VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Passing light - any year that had them.

My Dad loved those Fulton sunvisors, he said that they made the inside of the car cooler, he meant ...cooler,....You know,like lower temperature.. I always hated them because I had to bend down to see out the windshield. His 48 Desoto had one, The car was a battleship gray 4 door Deluxe sedan with all them chrome verticle teeth (a real beauty...YUCK!) and when he traded it for a new 1953 Dodge Red Ram Cornet with metallic dark green body and cream top, he wanted to put a sunvisor on it. The Dodge dealer said those are "old hat" and ruin the resale value. My brothers and I convinced him that dual exhaust would be more practical and he went with the duals. The kid that ran the grease rack at the Dodge house bought the Desoto, when Dad traded it in, and added fender skirts with more J.C, Whitney Chrome strips and some of those fake Buick portholes to the hood, dual spot lights, fog lights and lowered it a couple of inches in the rear end. I thought that it looked like a period pimp-mobile.

Good eyes jdv... Skirts are in my garage being detailed and installing new Rubber.

It's another asap project...
Michael41

Also first picture has Utah plates, wish my 41 looked as good.

Thanks for the pictures Mike, one beautiful automobile. And thank god I'm not a judge or even judgmental, that all looks great to me and you'd get a 1000 from me. I'm a believer in alowing any thing that would have been period correct or added a few years after the vehicle was sold, not the way It rolled out the factory door. That's why a VCCA judging event is not on my plate.
After I finish my '50 pickup I'd like to look for a car project. My wife is a 50's child but I'm a 40's vintage so that's probably what I'll be looking for.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Ken. Good eye, the Utah plates are from the previous owner.

Car was restored in Idaho by a good craftsman and taken care of by the Utah owner. So thanks for the compliments, but a bunch go him.

I've changed, updated, added, redone and detailed-detailed-detailed the car, as most "anal" guys would do. But I had a lot to work with.

Denny thanks, I'll take the 1,000 points, appreciate your compliments.

Enjoy the ride,
Michael41

Realize this is an almost 7 year old post but wanted to verify position of passing light...pretty much every car i have seen with a passing light, it is on the driver's side. Does anyone know if certain years of accessory books described them as being installed on drivers side? Reason I ask is in the '42 accessory book, it mentions it going on the passenger side and also shows a picture of the light beam on that side as well. I'll attach the pictures below...

I came across this picture as well from someone on instagram, he posted several pictures from the "1942 Chevrolet Dealer's Product Training School" film strip. It clearly shows the passing lamp (listed/sold as single unit) mounted on the passenger side.
Anyone have sources from any other year's accessory books stating/showing the passing light as being mounted on the driver side? Curious if other years show it that way since just about every car I've seen with one has it on the drivers side (or they run duals to keep an even look)

I agree with you. All pictures for 1940 and 1941 show it on the left side.

As far as duals are concerned I can think of two problems. The 50 candle power bulbs would have been more than the generator could handle if other lights and accessories were in use and it could also block cooling (air flow) to the radiator.

The passing light was also featured for oter GM cars and sold by Guide through parts houses for installation on any vehicle. In 1940 they were listed at $9.95 for outside Guide lamp sales.
They changed the center bar through the lens to verticle and had a little winged ornament on top.

That is interesting that you say 40 and 41 show it on the left(driver) side where 42 shows it on the right(passenger) side. I wonder if they were advertised differently as far as what their purpose is on the driver side. 42 book says use for extra light in your lane as cars pass you. I assume the others advertised it as extra light as you're passing around (on the left side of vehicle in front of you)? As always, thanks for the info Gene.

The description in ths brocher is almost the same (as well as the same picture) for all three years.

this document shows the driving light on the passenger side, and the passing light on the driver's side.

http://restorecarsclassifieds.com/wiki/show_pdf.pdf?n=6481

I would assume it is the same light, just a difference in where you mount it and it's intended use.

I would guess it would work better on the left side as it would cross over to the right shoulder better without pointing at the uncoming car. The advantage of the passing light was to give extended lighting when the low beams were in use while meeting oncoming cars. It should have been called an oncoming car meeting light.

I think Gene is right about this except that the light should aimed at the right shoulder of the highway and thus would aid one to see his lane betteras he approaches the oncomming car in the dim mood. Thus it would make better sense to mount it on the right (passenger) side.

It was a "meeting" oncoming car light rather than a "passing light" and accordingly hooked to the dimmer switch to be activated when dimmers were called for. "Passing" was used in the sense that we pass someone when we actually meeting "meet" them, If you get my drift.

