VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 guide S-16 spot light

I need the installation instructions and drilling template for my 48 fleetline...Can any one help???

You can get your template at chevs of the 40s number # asc. good luck on the drilling part.

Thanks,p.k.
I would hope the mounting hardware is the same for the guide as is for the unity...The catalog does not specify and I know that Chev's of the 40s sells NORS unity style lights...Mine is a NOS guide

Note that the Unity and Guide are completely differnt spot lights. All mounting haedware will be different, etc. If it were my car I would not take a chance and use a Unity template for a Guide lamp....once the hole is drilled it too late.

So I would only guess that some one out there has installed a guide S-16 on this body style and has the paper template needed???I have both lights inclueing the template for the unity but the unity is a repro and do not want to use it.I paid a pretty pennie for the NOS guide and would like to use it some day???So please step foward if you will...Thanks in advance,chef

I have what you are looking for & am willing to make copies for you but not sure how to email direct so if you contact me at foruph@comcast.net & give me your mailing address I will send some stuff to you. The comma is not in my email address after the at sign as it shows up in the post.

foruph
I sent you a PM,chef

I don't have a Spot Light on my car.

I'd like to have one, but I don't think there's enough whiskey for prepare me to drill a hole in my car.

I remember the Drive-In's in Texas & So. Cal. when when people would shine spot lights on the screen {dam I'm old}.

Enjoy the ride,
Michael41

I am in the same boat

I have a good body men who is going to do it for me.Still need to get the template though....
I was meaning to ask,will the king bee mirror or the antenna get in the way???

Due to a conflict with a spot light on my 1941, the antenna was installed on the RIGHT side of the cowl. That solution is not available for a car that had an antenna mounted and then along comes the spot light. It is almost certain that the light will strike the antenna.

Chef, I have guide S-16, and side mirror on my 47 and have no problem hitting the antenna. Just get the proper guide template, and it will be fine. Must admit it was a very anxious moment when I drilled "THAT" hole, but the finished result is well worth it. Just dont look 40s without the spotlight! I love mine! Its amazing how much light those things throw out on 6V.

Sarge the template is on it's way and I will do a lot of clearance testing before I take the leap...I did use a template when installing the antenna years ago..Hope its in the right place..I like accessories as I know you do...chef

Need to replace the seal for the glass...I can find no replacement parts for the guide lights...What do you think about using head light rubber??The spot light is 6 "
Oh by the way happy turkey day.......30 birds down,15 to go

And I think that one bird is a chore. Guess it is one reason that I don't own a restaurant.

Chef, I believe that would work fine! Almost impossible to find
replacement pats for these lghts unless your lucky enough to find a spare one in a pile of old used spot lights at a swap meet. You must be pretty sick of turkey right about now?

I am having a challenge removing the bulb from the S-16 light??it is NOS so probably never been out and do not want to force it...Is there a lube I could use???
I am trying to disassemble the light to see if some day it could be stripped down for re-plating...Do these break down to a point a chrome shop will take them???

Try spraying a little WD-40 and letting is set for several minutes. Then try to wiggle the bulb. If it does not move then try spraying again and letting it sit longer.

You should be using a shop rag to work on the bulb. If the bulb breaks you run the risk of glass shards in your fingers.

I know this sounds crazy but as an electrician I was shown this trick by an "old timer" when I was an apprentice. Mix some vinegar and some club soda and pour it on the socket. I saw it work on an antique fixture at the hotel Pierre in NYC on Central Park Easr over 35 years ago. Bulbs screwed out with ease!
John

I do fear recking the refrector though.What material are the reflectors made of and can they be lightly polished in case of a flaw???

The reflector could be brass with a silver plate for reflectivity. Or it could be steel with a silver plate.

What size fuse should use for the light?

A 20 AMP should be sufficient for a single light.

Opinions needed
OK as I have mentioned I have both a NOS Guide Light 6" and a Re-pro Unity Light 5"
The Guide light has a deteriorated reflector seal,1 section of the wire is beginning to deteriorated and some hazing and a few scratches on the chrome...There is no source for replacement parts other then buying a couple of donor lights for future use...
The Unity Light although purchased years a go is new and is in perfect condition...unity still makes the lights and replacement parts...I'm sure the 5" head could be changed out for a 6"for a correct look...I know I should not rely on the accessory book but the pic of the accessory light in there is a unity and exact to the one I have and if you've seen both lights they are quite different
The mounting brackets for the 2 lights are different in shape and the bracket attaching screws fall in different locations and both light attach differently to the bracket so they are not interchangeable..
So you see my dalema being a purest I lean towards the Guide which is correct for the year but could cause problems and plating cost down the road or install the perfect re-pro which could be easily fixed or replaced as needed......chef

I would sell both of them and leave your car without an extra hole drilled in it!

Mack,
To sell them might be a solution if we all were clear thinking and logical. But as you already know if we all were, then none of us would be in this hobby. Just ask some of your non-car crazy buddies or neighbors. If they are honest they will tell you that all those old, obsolete vehicles just don't make sense. Join the modern world and "text"! don't call or talk?

