The Ford Barn

CatMan1 · 08-02-2021, 04:30 PM

Were cowl lights optional? I see some cars have them and some don't. Would it have been an option on my '28 Sport Coupe? It doesn't have them. Also, the headlight switch seems to have three positions.......1 to the left and two to the right. What does the one to the left do? Currently nothing for mine.

Stingray70 · 08-02-2021, 04:38 PM

I will give this a shot & someone will correct me if I am wrong. Not all cars came with cowl lights. Over the years, many had them added (like my '30 Standard Coupe). The parking light position (to the left) will illuminate the parking light bulb located inside the headlight housing. 1st click to the right is low beams, 2nd click is high beams.

I wired my cowl lights to act as turn signals.

CatMan1 · 08-02-2021, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stingray70

I will give this a shot & someone will correct me if I am wrong. Not all cars came with cowl lights. Over the years, many had them added (like my '30 Standard Coupe). The parking light position (to the left) will illuminate the parking light bulb located inside the headlight housing. 1st click to the right is low beams, 2nd click is high beams.

I wired my cowl lights to act as turn signals.

I only have one bulb in there. Should I have two?

Bob Bidonde · 08-02-2021, 04:52 PM

Only deluxe models should have cowl lights, but dealers did sell them as accessories.

Badpuppy · 08-02-2021, 05:13 PM

Standard models had two bulbs in the headlight reflectors, deluxe hand only the headlamp single bulb with cowl lamps lit in park (left) position. In 1928 cowl lights were an option, with a separate switch on the door jamb, since the lighting switch had only 3 positions - off, dim, bright. Your car has been retrofitted with the later 4-position wire loom. You may illuminate the cowl lamps with the left (park) position like the later models. You should have a pigtail from the wire loom for the cowl lamps to connect to the cowl lamp loom which runs between floorboard frame extension and frame.

Stingray70 · 08-02-2021, 06:47 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by CatMan1

I only have one bulb in there. Should I have two?

Like badpuppy said, if the car didn't come with cowl lights, yes it should have two bulbs in the headlight housing.

Dave Mellor NJ · 08-02-2021, 11:14 PM

Any 30-31 model could have cowl lights. on 28-29 only the fordors and cabriolets had them due to the cowl. Many cars get them put on but they are wrong for judging

w.michael · 08-02-2021, 11:46 PM

1928 headlights and 1929 headlights are not the same.

From the beginning of production through February of 1929, headlights had fluted lenses. There was only one bulb in the headlight, and it had two filaments--a 3 candlepower filament, which is the parking light; and a 21 candlepower filament which is the driving light. There was no high beam and low beam. The light switch had three positions. Seven o'clock is the parking lights, and six o'clock is off, and five o'clock is driving lights.

Beginning in February of 1929 and through the end of production, the headlights had the later style lenses, and standard cars had two bulbs in the headlight--a parking light bulb, and a separate two-filament driving light bulb with high beam and low beam. The light switch was the more familiar four-position switch, with parking lights to the left, off at six o'clock, low beam one click to the right, and high beam two clicks to the right.

See RG & JS Area 18, pages 18-1 and 18-2.

Cowl lights on a sport coupe would have been an option. I don't know if they would have been ONLY dealer installed, or if they were available from the factory as an option.

W. Michael

w.michael · 08-02-2021, 11:55 PM

Cowl lights were a "dealer supplied accessory" authorized by Ford Motor Company. Cowl lights on standard models became available as an authorized accessory in February of 1929. And so, no, your 1928 Sport Coupe should not have cowl lights.

See RG & JS area 16, page 16-1.

W. Michael

CatMan1 · 08-03-2021, 07:36 AM

So, this is confusing. I have a '28 Sport Coupe with the parking brake to the front of the shifter. The headlights only have one bulb with two filaments. Fluted lens. No cowl lights. I have a 4 position switch. It has 'off' in the middle, nothing happens on the left, one click over to the right and I have headlights and one more click to the right and I have brighter headlights.

Badpuppy · 08-03-2021, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CatMan1

So, this is confusing. I have a '28 Sport Coupe with the parking brake to the front of the shifter. The headlights only have one bulb with two filaments. Fluted lens. No cowl lights. I have a 4 position switch. It has 'off' in the middle, nothing happens on the left, one click over to the right and I have headlights and one more click to the right and I have brighter headlights.

Correct. Your 28 originally had a 3-position switch, Off, Dim, Bright. It now has 4. Park position was added with TwoLite headlamps, early 29. Since you have it, you may use it for parking lamps either in cowl lamps or with 2-bulb headlight reflectors. You'll need to add wiring either way.

w.michael · 08-04-2021, 11:50 PM

I agree that your car has been retrofitted with the later 1929 light switch housing and plate.

If you want your car returned to its original configuration, you will need to find an original light switch housing and cover, and an original style wiring harness plate for the 1928 model. Then follow the Restoration Guidelines and Judging Standards cited in posts 8 and 9 above.

An alternative would be to replace your headlight reflectors with 1929 reflectors and socket sets, and use your existing wiring harness. This will give you a parking light bulb and a two filament driving light bulb with both high beam and low beam, all inside your headlight shell. Most people will think this is correct, although it does not follow the RG & JS.

A third alternative would be to install cowl lights to use as your parking lights, but this is not correct for a 1928 standard vehicle. I personally would not want obviously incorrect cowl lights on the car, but of course that is your choice.

If you don’t really care whether you have parking lights (do you ever intend to drive at night?) then just don’t change anything. Do you ever use parking lights on your modern car? I just don’t think it will ever matter if you don’t change anything, unless you just want to have your car closer to correct.

