The Ford Barn

itsa52 · 12-02-2014, 07:40 AM

I have drug a couple of "Unity" spotlights home from yard sales and on freebay have struggled to get what little I paid for them back. Appleton on the other hand sells much higher..
Obviously condition and markings play into it but on what one would call Tear drop and no specific marks the Appleton will bring several times more, So why? Is there history? Is it that they appear more pointed in back?? Curious why?

itsa52 · 12-02-2014, 08:34 AM

just found this http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_c...on_-_lorainne/

john worden · 12-02-2014, 08:46 AM

From what I've seen and read the Appleton 112 spotlight was the one most used on custom cars in the day and that's why I'm assembling a set for my Lincoln.
Unity's are relatively plentiful Appleton's are not.
Accessoryland in Dubuque Iowa deals in Unity parts.

blucar · 12-02-2014, 01:57 PM

Automotive spot lights can be a very interesting, and confusing subject.
When I was a kid in the late '40's, early '50's spot lights on cars was a very common accessory.
Street lights were few and far between and country roads were narrow with all kinds of animals wandering around due to inconsistent fencing.. It was very common for people to drive with their spot and/or driving lights illuminating the roadway.
In 1949-50 I had a '38 Chevy sedan with twin Appleton spots, sun visor, teardrop skirts, flipper disk hubcaps and a split manifold with twice pipes.. Way to cool, that was the good ole days..
Never had another car with spot lights until I acquired my '39 convertible. It had a pair of Appleton 550, (5") spots mounted to the windshield pillar. The spots were in bad shape from sitting in the eastern Montana weather for thirty-eight years..
I carefully bagged all of the parts and put them away. As time and the restoration progressed and I acquired a pix of the car taken in 1951, the thought of spot lights on the car started to grow on me.. I started a search for Appleton spots.
I quickly found that spot lights come in many styles with shaft lengths varying from under 10'" to over 24". The mounting brackets have more variations than can be counted. The one thing in my favor was that I had the correct mounting hardware from the original spots, I just had to have them re-plated.
After much searching I found a perfect, like new pair of 550's. When I installed them on the car they looked terrible, way to big. I was very disappointed.
In an antique store I encountered a near perfect Appleton 450 (4"0) same shape and size, 12" shaft, with the same handle as the 550... Score. Now I only had to find another one. In time I did.
It can be said that the Appleton' are generally found on cars that were more expensive than the average Chevy, Ford. The Ford's and GM cars will generally have the Unity style of spot light.
The Appleton lights that were so popular during the "lead sled" era of the '40's-50's, "teardrop shaped" probably gained their popularity because of the shape, similar to the "Dagmar", big boobed, bumper guards of the early '50's..

Torchie · 12-03-2014, 06:23 PM

The Appleton 112's and the rarer 552's were/are the spotlights of choice for the customizing crowd. They have a very elongated bullet shape as compared to even the other Appleton offerings.
Unity's seem to be the spotlight of choice for many work/utility type vehicles as well as Law enforcement. The Unity company is still exsists and can help with parts to restore your older Unity spotlight as well as telling you what fits on what car or truck.
Torchie.

BP · 12-04-2014, 12:27 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Hey fella's I have a Unity spotlight with a rear view mirror attached. It is model H1, with Ford script in red. I haven't seen any info on this spotlight even on Unity's site. Just wondering what year it is from, rarity?

Kerk · 12-04-2014, 05:20 PM

I had a pair of Unity spot lights on my 1935 Ford Convertible Sedan when I bought it. Sold them a couple of years ago at Hershey. I did not want to use them. Were on the shelf since the early 70'"s collecting dust!

Blu Dice · 12-05-2014, 10:16 AM

I put a match pair of CASCO spots on my car - only because of my family business used the Casco name for over 50 years. They were pretty nice spots too!

12-02-2014, 07:40 AM	#1
itsa52 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Nebraska Posts: 603	School me on spotlights please I have drug a couple of "Unity" spotlights home from yard sales and on freebay have struggled to get what little I paid for them back. Appleton on the other hand sells much higher.. Obviously condition and markings play into it but on what one would call Tear drop and no specific marks the Appleton will bring several times more, So why? Is there history? Is it that they appear more pointed in back?? Curious why?

