Has Anyone Ever Seen a Model "A" With Cowl Lights on the Fender?

[clifforddward]

Fender lamps were available from Ford through most of Model A production...Acorn shaped in 1929 and hemispherical shaped in 1930 through EOP. Part #A-13200

(Info from Accessories section of Model A Ford Restoration Guidelines and Judging Standards....a great reference book for your Model A library!)

[Bob-A]

I've got two sets of the 28-29 fender lights. One set is good and the other is for parts. I have never seen a set of the 30-31 fender lights, for sale or otherwise. Recently I picked up a Sportlite right hand side 30-31 open car mounting bracket. Now I'll be able to mount "dual" Sportlites on my '31 roadster this coming year, maybe. I've got 4 or more Sportlites in varying degrees of condition. Hopefully, between them all I can make up two good ones. Note: Unity Sportlites in the Model-A era came in 3 models: 5 1/2"
Junior (correct for the Model-A), 6" Standard and 6 1/2" De Luxe. The measurements are for the lens diameters.


Bob-A


For some reason Ford never authorized his name to be put on the Sportlites
like Chevrolet, Studebaker, etc. did.

[foxfire42]

I've looked for years at many Hershey meets and smaller ones throughout the west, never to find any 30/31 fender lights. Nice to know that Bob-A hasn't seen them either. I would hate to know I missed a set. I have a pair of 29's that are going on my early 29 A. With fluted lenses on the headlights and cowl lights they should look like they belong on the car.

[Brad in Germany]

Here are several different original Ford Model A fender lights:

NOS 1928-1930 car; late 1930-1931 Commercial; and late 1930-1931 car (with reproductions fender washer)




Brad in Maryland

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by Brad in Germany

Here are several different original Ford Model A fender lights:

NOS 1928-1930 car; late 1930-1931 Commercial; and late 1930-1931 car (with reproductions fender washer)




Brad in Maryland

Nice collection! What would the size (diameter) of these lights be?

[Anteek29]

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[Brad in Germany]

Originally Posted by Y-Blockhead

Nice collection! What would the size (diameter) of these lights be?

They have a 3 inch diameter.




Here's what the '28 - early-'30 lens looks like:



....and the sequence of the various mounting hardware:


....NOS:


Brad in Maryland

[maneri]

same as cowl lite--different mount ???

[WTSHNN]

Originally Posted by Brad in Germany

Here are several different original Ford Model A fender lights:

NOS 1928-1930 car; late 1930-1931 Commercial; and late 1930-1931 car

Brad, I can understand the commercial lights being late '30-31 but why are the car ones also late '30-31?

-Tim

[Badpuppy]

Originally Posted by maneri

same as cowl lite--different mount ???

Exactly.

[Bob Bidonde]

A mimic of the 1930-'31 Fender Lights can be had by using 1932 Ford Cowl Lights. The 1932 Cowl Lights have short arms suitable for fender mounting, and these lights are reproduced.

[Brad in Germany]

Originally Posted by WTSHNN

Brad, I can understand the commercial lights being late '30-31 but why are the car ones also late '30-31?

-Tim

Tim,
My information is for the British made Model A's and I too thought the change over to the later shaped fender lights would have taken place the same time the headlight bucket shape changed for 1930.......but not so.

But after reviewing the different British sales brochures for 1930 and 1931 and era photos of 1930 and 1931 Model A's in the UK and digging in the 1930-1931 British parts books (I believe that I have them all) and reviewing photos in the issues of Ford Times (I have complete bound volumes of all of the Model A era ones), the change over seemed to have taken place in the late summer time frame of 1930. Even in the early 1931 sales brochures for the UK, a couple of the cars shown still had the early style fender light buckets.

Here for example (one of many) is a Ford factory photo of a July 1930 Deluxe Fordor Saloon:


So the evidence is overwhelming........but I sure would like to see the parts drawing for the later style fender lights. That is why finding the later style fender lights is so challenging where as the earlier style are "much easier" (relatively) to locate.

Originally Posted by maneri

same as cowl lite--different mount ???

Nope: the entire light housing is much smaller; there is no inside reflector on the fender lights; different mounting system, etc. On the early fender lights, the screw in the back holds the lens in place. On the late fender lights, they have a clip at the bottom of the lens ring which is just a mini-version of the clip that secures the bottom of headlight ring in place.

Brad in Maryland