It is also not a matter of "need" even thought we often use that word to justify our lunacy. It is indeed a matter of "want" and that can often be much more powerful than "need". Just ask the druggies or smokers or ????

So if chef wants to put on the Unity the do it. I am sure he will be happier. That is unless he will get a bunch of personal pleasure in spending the time and money to restore and install the Guide (ing) Light.

Chef:
Like chipper said. Do what makes you happy and don't let one or two negative people persuade you differently. Some people think if it's not there way,it's not the right way.
Do it your way !

Chef. MHO

I was in the EXACT same position you are in right now!

My brand new 5" unity has been sitting on a shelf for the last 7 years, while my not so perfect S-16 has been on my car car for the last 5 years. If your a PURIST?

Good luck???

As you can see from this thread I am taking this installation very slow....Yes a very big step drilling a 1/2 inch hole into a classic car...Crazy yes but cautious,very much so.I have made many expensive mistakes on the 48 over the years and many of those much smaller a task..
After Ray mentioned the clearance issue I made a dummy light out of a 6" styrofom ball and 1/2 dowel and found that would not be an issue...The big thing though is the drill landing perfectly in the right location inside the car.It appears to me there is NO! room for error or MUCH damage could occur,not to add there are several wires running through that pillar...Haven't pulled the trigger,but on this car the light would sure fit the bill...I would add in some peoples eyes the Guide light is close to show quality,but I am more picky then most...After I make the choice of what light to install no turning back

Short of the crusher, nearly any mistake can be fixed. Some are more expensive than others. Of course it was a wiser person than me that said "measure twice, cut once".

Well Chef you did ask for opinions.......
Do you see this spotlight? I never ever needed it except at the drive in movie pre-dusk follow the ball film. The damned handle and switch was always in the way.....You don't follow much with a spotlight at 70-80 MPH....I hated the damn thing but never decided to weld the hole up, lead it in and spray primer and paint, so it stayed on the car

Well Mack the 48 does'nt quite meet those speeds and the big old steering wheel is in the way most all the time any way...chef

Well I took the leap and drilled the holes for the guild light myself!!Yes I was successful I had many concerns about the templates placement,but fortunately I didn't hit the dash,door or WINDOW ...The antenna and king bee mirror are free from any danger but I am planning to go to a peep mirror on the rain deflector (a little too much going on in that area now)...So in search of another
accessory if anyone can help???As for the plating on the guide light,I am a little anal and with out my reading glasses it looks perfect....So who would like to borrow my 1/2" drill

Congratulations Chef!!!!!!

We knew you could do it

Scary stuff, huh!!!!!

Just looked at your email Chef........tomorrow I will have a little time to upload those pictures to Photobucket and I will post them here.

Great job Bruce.

Way to go chef!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew you could do it..

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!

Bet it looks SWEET!

I’m glad your installation turned out for the good Bruce. I’ve been following this thread with some interest because I’ve got a botched installation of a Guide S-16 on my 1950, 3600 pu. http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/accessories&page=2
I’m getting into the bodywork a little at a time and the cabs number should come up this fall after the summer driving season is over.
When I bought the truck it had this spotlight mounted on it but the guy that installed it must have been as tilted as the guy that painted the truck red. As you can see by the bend in the thru tube that he drilled the hole crooked. My guess is he drilled half way from the outside then decided to go the other half from the inside and the two holes didn’t line up. Then either the trim/mounting plate was the wrong one or he just didn’t know how to mount it.
I’m going to be welding up holes and re-drilling when I get to the cab and I’d really like to see some pictures of the correct installation so I can do it right the second time.

I read a comment on the brightness of the 6v bulb. I just have to voice my feelings about a 6v bulb being just as bright as a 12v bulb or a 24v or a 120v. No matter what the voltage of the bulb is, bulbs of the same candlepower will be just as bright. It is simply a matter of how much current your system is drawing, the increase in voltages just allowed for lower current draw, lighter gauge wire meaning less copper in the loom, less expense, less weight. Dim 6v lights are almost always caused by high resistance connections, i.e., corroded crimp or push connectors, corroded contacts, poor ground return connections etc. Much of the lighting is grounded to the sheet metal which is grounded to the frame thru bolts or screws which will corrode after sitting out in the rain or in damp garages for 40, 50, 60 years. So if your 6v system has good electrical continuity then you’re going to have good lights, certainly adequate for any of your driving needs. I guarantee you that 55 years ago we weren’t driving around in the dark with dim lights. The improvements in lighting are not from the increase in voltage but from the filament, gas and reflector advances that have been made over the years.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,
Your comments on light bulbs is right on and should be read by everyone that is contemplating changing to 12volts. There are way too many people that believe that 6volt systems were inferior in performance and that is why they were replaced by 12 volts. The truth is that it was an economical decision by the car companies. They also had the option to go to the "standard" military, telephone and aircraft voltage of 24volts but opted for 12volts primarily because somewhere between 12-36volts DC can be fatal if a person is well grounded and contacts a "live" wire. DC is fatal at a lower voltage than AC. Before someone comments I know it is the amperage that kills but voltage that controls the quality of the connection. (The higher the voltage the better the connection.)

