Headlight Bar fit
 

I have checked the past posts about this subject but I still have some unanswered questions.

I am restoring a 29 Tudor and right now I am trying to test fit the running boards-front fenders-front fender brackets and the headlight bar.

When I first starting working on this car I noticed that the headlight bar looked like it was pushed into the left front fender about ¼”. I didn’t see any damage on either front fender other than that which I mentioned above. I assume that both front fenders are repros because they are in such good shape. The whole vehicle was in amazing condition--no rust out on the body and very little surface rust. Anyway, I straightened the dent on the left front fender where the headlight bar attaches to the fender--I had the fenders blasted (in fact I had all the body parts blasted). I presently have the repro running boards--the splash aprons and the fenders attached to the chassis.

I made the mistake of putting an arch in the original headlight bar because someone told me that “all Model A Fords were arched” (wrong!)--so I had to purchase another used original headlight bar. I am now playing with the brackets to try and get them to fit better.

So here are my questions:

1-What kind of a fit should I have where the headlight bar attaches to the fender? See the pictures attached.

2-If the fit should be better that it is (which I feel that it should be better) I assume that I will need to heat and bend the headlight bar at the point where it attaches to the fender.

3-If I end up with a space under the fender where the bracket attaches to the headlight bar can I put some washers there are or do I just crank down on the headlight bar bolts and hope for the best?

4-Should I install a washer between the headlight bar and the front fender to give a little space for the rubber gasket?

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

I think when you tighten it all down that it will fit nice. Also I have been told to not use the rubber pads under the bar.

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o...ontFender1.jpg

That's unfortunate that you removed the upsets in the fender. I don't know who can put them back in, but I'm no bodyman, so maybe someone can. As the picture of my 28 shows, the front half is raised and the rear half is recessed. Without this you can't get a proper fit of the headlamp bar, mounting bracket, and fender.

Rubber pads don't belong under the bar.

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

you could try cutting the ends off of the headlight bar you bent ,,turning them around and bolting the new bar on with the steels you cut off on the back,then heat around them (gently) and tighten everything up to pull the relifes back into the fender

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

I agree with Tom, the area where the headlight bar is attached has been modified on your fenders. Either that or they weren't made properly. My 28 special coupe fenders look like the pictures that Tom posted - indented on one side and raised on the opposite side. That makes the headlight bar fit perfect. I think the only correct way to make your headlight bar to fit well is to somehow recreated the indentation and raised area, which might be hard to do.
Rusty Nelson

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

cut the shape and angles into a 2x4 makeing a buck, then hammer them back in

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

Since you have two headlamp bars, I wonder if you could bolt them tight, one on each side of the mounting pad area, then heat the area around them and push back on the top bar while pulling forward on the bar on the bottom side, to reform the pad to the original shape. :confused:

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

Have you first fit the headlight bar to the fender brackets?

Here is the link to how I fit headlamp bar. It turned out the fender brackets were returned to factory shape when I was done. I later got some NOS brackets and was able to make a jig to compare them.

Fender Fitting

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

If the fenders that are on my car now were replaced with repro fenders--would they have the "upsets" that you mentioned??? The left front fender was damaged as you can see in my attacked pix---I assumed that all I needed to do was flatten out that area with a contour to the rest of the fender. Ignorance is bliss!!!

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

Any reason for not using the rubber gasket between the bar and the fender?

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

I thought that the 28-29 had a gasket and the 30-31 did not--is that correct????

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

Better grounding, and if any moisture gets under the rubber it will take much longer to dry out.

No gaskets were used for any year.

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

If there is a gap between fender & mounting bracket,the fender area around the bracket will be pulled down & leave a dent in fender.You could put several washers between fender & bracket to prevent that.If fender brackets were perfect,you wouldnt have that problem.

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

Is adding washers between the fender and bracket common practice? I replaced my RH fender with what I thought was a better used one and added the washers to fit it temporarily. The original fender fit without washers but was hit and repaired badly. Is there a spec from fender bracket to bracket of the headlight bar holes? To try and figure what is out - bent fender bracket or warped fender.

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

Ford was likely to have that on a blueprint somewhere.

It is most likely that all the parts are out of wack, including some you have not noticed- yet.

For the restoration it is really about making the parts fit together. As I have found out, proper fit may bring the parts back to Ford original. Please see the link in an earlier post of mine. With some patience and a few hints you can bring the stuff back into alignment. I was clueless when I started and thanks to some comments from others on this board I was able to get my parts to all fit decent. Keep in mind that both my fenders had significant accident damage in their previous life.

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

The pix that I attached to this reply shows the gap at the front of the headlight bar base where it attaches to the fender. From the information that I have received from this thread I assume that if I reproduce the fender pad area upset etc that I should not need to bend the ends of the headlight bar at all!

With that said---my next question is to find out the best way to reform those upsets in the fender where the bar attaches to the fender/brace. I was thinking about making two metal pieces that would be the same shape as the headlight bar base and bolt them to the fender (one on the top and one under the fender) with a handle on each one so as to bend the fender area (some suggested using the two headlight bars that I have-but I am afraid of goofing up the good one that I plan on using) Maybe I could cut the ends off the one that I arched and use them???

I worry about applying heat to that area of the fender--will I end up with a warped fender that I will just need to scrap????

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

I think it might be easier to get another set of fenders and work them to fit than attempt what you're contemplating. JMO

Paul in CT

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

Re: Headlight Bar fit
 

This sounds like the best idea. Sell the difficult fenders to a rodder who doesn't want to mount his headlights on a bar, and therefore doesn't need the indents. In fact, would probably be happy to get a smooth-out surface.