Seems that only one would be necessary for this purpose. Two with, especially with fog light, would be give the appearance of overweighting the front bumper and about to tip the car on its nose.

As to the skirts on a 1941, I think they look like crap unless they have the connecting piece below the stone guard (shield, whatever). The space there is just too much for a clean line to be interpeted from the rear edge of the rocker molding to the trim on the skirts. Just my opinion.

And, that Fulton, whatever the make, any of you out there who think they look cool on cars in the thrities and forties can consider yourselves uninvited to my next barbecue. They make those old cars look like a can of sardines that has just had a little of the top rolled back to reveal the contents. And, they probably be just as unappealing delivering girls to debutante ball. Whoever think those things are cute have obviously had no sofisticated training in the finer arts. They may even eat possum and prounanced it delicious. Would too! They'd even pick theit teeth in public. (I didn't say "nose" 'cause we're talking about possum here.) Mercy!

Charlie

BTW: At my next B-B-Q we plan on burning Fultons, et al and dancing around the fire whilst chanting "No more stinkin Fultons, No more stinkin futons...."

The dual lights shown are from a Guide catalog and not Chevrolet. I agree, two of those large lights makes the fot end look too heavy especially on a small car. Same for the Trippe Driving lights.
I would prefer a pair of the accessory 1942 retangular fog lights for apppearence

Thanks for posting my former 41 Bill.

When I bought the {Green} '41 it had 2, fogs lights & visor, OEM Skirts, wrap arounds, Fold Down, Grill Guard, Flying Lady, Back Up Light and SW/deluxe Radio.

I added the Passing Light, which I always liked. When I detailed each light, I found Rubber Stamped Date Inside the chrome housing, "Feb. 1941." So I assumed they were old/orig. and did NOT wipe that date off.

I added several OEM accessories, which was fun. In total the car had 13 OEM accessories.

That aside the car was 90% Stock.
5% = Split Fenton Exh. Manifold, SS twin pipes, w/glass packs.
5% = the color, Admiral Green was not quite stock. It had a tad-bit more "metallic" but looked great.

Judges never questioned the color, but they did take points away for the split Manf. 2-Pipes etc.

I'm happy to say the car ended up being a 980+ point car. Of course if Gene had been a judge it would have been a different number, LOL. But I always learned from him. A true gentleman who WAS always helpful when I had question's. As were others.

I'm proud to say the new owner is keeping the car in beautiful condition.
Be well,
Michael41

Oops. Make that 14 accessories. I just remembered the GM Locking Gas Cap. It was a Re-pop but it was cool.

Enjoy.

Michael41,

Nitpicking here, so don't get upset.

Because you listed the skirts as OEM then it would follow that the locking gas cap being a rep and thus not OEM, (with the assumption that the other listed accessories are OEM also) would not qualify as an accessory in your count.

I guess this error will cause the number to return to 13 not 14. Am I right?

Also, how much did the judges take off for the Fulton?

Charlie

No points were added or taken away for the visor.
Never lost points for the Gas cap.
Skirts were original 1941's.
ALL of the access. were orig/OEM, except the Gas cap & antenna.
Had 3 ad'l OEM accessories but never installed them.
Never had the Factory build sheet, so I was not aware of what acc. came on the car.

After reading the rules I became aware of the difference between OEM & Orig. items. Judged 1941-48 Chevy's about 10 times with two of the best VCCA judges.
I was happy with the results and the cars.

There wee no "build sheets" in 1941 and the car was delivered to the dealership with no accessories. The dealers added what the buyer wanted (IN 1941) and the owner sometimes added accessories during the the life of the car. Today the average 1941 has more accessories on it than any 1941s had in 1941 when delivered.

An outside visor should send up a red flag on any pre-war car as the visors did not appear until after WW II.,

Makes since Gene and you are right about how many acc. the avg. 41 has today. Especially here on the West coast. Same for 1930's to late 40's cars

We have a Swap Meet once a month in Long Beach & Pomona Ca. Some of the sellers specialize original accessories, many in OEM box's. Many of the sellers have a lot of knowledge about Chevy/GM accessories and which items are associated for the specific year of the car. From umbrella holders to spot lights to passing lights, fog lights, flash lights, compasses and a lot more. Most also sell general "after market" items as well. The highest prices are for Original items.

I think {?} I have seen some orig. "bills of sale" {copies} from a dealer/customer that listed a few accessories purchased and or installed. Prices are always amazing.

Hope you are well.