A couple of comments on spotlight installation. I have had experience with installing spotlights on police cars at the assembley plant.All spotlight holes were drilled from the outside with a special built jig. The jig had locating tabs and was clamped in place. The jig had a four inch guide sleeve with a half inch inside diameter hole, the same size as the drill bit.The guide sleeve was to insure that the drill bit was at the same angle for each hole that was drilled and did not let the drill bit flex. Precautions still had to be taken once the drill bit cut through the first layer of metal and entered the cavity in the pillar. The bit had to be allowed to cut its own path. If the bit was forced against the uneven metal on the inside of the pillar it would flex and cause a crooked hole. In some instances where a hole needed to be drilled and the jig was not available the outside spotlight bracket was mounted in the correct location and a portable four inch guide sleeve was mounted in the bracket and the hole was drilled, usually with good results.

DD

I feel very lucky this time and yes when getting to the interior pillar section the drill wanted to move around...I did use a bit with a pilot on it which helped some once inside..I was also very worried about hitting the wiring

Hey Bruce,

Congrats!!! I'll tip a maitai this afternoon in your honor. Only a few more days and then back to the cold rain. Arrrrgh....

Bill.

Man Bill we thought you had found another Woodie in Hawaii and weren't coming back

OK guys.......here are a few pictures of the long awaited spotlight on chef chevy's great looking 48 Aero....







I think Bruce did a fabulous job and deserves a

PS....Hey Bruce, great looking clock

Thanks for posting those pictures Ken, that’s one beautiful automobile he has there. I’m gonna add those pix’s to the others I have of that body style. If you could post a link to your Photobucket Bruce, I’d like to see more pictures of your ’48. My first car back in ’57 was a charcoal gray ”˜41 Caddy fast back and I drool over cars like Bruce’s every time I see one since the bodies were so similar. A ’41 Caddy in any condition is WAY out of my price range today, but I may be able to swing a post war Chevy Fleetline that’s in need of a few years work when I finish up my ’50, 3600.

Thanks Dan, That’s kind of what I was thinking about doing when I re-drill my pillar. I have a pretty decent machine shop in the barn and I thought it may be a good idea to make a fixture up. I doubt if I will ever be able to find an original outer trim piece so I think I may need to make a new one for the pickup. The outer trim piece should be installed parallel to the pillar like in the pictures of Bruce’s installation. I’d still like to see a picture of the correct outer trim piece on an AD pickup so I could get the profile correct. I have a sneaking suspicion that the unit that’s on my truck may have been for some other vehicle, maybe off a car and that’s why they boogered up the installation so bad the first time. And it’s obvious that they didn’t use a fixture with a drill bushing or for that matter any sort of guide at all.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,its kinda all about location so the use of the template provided with the instructions is the key.So if you need a copy let me know ...Thanks for the pics Ken,why I don't get set up on photo bucket or something similar???????Some day

Hey Bruce, if you can install that spotlight without wrecking something.......you just might be able to set up a Photbucket account too

Otherwise I don't mind posting for you.

Denny....there are a couple more pics of Bruce's Aero in the VCCA Members Photos...just search back a way. And if you get despsrate. my 48 Aero is the one in the 100 Years Of Chevrolet from the VCCA homepage and another view in my signature.

Afraid the template for the pick up would be different than the cars Bruce. I think the pillar sits a lot more vertical on the PU.
I've had all 6 pictures of your Fleetline saved for a while Ken. If it weren't for the front clip from the side that looks just like my old Caddy. Although I'm tied up with the truck for a while, I’ve been keeping my eyes open for a car; I'd like something post war but my wife is drawn toward the early 50's style. Since I already had a few of them when I was a teenager and they would be my second choice. I can see a battle on the horizon when it comes to laying down the money. But I gotta finish the AD first and right now doing it all myself, I’m a ways off. http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/120846432/large
Thanks for all the pictures guys; I'm building quite a photo album of your rides.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Here is few close ups

Well this is my first attempt at photo bucket Ken

Ya done good Buddy!!!!

I had to change the wire on the guide light,unfortunatly now it does not work...Can I get some info on how the switch works??

Here is a nice exploded view of the Guide spot.











But... then again... I could be wrong

That was an unkind thing to say....sorry.

Mothertrucker,just what I needed!!I did find that I had the insolator up side down and now the light works fine

Way to go Bruce!!

can you send me the template? need to do the same?

Roach: You realize this post is 10 plus years old ?? chef-chevy passed away several years ago.

Dick

Here you go. I hope it is attached. If not I'll try again.

if possible can i get a copy of the s-16 template for installation