Spotlight with Redball Antenea..?

darren · July 15, 2008, 10:05:22 PM

Heres a short update... I did not want to put holes in the PLymouth, nor remove the Red Ball Antena.. so I added a clip on type ... its 6 vots and uses a 1503 bulb. Happy Plymouthing DANiel

Jim Benjaminson · July 11, 2008, 10:24:08 PM

My '40 as the original foglamps and they are Appleton's......not sure when they started marking them MoPar. I agree with you a about the bumper guards (actually the big one was called a fender guard). I think they look horrible, although I have one, I won't put it on the car.

Wm Steed · July 11, 2008, 01:06:00 PM

GO.... Since no one else chimed in on your spotlight posting, I will...
The pictures of your spotlight are great.. The type of spot you have would/could have been original equipment on your car, most likely dealer installed. I worked in a new car dealership in the early 1950's in the new car prep area. During the 1930's, and up to the early 1960's, the vast majority of accessories were dealer installed.

On your question about 'Mopar"... I have many early (1930's) Chrysler Corp parts books. It would appear that sometime around 1941/42 Chrysler changed the name of their two parts supply divisions, Chrysler Motors Parts Corporation/Chrysler Corp, Parts to MOPAR. Upon adopting the MOPAR title, the majority of parts and accessories were indentified as MOPAR. I have found that up through sometime in the mid to late 1960's, original Chrysler parts will generally have the DPCD "bug" implanted somewhere on the part.

I have been told by people with far more knowledge than I about the pre '42 DPCD cars, that the common dealer installed lighting accessory's found on the DPCD vehicles will be either Lorraine or Appleton, both being from the same company. The Unity brand is more common on the GM built vehicles....Bill

Wm Steed · July 11, 2008, 11:56:06 AM

GO.... Since no one else chimed in on your spotlight posting, I will...
The pictures of your spotlight are great.. The type of spot you have would/could have been original equipment on your car, most likely dealer installed. I worked in a new car dealership in the early 1950's in the new car prep area. During the 1930's, and up to the early 1960's, the vast majority of accessories were dealer installed.

On your question about 'Mopar"... I have many early (1930's) Chrysler Corp parts books. It would appear that sometime around 1941/42 Chrysler changed the name of their two parts supply divisions, Chrysler Motors Parts Corporation/Chrysler Corp, Parts to MOPAR. Upon adopting the MOPAR title, the majority of parts and accessories were indentified as MOPAR. I have found that up through sometime in the mid to late 1960's, original Chrysler parts will generally have the DPCD "bug" implanted somewhere on the part.

I have been told by people with far more knowledge than I about the pre '42 DPCD cars, that the common dealer installed lighting accessory's found on the DPCD vehicles will be either Lorraine or Appleton, both being from the same company. The Unity brand is more common on the GM built vehicles....Bill

Go Fleiter · July 10, 2008, 08:43:39 AM

Wm, thinking it over: You surely are right! The Window frame will provide no protection at an accident at all...

I made 2 shots (the flashlight made strange structure on light arm and body parts) with the bracket outside and the inside holder.
The Spotlight has a chrome tag riveted on sying Mopar.. I think it is after market

Wm Steed · July 09, 2008, 12:45:47 PM

Daniel,
I omitted the antenna for two reasons.
Number one, the antenna and spotlight cluttered up the left pillar to much. Secondly I did not want a cowl mounted antenna preferring to have the antenna concealed. Originally, many of the cars of the '30 had "Roadway" antenna's, ie; special antenna's that mounted under the running board. The 'Roadway" antenna worked good in town, however, they were the pits in open country so the normal solution was to add a cowl mounted antenna.

I was really tempted to use a cowl mounted antenna, namely because I have a brand new one that has been sitting in my garage for 40 + years, but then I decided that the area needed a little sanitizing. I actually fought with myself about the spot/fog lights, finally deciding that they were the common thing in the 1930/40's.

On the spotlight thing.... I would caution a person to avoid the larger units. The 4" and 5" usually work best. A lot of the older units can be 6" or larger.

A couple of years ago I found a set of stock front fender guards for a '39/40 Plym, I can't bring myself to put them on my car. I like the look on other people's cars, just not mine....Bill

darren · July 08, 2008, 01:52:41 PM

HI Bill ... Thanks for the information.. but if you could please tell me did you "omitted the antenna " because of your own preference or did it somehow limit the function of the spotlight... This is my concern "limiting or not being able to use the spotlight" ... Thank-you DANiel

Wm Steed · July 08, 2008, 12:58:29 PM

Quote from: Wm Steed on July 07, 2008, 01:55:53 PM
My '39 conv had the spot and antenna mounted on the left cowl. I omitted the antenna but kept the spot light.