12-02-2014, 08:34 AM	#2
itsa52 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Nebraska Posts: 603	Re: School me on spotlights please just found this http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_c...on_-_lorainne/

12-02-2014, 08:46 AM	#3
john worden Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: central Iowa Posts: 484	Re: School me on spotlights please From what I've seen and read the Appleton 112 spotlight was the one most used on custom cars in the day and that's why I'm assembling a set for my Lincoln. Unity's are relatively plentiful Appleton's are not. Accessoryland in Dubuque Iowa deals in Unity parts. __________________ Louvering, bias ply tire-truing, metal shaping and forming, lathe and mill work, member shop HAGERTY Ins. expert repair network. High quality paint work in Iowa.

12-02-2014, 01:57 PM	#4
blucar Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 2,464	Re: School me on spotlights please Automotive spot lights can be a very interesting, and confusing subject. When I was a kid in the late '40's, early '50's spot lights on cars was a very common accessory. Street lights were few and far between and country roads were narrow with all kinds of animals wandering around due to inconsistent fencing.. It was very common for people to drive with their spot and/or driving lights illuminating the roadway. In 1949-50 I had a '38 Chevy sedan with twin Appleton spots, sun visor, teardrop skirts, flipper disk hubcaps and a split manifold with twice pipes.. Way to cool, that was the good ole days.. Never had another car with spot lights until I acquired my '39 convertible. It had a pair of Appleton 550, (5") spots mounted to the windshield pillar. The spots were in bad shape from sitting in the eastern Montana weather for thirty-eight years.. I carefully bagged all of the parts and put them away. As time and the restoration progressed and I acquired a pix of the car taken in 1951, the thought of spot lights on the car started to grow on me.. I started a search for Appleton spots. I quickly found that spot lights come in many styles with shaft lengths varying from under 10'" to over 24". The mounting brackets have more variations than can be counted. The one thing in my favor was that I had the correct mounting hardware from the original spots, I just had to have them re-plated. After much searching I found a perfect, like new pair of 550's. When I installed them on the car they looked terrible, way to big. I was very disappointed. In an antique store I encountered a near perfect Appleton 450 (4"0) same shape and size, 12" shaft, with the same handle as the 550... Score. Now I only had to find another one. In time I did. It can be said that the Appleton' are generally found on cars that were more expensive than the average Chevy, Ford. The Ford's and GM cars will generally have the Unity style of spot light. The Appleton lights that were so popular during the "lead sled" era of the '40's-50's, "teardrop shaped" probably gained their popularity because of the shape, similar to the "Dagmar", big boobed, bumper guards of the early '50's.. __________________ Bill.... 36 5 win cpe

12-03-2014, 06:23 PM	#5
Torchie Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Northern Mi. Posts: 355	Re: School me on spotlights please The Appleton 112's and the rarer 552's were/are the spotlights of choice for the customizing crowd. They have a very elongated bullet shape as compared to even the other Appleton offerings. Unity's seem to be the spotlight of choice for many work/utility type vehicles as well as Law enforcement. The Unity company is still exsists and can help with parts to restore your older Unity spotlight as well as telling you what fits on what car or truck. Torchie.

12-04-2014, 12:27 PM	#6
BP Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Greenwich, NY Posts: 190	Re: School me on spotlights please Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Hey fella's I have a Unity spotlight with a rear view mirror attached. It is model H1, with Ford script in red. I haven't seen any info on this spotlight even on Unity's site. Just wondering what year it is from, rarity?

12-04-2014, 05:20 PM	#7
Kerk Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 642	Re: School me on spotlights please I had a pair of Unity spot lights on my 1935 Ford Convertible Sedan when I bought it. Sold them a couple of years ago at Hershey. I did not want to use them. Were on the shelf since the early 70'"s collecting dust!

12-05-2014, 10:16 AM	#8
Blu Dice Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Plainfield, IN Posts: 360	Re: School me on spotlights please I put a match pair of CASCO spots on my car - only because of my family business used the Casco name for over 50 years. They were pretty nice spots too!