Headlight Bars

[hardtimes]

Tim,
Thanks, for the info. It explains some q that I had too!

[hardtimes]

Jim P,
Your welcome and...thanks to you for being curious! I think that we all can/have learned some because of your curiosity. Looking forward also to seeing your bar in detail.

[pooch]

Must have been an optical illusion or too many beers.

But us aussies do the latter.

Would be good if you could place one over the other exactly and take a straight down shot with measurements.

Today I have cut off the welded hole braces and will let the fenders/bar sit where it fits the best and redrill and reweld.

Ahh...repro junk to work with is fun.

[Marco Tahtaras]

Doug Clayton's Low mileage Town Sedan was built in May 1930. The issue with these headlamp bars is they didn't withstand the abuse of the common bars so many have been replaced over the decades.

[Deluxe Delivery]

Thanks to Don and Marco. I have one of these on my April 30 Town Sedan and thought it was aftermarket. Now I won't have to replace it ! Shown is a close-up of the center of the bar, showing it's attaching slots for the plate.

[hardtimes]

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Originally Posted by pooch

Must have been an optical illusion or too many beers.

But us aussies do the latter.

Would be good if you could place one over the other exactly and take a straight down shot with measurements.

Today I have cut off the welded hole braces and will let the fenders/bar sit where it fits the best and redrill and reweld.

Ahh...repro junk to work with is fun.

pooch,
Ok , here's what I did just now. I measured both the bars that are pictured Couple of interesting 'things' noted. For instance, I can see how either bar could EASILY be substituted for the other.
These measurements are not EXACT, but close enough for what you/I need,eh!
I measured STRAIGHT ACROSS both bars ..the centers of the upper square holes: 42" upper hole ctr/ctr '28/.'29 (black) bar;
STRAIGHT ACROSS '30/'31 bar 42 1/2" ctr/ctr upper holes.
ON BOTH BARS: 2" on ctrs of the two mounting bolt holes.

Observations:
-even with the bend in the '30/'31 bar , it is an optical illusion that the bars are much different in overall length..with the '28/'29 MABE ONE INCH LONGER..overall length.
-there IS a difference in the distance between the light sockets of the two bars....with the '30/'31 being about 29" and the '28/'29 being about 30";
-one final observation, which was an odd one, was that both of my '30/'31 bars have a squared off side to the bottom of BOTH light sockets(as viewed from the bottom of the bar) and that the ''28/'29 bar has ONLY ONE squared off side to one socket..and not the other !
Anyone have a 'guess' what this is about? My guess is that the light socket on the horn side (end) of the light bar needs the squared off surface? But..WHY both sockets on the '30/'31 bars... mabe horns on both sides of some models/did ford change sides for horn position during differing years

Anyway, pooch...hope these measurements help youse
BTW..beers good !

[pooch]

Hardtimes, yup, those figures helped. Thanks.

My AR measures 41 1/2 and at the current arch on the 30 ( I have bent and rebent it to try and get it to fit, is 42 inches, so that tallys with 1/2 an inch bigger.

I still reckon the repro braces holes are drilled wrong.

I was beginning to think my repro bar was too wide. I will leave it 42.

What I need now is a measurement of an original 30 fender brace from , say, top one of 3 chassis holes to lower fender headlight bar hole AND/OR how far does the top of the bar sit to the line in the fender crown.

The glass fenders I am working with don't fit the arch of the 28 chassis, I have been told 28/30 chassis are the same except for front crossmember, so the fenders must be made wrong.

At least it gives us something to do when nothing fits.

['29wagon]

that clears some things up, and brings more to question.
do those measurements now determine where the headlight level part of the bar or the later case , center of arch, and how about where over all fender width and hight should land ? seeing some have mixed up parts what does that do ?
hoping that these fenders are correct to this frame. i think the headlight bar is correct.
wheels correct, spring sag.

[hardtimes]

pooch,
13 1/2" is that bolt to bolt measurement you asked for: i.e.- front top chassis brace bolt to lower brace/fender bolt ...make any sense?

BTW...my '30 is early..I think. It has round forged front fender braces. I'm not sure what is correct and/or stock due to MANY statements here regarding assembly line variations and previous owner type changes. Mabe they did come off of the assembly line with different types of braces,eh??

Note: It is apparent that (all) these braces can be BENT also to better match/attach to fender. I can imagine that slight adjustments via bending was/is practiced by assemblers..definitely when dealing with repo junk and/or abused old original parts.
If I were you, I'd try to make fenders match good/right light bar and make fender braces match that setup..no?

[Jim Parker Toronto]

I have one cast fender brace for my 30 that is 15" from center of lower hole to the frame to the lower headlight bolt. All 3 holes in the bottom of the brace are the same size. Can anyone say if this is this the correct brace or not? By the way, I need one more!

['29wagon]

four types of head light bars, three types of fender braces, and three types of fenders.
am i getting this right ?
from '28 through '31 ?
this must have been discussed in a "restorer" at some time along the way.
maybe a bulletin ?

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by '29wagon

four types of head light bars, three types of fender braces, and three types of fenders.
am i getting this right ?
from '28 through '31 ?
this must have been discussed in a "restorer" at some time along the way.
maybe a bulletin ?

As far as interchangeable, that is about right as Ford made many things "backward compatible". When you go beyond those basics the numbers jump. Off the top of my head there are about nine subtle variations in front fenders and eight to nine NOT so subtle variations in front fender brackets. It's real easy when you get to the rears!

[pooch]

8 to 9 different fender brackets , wow.

My glass fenders seem to be from good moulds, so is the frame of a 28 /30 different from about the crossmember forward?