1930s upgrade headlights name

[sixto]

What's the name of these 1930s upgrade headlights? Nightfire or something like that comes to mind.



Sixto
83 300SD
98 E320 wagon

[barry12345]

Wedgewood comes to mind on the varients I saw on 1934 Packards. Always very narrow and do not take my name to the bank. Other than perhaps I am fairly certain it started with Tom's surnames first initial being a W.


They were and remain an attention getter. I suspect they were kind of an option or aftermarket headlight. Just not certain of much.


Other than these were rare enough some other members may have never seen any.. You do have to wonder what type of beam pattern they put on the road. There is a modern headlight company that also uses the name wildwood


. When I was told what they were right or wrong was at a time before the conventional sealed beam bulbs that where used by almost everyone. Started to become less used.


You know back when if you broke a headlight it cost 5.00 to replace an almost all cars. I still have a box of sealed beam conventional bulbs that fit nothing I can think of on the road today. Except our old Mercedes pretty well. Plus various varients of the square sealed bulbs.

[t walgamuth]

Those are called Cathedral headlights by the Studebaker guys. the other ones are more of a pod type that mounts on the side of the hood. don't know the name.

[Mxfrank]

Do you mean these?

[sixto]

Yes! What are they called?

Sixto
83 300SD
98 E320 wagon

[sixto]

I found Pilot Ray but those are auxiliary lights that turn with the steering wheel. I wonder if that's the name I'm thinking of...

Sixto
83 300SD
98 E320 wagon

[t walgamuth]

They are usually in my limited experience mounted solid. Turning with the wheels is a great feature that eludes current manufacturers , though I had nearly the same thing on my 1980 SAAB with lights that came on when turning.

[Mxfrank]

Originally Posted by sixto

Yes! What are they called?

Sixto
83 300SD
98 E320 wagon

Not sure, but I've always liked them. Maybe Woodlite? You'll only see them on cars from '28, '29, '30, '31, and always on what would have been exotics in the day. The two cars above are a '28 Stutz Blackhawk and a '29 Cord L-29. Here are photos of a '29 Dupont and a '29 Ruxton. I also have a photo of them on a '31 Jordan somewhere.

[Mxfrank]

The internet is a wonderful thing (sometimes):

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hmn/2008/10/Dim--Yet-Brilliant--Too/1705167.html

[t walgamuth]

They're very collectible. Personally I like a round headlight or a variation on round though.

[sixto]

Yup, Woodlite. Thanks!

Sixto
83 300SD
98 E320 wagon

[barry12345]

Now I think there where many variations of the same theme basically. Since apparently they where inferior it seems. Perhaps they were purchased by owners who primarily used their cars in cities at night. Style wise the Packard versions where different again from the two examples shown.

Poor headlights are no joke. I was tearing along an old highway at probably fifty miles an hour one night. This was in my 39 ford with the 6 volt reflector headlights.


The road veered left or right. I could not tell so since the woods ahead were thin. I just went into the woods while slowing and turned around to see the direction of the road. I could have and probably would have rolled the car had I made the wrong choice.

That was bad enough but the night I was in our brand new service van on a very dark night on a country road and the lights went totally out was even more thrilling. Bad headlight switch.

You almost or I almost lost the sense of orientation to anything. The mind I suppose is dealing with what it sees. Then there is just nothing in an instant. Only circumstance would have it that it was such a dark overcast night. Also I knew I had to get the van off the road as another vehicle might come along and not see me.