples opinions and their trying to be different or unique, But in my 62 year love affair with old cars, I have never seen a car with those headlights that I liked. I don't recall seeing any old hot rods with them either or maybe I just looked away when I did see them. I see the prices people are paying for them and just don't get it. What am I missing?

 

Frank Macks T looks great with them, but I've seen cars where they have so many rare, hard to find Hot Rod parts on them they look like some kind of JC Whitney nightmare. I have the same problem with 50's era 32's with stock headlights, seems to me people who built Hot rods back then wanted the latest technology and when sealed beams came out the reflector lenses were old technology. So at some point E & J headlights were the latest technology.

 

I'm just a young punk, but I never saw anything they looked good on either IMO...Then again i LOVE stock 32 headlights and wouldn't want anything else on a deuce... to each his own I guess.

 

They are a period piece that I think are pretty cool. All period stuff brings big bucks and they seem to be fairly scarce. I'm biased but I think they look pretty good on this bad boy . You can update them so they actually will throw some light, as opposed to woodlites which will just get you killed.

 

They look good in that first pic cuz you can't see 'em.

 

Some folks like 'em, some don't. Do what you want and make yourself happy.
I've been involved with hot rods for 50 years here in SoCal, and I never saw them in person or even in a magazine until a few years ago.
Again, if you like 'em, great, run 'em.

 

That was why I added the second one! You guy really don't like them? Sometimes something is cool but gets ruined because it gets overused - but do you really see E&Js that often?

 

I was the next guy in line at a swap meet a few years ago behind my bud when he bought a set for $75. I was building or already had a '27 track roadster in the Mack stile. they do really suck as far as being able to light a road. I have King Bee's on my roadster and am quite happy....but $75, damn.....

 

Were we at the same swap meet?
There was a set at the local swap and I was in line behind Donzie. We both spotted the E&J's at the same time and I wanted them. He was building an A tub at the time and before I knew it he had made the guy an offer and bought them.
He put them on the tub but even after having me convert them to snowmobile sealed beams he wasn't happy with the light. Fast forward, he puts the tub up for sale and in the negotiations I get the E&J's in trade for one of my less than perfect Deuce grilles. I wanted the grille back and before I knew it he traded it to some guy to finalize a deal on a car he was buying.
One of my dream cars has been the Frank Mack T so now the E&J's are on the shelf waiting for me to find the rest of the parts.
Project #274, start date: sometime around 2025

Frank

 

That's why they make chocolate and vanilla.....not everyone likes the same thing. But you already know that. I kinda like them.

 

Never liked em,

 

I have seen some cars that they look ok on, but I've never understood why they are so damn expensive. Everyone talks about how rare they are but there's at least one pair on ebay at all times and I have seen two and three pairs listed at once. They seem to be pretty common compared to some other items.

Just searched ebay, three pair on there right now, and four in completed items, RARE I TELL YA!!

 

Good luck. that will always be one of my all time favorites....

 

Just like 32 Fords...It's the "cool" thing so everybody wants them and the prices go up.

Thing is it does take the right car for them to look good. I think for one the car should look sleek and fast...just like the headlights.

Here's my old RPU. I liked it with them. I got lucky. I bought them before everybody had to have them.
Clark

 

"I wanted the grille back and before I knew it he traded it to some guy to finalize a deal on a car he was buying."

Frank,...I'm taking real good care of your old Deuce grille...it's doing fine!

 

If I had a set I'd put them on a TIKI themed car and paint em to look like coconuts !

 

I haven't been into hot rodding for 62 years but I was born in 62.....

I kind of like the lights but I don't want to pay a huge amount of money for them cuz I'd be too afraid someone would steal them

 

I put a set on my Roadster. It made it look like an Alien. I took them back off. Everybody else seemed to like them though, I never had a negative comment about them. I like them on some cars, but not my Roadster. Dean

 

i myself think there ugly, very"bulky" looking.But they are old & everyone has to have them now!!
to me a set of "king bees" looks perfect on anything 30's or older
jimV

 

This site is asking between $540.00 to $700.00 a set for new ones.

http://www.e-n-j.com/

 

They just always look out of place to me, never seem to fit with an old body style. Look like they belong on a Saab.

 

One of my favorite old biker stickers reads... "Ugly is in". I sometimes think ugly is cool.

I also like to do what the crowd is'nt doing. For years I hated Led Zepplin cause they were well liked in school... ok, so I'm a dummy. Zepplin rules....

 

IMHO you did the right thing - those damn things look like the EYES I used to see on Crabs at the beach!

I'm not a big E&J fan on a traditional car or almost any car - would have to be a car where they fit . . . and I can't say that I know what that car is

 

Wanted a pair for my rod cos I liked they way they looked so I made some with new motorcycle bates sealed beam Halogen units fitted inside, they do the job, good main and dipped beam spread and i'm happy...Peace 8bb

 

I call them uncircumsized headlights.

 

Classic.

 

I've e/mailed many times about buying a set ............no reply at all

 

They're over rated like 32 fords. Some things get so big they become cliche. They do look silly on just about every car posted. Not all, but most.

 

8bb,

What did you use for the shells?

 

Last I heard the E&J's from the E&J website are not availble right now. Life has gotten in the way for the owner and he is too busy to make the headlights. Maybe in the future.
Clark