W. Michael

Badpuppy · 08-05-2021, 08:05 AM

The 28 headlight conduit and plug allow only 2 wires, bright/dim. 28 cowl lights are somewhat different than the later ones, but were an available option, with a switch on the door jamb or dash. With the newer 4-position switch, its "park/cowl" tab could be used rather than the surface switch.

08-02-2021, 04:30 PM	#1
CatMan1 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: Pella, IA Posts: 336	Cowl Lights Were cowl lights optional? I see some cars have them and some don't. Would it have been an option on my '28 Sport Coupe? It doesn't have them. Also, the headlight switch seems to have three positions.......1 to the left and two to the right. What does the one to the left do? Currently nothing for mine.

08-02-2021, 04:38 PM	#2
Stingray70 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Western NC Posts: 213	Re: Cowl Lights I will give this a shot & someone will correct me if I am wrong. Not all cars came with cowl lights. Over the years, many had them added (like my '30 Standard Coupe). The parking light position (to the left) will illuminate the parking light bulb located inside the headlight housing. 1st click to the right is low beams, 2nd click is high beams. I wired my cowl lights to act as turn signals. __________________ 1930 Standard Coupe

08-02-2021, 04:52 PM	#4
Bob Bidonde Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 3,463	Re: Cowl Lights Only deluxe models should have cowl lights, but dealers did sell them as accessories. __________________ Bob Bidonde

08-02-2021, 05:13 PM	#5
Badpuppy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Guthrie, OK Posts: 1,144	Re: Cowl Lights Standard models had two bulbs in the headlight reflectors, deluxe hand only the headlamp single bulb with cowl lamps lit in park (left) position. In 1928 cowl lights were an option, with a separate switch on the door jamb, since the lighting switch had only 3 positions - off, dim, bright. Your car has been retrofitted with the later 4-position wire loom. You may illuminate the cowl lamps with the left (park) position like the later models. You should have a pigtail from the wire loom for the cowl lamps to connect to the cowl lamp loom which runs between floorboard frame extension and frame.

08-02-2021, 11:14 PM	#7
Dave Mellor NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 777	Re: Cowl Lights Any 30-31 model could have cowl lights. on 28-29 only the fordors and cabriolets had them due to the cowl. Many cars get them put on but they are wrong for judging

08-02-2021, 11:46 PM	#8
w.michael Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 418	Re: Cowl Lights 1928 headlights and 1929 headlights are not the same. From the beginning of production through February of 1929, headlights had fluted lenses. There was only one bulb in the headlight, and it had two filaments--a 3 candlepower filament, which is the parking light; and a 21 candlepower filament which is the driving light. There was no high beam and low beam. The light switch had three positions. Seven o'clock is the parking lights, and six o'clock is off, and five o'clock is driving lights. Beginning in February of 1929 and through the end of production, the headlights had the later style lenses, and standard cars had two bulbs in the headlight--a parking light bulb, and a separate two-filament driving light bulb with high beam and low beam. The light switch was the more familiar four-position switch, with parking lights to the left, off at six o'clock, low beam one click to the right, and high beam two clicks to the right. See RG & JS Area 18, pages 18-1 and 18-2. Cowl lights on a sport coupe would have been an option. I don't know if they would have been ONLY dealer installed, or if they were available from the factory as an option. W. Michael

08-02-2021, 11:55 PM	#9
w.michael Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 418	Re: Cowl Lights Cowl lights were a "dealer supplied accessory" authorized by Ford Motor Company. Cowl lights on standard models became available as an authorized accessory in February of 1929. And so, no, your 1928 Sport Coupe should not have cowl lights. See RG & JS area 16, page 16-1. W. Michael

08-03-2021, 07:36 AM	#10
CatMan1 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: Pella, IA Posts: 336	Re: Cowl Lights So, this is confusing. I have a '28 Sport Coupe with the parking brake to the front of the shifter. The headlights only have one bulb with two filaments. Fluted lens. No cowl lights. I have a 4 position switch. It has 'off' in the middle, nothing happens on the left, one click over to the right and I have headlights and one more click to the right and I have brighter headlights.

08-04-2021, 11:50 PM	#12
w.michael Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 418	Re: Cowl Lights I agree that your car has been retrofitted with the later 1929 light switch housing and plate. If you want your car returned to its original configuration, you will need to find an original light switch housing and cover, and an original style wiring harness plate for the 1928 model. Then follow the Restoration Guidelines and Judging Standards cited in posts 8 and 9 above. An alternative would be to replace your headlight reflectors with 1929 reflectors and socket sets, and use your existing wiring harness. This will give you a parking light bulb and a two filament driving light bulb with both high beam and low beam, all inside your headlight shell. Most people will think this is correct, although it does not follow the RG & JS. A third alternative would be to install cowl lights to use as your parking lights, but this is not correct for a 1928 standard vehicle. I personally would not want obviously incorrect cowl lights on the car, but of course that is your choice. If you don’t really care whether you have parking lights (do you ever intend to drive at night?) then just don’t change anything. Do you ever use parking lights on your modern car? I just don’t think it will ever matter if you don’t change anything, unless you just want to have your car closer to correct. W. Michael

08-05-2021, 08:05 AM	#13
Badpuppy Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Guthrie, OK Posts: 1,144	Re: Cowl Lights The 28 headlight conduit and plug allow only 2 wires, bright/dim. 28 cowl lights are somewhat different than the later ones, but were an available option, with a switch on the door jamb or dash. With the newer 4-position switch, its "park/cowl" tab could be used rather than the surface switch.