History Why spotlights?

Stating to sound like facebook. Just because you don`t like them, doesn`t make it right to tell everybody their car looks like **** with spots. Respect everybody`s opinions and be a little less nasty.

 

Look, if it is your car, I don't care if you have spotlights at every window, on the roof and sticking out the grill. It is your car. It is also my opinion that I don't care for them unless they have a practical purpose. We can both be correct.

 

I hate dummy spotlights. Give me a pair a pair of Appleton 112's or 552's and I'll find a way to put on anything that would power em up. For me dummies and fake side pipe ruin the style.

 

Obviously it is a practice more local than I thought. Never had a problem from any land owner. Most of them despised the the damage the deer inflicted on their crop. But just like everything else there are jack***es who ruin it for everyone else, that had to light up houses.

 

I did not say I loved them, but it`s comments like the one above yours are the responses I was referring too.

 

I think it's a law that if you have two antennas on the rear fender tops, you have to have two spotlights to balance things out.
You don't want the world to tip over. Do ya?

 

@straykatkustoms tell ‘em your version of the history. I thought that was a great explanation.

 

Westergard/Barris kind of kicked off the spotlight popularity thing putting them on the customs he built. A lot of cars that kids built only had 1 spotlight on the drivers' side because they were expensive, Appleton/Unity/Loraine are the ones to find.
One on the drivers' side are important to see how your greaser hairdo looks in the reflection. HAHAHAahahah!!!!
A very early application

 

Good explanations of the actual use of them back when above..
However, they are Old School, and just plain Cool..
At (78) years old, they will be on my '49 Shoebox when done

 

There were some cool factory or dealer accessory versions

 

I’d like to see some sort of historical reference, as to what was available in what years. Say for example I wanted my build correct for 1959.

 

Needs a big gold star and "Adams County Sheriff" on the door

 

Bet he's got Buick portholes too

 

My dad bought a new Olds 88 in 1955 that came from the factory (dealer?) with a driver's side spot. Forgot about that until just now.

 

HAHAHA TOO FUNNY

 

this was in a box of parts a friend of mines dad gave me. Mirror/spot light combo. Has a toggle switch underneath.
Thinking about using this one in the truck

 

Spot lights that work are very useful when our headlights went out .

 

Happened to see your post an just had to say it's in the eye of the person that has them. On my 48 Chevy Fleetline they look really sharp, turning them on will really get looks. Those shiny 6 volts on a swivel make all look twice.

 

Here in France we believe that it is the US police who launched the fashion or to compete with them. but we may be wrong.
Personally I think simply they were used as a chrome bullet design accessory. (in accordance with the other bullet of the bumper or grille )
I find it very chic on some Kustom.. but personally I will not put any on my custom.

 

I’m surprised only one response about bushwhacking.
What great fun we had surprising neckers who were hitting it hot and heavy at popular rural spots.
We’d set in the dark waiting for the right moment. Then hit the horns and lights at the same time. I’d guess it was a good 1960’s style of birth control.

 

And you wonder why you didn’t have a girlfriend

 

I’ve a drawer with 4 or 5 I found in my dads shop, think they were all Unity, I should see if they are 6v or 12 v to see about how old they are. I think one or two had cloth type insulation for the wiring.

As a kid he had a service truck with one, I used to just play with it, thought it was pretty cool.

 

You didn’t have the 4 foot chrome sissy bar? I still have mine, hang in the garage, more like a rusty sissy bar now though.

Maybe they weren’t available then. I’m sure if they were you’d have had one!

 

Side bar... in the 50's and early 60's a roof mounted spot light was fairly common on European rally cars. It was center mounted so that either the driver or navigator could use it. This was in addition to the normal array of fog, driving and ditch lights. No respectable custom or hot rod would have a light like that, but I suppose the rally crews found a directional light handy for reading signs, spotting the next turn or even helping out if they got stuck off road and needed a directional work light. The list goes on.

 

Also not mentioned as to "why?" is that typically during the customizing process, most of the brightwork is removed from the car. A lot of trim, emblems, etc., are removed to show off the lines of the car. The spotlights, whether they be dummies or functional, add some chrome bling back.

This thread, along with "why lower your car" should be Exhibits A and B as to why there should be a separate HAMB just for customs.

 

If They were good enough for Sam, George, Bob, Neil, Jack, Joe, Dean, Harry, Bill and countless others I respect and appreciate, then they're good enough for me.

Apologies to the icons who I left off my list.
I like spotlights on the right car.
I guess others do, too, have you priced good 112s and 552s lately?

 

1951

 

https://www.customcarchronicle.com/forums/forum/ccc/

 

on 49 - 52 Chevrolets they mount on the door.