Spotlight For A Model-A Open Car....

[Bob-A]

A couple of weeks ago I was surfing eBay. Hoping to find a "hit" to appease
my addiction to antique car accessory lights. Well, I find this little beauty
and make a bid (low) for the buy-it-now offer. I had noticed that the light
was unrestored, missing the lens and the reflector needed replating. And, I did notice that the mounting bracket on the light was for an open car of unknown make or model. My bid was accepted and once I received the light
I stored it away for later. Fast forward to yesterday and I decided to see if
there was anyway I could adapt the light to my '29 roadster. Check out the pics:

The light with its bracket was obviously made for 28-29 Model-A Ford open cars! There is a faded company brand decal on the top of the light shell.
As best as I can tell it reads: AutoRecLite ?? I don't find to many 'deals'
like this on eBay anymore, but when I do, it sure is neat!

Bob-A

[JDupuis]

Bob-A, nice find. Rare indeed. Jeff

[Beater]

very nice

[DougVieyra]

Mounting the spot lite looks like it might interfere with the wind-wing glass. If so, you have to make a choice of which 'strikes your fancy' more - the neat (seldom used) accessory spot lite, or the often used wind-wing.

Of course that is just an arm-chair assessment, without actually being there to judge if there is a space conflict between the two. I am sure you have considered this and made an assessment that there is no conflict.

[al's28/33]

Nice find! Now you can hunt rabbits at night!

[Whetto]

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I like it! I hope you don't have too much trouble finding a lens for it.

[Mike V. Florida]

Nice find!

[Bob-A]

DougVieyra,

The stock wind wings would definitely have to be modified to be used with the spotlight. I do have an extra pair of wings that I had cut down on all
four sides. Due to the safety glass glue between the glass panes turning bad.
I think I had about 1" removed from each side. I'll have to dig out the trimmed wings and see if they fit. However, I'm not so sure I will use this light on my roadster. A while back I ran a thread on a pair of S&M Model-70
spotlights that I was restoring to use on the car. I believe you commented in that thread too. My best Bud is already quipping about how my new find would look better on his '29 phaeton.

Whetto,

The lens is an odd size (4 3/4" dia,) and will have to be thin too. It should be easy enough to have a new one made. I do have a pretty good stash of
spot/fog/driving/cowl-light lenses hidden away. Finding where I hid them is
on the to-do list. The reflector needs replating too. I here redoing them in nickle is cheaper than resilvering and looks just as good.

Bob-A

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Bob-A

DougVieyra,

The stock wind wings would definitely have to be modified to be used with the spotlight. I do have an extra pair of wings that I had cut down on all
four sides. Due to the safety glass glue between the glass panes turning bad.
I think I had about 1" removed from each side. I'll have to dig out the trimmed wings and see if they fit. However, I'm not so sure I will use this light on my roadster. A while back I ran a thread on a pair of S&M Model-70
spotlights that I was restoring to use on the car. I believe you commented in that thread too. My best Bud is already quipping about how my new find would look better on his '29 phaeton.

Whetto,

The lens is an odd size (4 3/4" dia,) and will have to be thin too. It should be easy enough to have a new one made. I do have a pretty good stash of
spot/fog/driving/cowl-light lenses hidden away. Finding where I hid them is
on the to-do list. The reflector needs replating too. I here redoing them in nickle is cheaper than resilvering and looks just as good.

Bob-A

You might find a glass from the face of a clock will do. It may need trimming but they are curved, just like the original would have been.

[Bob-A]

Synchro909,

Thanks for the good tip about old clock glass lenses! However, I'm not so sure the spotlight had a curved (convex) glass in it. The rim retainer has a flat rim face and most if not all convex glass lens retainers. That I have seen
on spotlights are bowed out to match the curve of the lens. All electrical auto lights/lamps prior to 1932, that I am aware of, had flat lenses. The one exception that I know of is the Unity Sportlite. The Sportlite lens were convex
starting in the mid '20s. I'm no expert and I'm sure there are others out there that know more than me.

Bob-A

[34 GAZ]

It,s AutoReelite , The older ones had a curved glass lens , a rear view mirror and a steel ball attached the size of a tennis ball. There was about 48 inches of wire in the ball. If you had car trouble at night you just unscrew the light from the bracket and reel ( Reelite ) out the 48 inches of extra wire. Finish your repair and stuff the wire in the steel ball again. There were 2 on ebay last week. BTW, clock glass is really to thin for a light facing forwards, only good for old dashboard repairs.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Spotlights are used a lot here. They help you spot the edge of the ROAD, when driving in our HORRIBLE Valley FOG!
We've had really bad Freeway pile ups, involving 50 to 60 vehicles, many were BIG RIGS!!! Some pop open & scatter CHICKENS/HOGS/ORANGES/TOMATOES/ETC, everywhere, what a MESS to CLEAN UP!!!!
Bill Blind

[Bob-A]

34 Gaz,

Thanks for the info with the correct name for my spotlight!

Bob-A