Darren,
You must have misread my posting. Reread the quote
I have a black and white picture of my car taken in 1951 which shows an Appleton spot light on the left pillar and a cowl mount antenna . I also have a couple of other colored pictures showing spots and antenna's on the left cowl of 39-41 conv. coupes.

Aux lighting, ie; spot and/or fog lights have never been my thing, however, in the case of my car, since I have a picture taken in 1951 showing the car with a spot light and fog lights I wanted to keep that look.

I have wondered many times just why it is more common to find an antenna on the left cowl of an old car, where-as modern cars always have the antenna on the right cowl:
Is the placement for driver convenience? Handier for the driver to raise and lower upon enter/exiting the vehicle.
Is the placement intended to move the antenna as far away as possible from the power lines that use to line the roads? Electric power transmission lines use to raise havoc with AM radio receiption.

Hmmmmmm?? ....Bill

darren · July 07, 2008, 10:54:43 PM

Quote from: Lindsay McConnell on July 07, 2008, 10:03:40 PM
Wait a couple of months and I bet you will be buying the spotlight

I was just about to give up the idea.. when I remembered you have a 1941 Plymouth .. with spotlights do you have a red ball antenea .. IF you do how about sending a picture.. Thanks DANiel.

Lindsay McConnell · July 07, 2008, 10:03:40 PM

Wait a couple of months and I bet you will be buying the spotlight

darren · July 07, 2008, 08:40:30 PM

:)... Thank-you for the info... Bill if I read correctly it seems if and where I have the red ball antena .. A spotlight will not work there... Its a shame I found a guy that has NOS unitys appleton and this one was allstate... the bracket you mentioned had a template to custom gind the curve on it... then the templates to drill the hole .. when I say nos they are as new as u can get...his name is Jim 1 678 687-6866 he lives in Geogia( i think) and sells on ebay and is a real nice guy he claims to have over 600 sets of spotlights!... NOS I am not going to remove the redball antena .. but I am concidering a clip on type spotlight!... I think my PLy "DOES not" want its dash pierced!!

Wm Steed · July 07, 2008, 01:55:53 PM

Pat's comment about the importance of having the correct mounting attachments for spot lights is correct. I have the part number for Appleton spot lights which would fit the '37-39 DPCD cars. The '35-36 Plyms, (DPCD) differ very much from the '37-39's so I doubt if the part number would help. I have a couple of pictures of Plym's with spot lights and a cowl mounted 'Red Ball' antenna. My '39 conv had the spot and antenna mounted on the left cowl. I omitted the antenna but kept the spot light.

The length of the shaft is also very important. The DPCD cars require a very short shaft, about 11-1/2". Fortunately my car had a spot light as original equipment so I had something to judge replacements with.... Spot lights are like everything else for old cars, you have to do your home work and have more knowledge than the person (s) selling the parts.

You should no be to concerned about GO's comment about the weakening of the "A" pillar (windshield post) In the event of a roll over there is no protection on the older conv's and the addition of a half inch hole would be so minimal it is not worth considering ....Bill

36 Ply · July 07, 2008, 09:21:47 AM

Daniel,

It is my understanding that the outer bracket of a spotlight is for a specific year and make (and maybe model?) of car or truck, because it must match the angle of the windshield frame.

So if you buy this spotlight, be sure it is for your car, otherwise, the outer bracket will not fit flush with your windshiel frame.

Regards,

Pat OConnor

Go Fleiter · July 07, 2008, 01:01:04 AM

Dear Daniel, I don?t know the specific spotlight nor Your antenna.
If You have to drill through the windshield frame to install the spotlight, it may collide with the antenna.
My Car came with the spotlightmounted through the windshield frame and I think it lessens stability of a lot. I woudn?t have dared to drill so!
Anyhow You may have to take a certain angle for this hole, so You may not have the chance to avoid the antenna. If You drill another angle, the hole may weaken the frame too much.
Greetings! Go

darren · July 06, 2008, 09:24:22 PM

:)? I have a chance to get NOS 1940's Allstate spotlight... looks like a Appelton tear drop style... Before I get it .. I noticed my redball antenna... might be in the way.... Has any one ever installed a spotlight with this type of antenna ... Thanks for the info... Happy PLY-mouthing DANiel