37 Ford build--IE: old Header issues thread /37 Ford/5.0/GT40P heads

[34_40]

That is good news Don. It is always a good feeling when it all comes together, isn't it!?!?!?!

[Don Shillady]

This Friday I stopped in to a local "Bring-what-you-got" car show at a local Chic-Fil-A just north of Richmond and saw a beautiful '34 Ford coupe with a perfect chop. A slight slide of the hand under a rear fender revealed a fiberglass body to explain what was an amazingly perfect chopped roof. Of interest was the way in which the owner satisfied the Virginia requirement of a front license plate by mounting it to a bumper bolt in what is probably not a legal way since half the plate was hidden by the bumper in front of it. Anyway I have the same problem on my '29 roadster. The correct place for a front license on a Model A is to hang it from the front headlight bar but that really blocks off a large area of the radiator so I did not want to do that. Often restorers who actually drive their Model A to meets swing up the front plate like a knife edge to allow more air to reach the radiator. Anyway this thread is supposed to be about mid-thirties Fords and I have been an interloper made welcome by IC2 who is not here to support me. Thus here is a little bit of '33-'36 Ford equipment adapted to the right front bumper of a 'glass '29 replica. The whole thing ended up costing me about $50 because I tipped a machinist to shear the aluminum plate and I had to pay $15 for a one-time exact fit use of a 9/16" metal bit. The actual bracket is Speedway Part No. 911-30103-SS stainless steel '33-'36 front license plate bracket. Add in postage from Lincoln Neb. and the cost of several stainless bolts and it all adds up but I needed a way to fit a front license plate for Va. Inspection. It does look a bit clunky and the bracket has a built-in angle which is not noticeable unless you take a close look. Well here it is 1/4" Al plate and all. I painted the Al plate with aluminum paint, maybe I should have used black or body color?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

[bluestang67]

Don we too have to run a front plate in Illinois . Yours looks really good and well placed behind the bar tie . I haven't made it to this yet and am sure it won't be as well planned as this . I will have to remember this one so I can get something close when it comes time .

[35fordcoupe]

Sad to say I didn't get to the shop today, but I'll try and get it done tomorrow.. Life got in the way.. sigh..

No worries..I didn't get to work on the car all weekend . It's looking like this weekend is wide open at the moment though so I'm making a list so I can get some things crossed off!

I did some more research. Advance Auto has two part numbers for this type GM headlight switch - S415 and S415P. I'm not sure yet which one I have, but I'll probably cross my fingers and buy the other one.

[34_40]

No worries..I didn't get to work on the car all weekend . It's looking like this weekend is wide open at the moment though so I'm making a list so I can get some things crossed off!.

Looks like we both had "life influencing" our decisions this past weekend! I'll get it done tho'!

[34_40]

Okay, I got to the shop and verified that the switch is indeed wired to shut off the front running lamps when the headlights are turned on. The switch was part of the package from Ron Francis and the Part Number was HL-03.

The mating connector #'s = Wire Works # HL-03, A-C Delco # D1592, Standard # DS155, or Niehoff DR131K.

I found the installation instructions on the Ron Francis website and will try to post it here, but, it's 1.3 meg and I don't think it'll load. I can send it to you if you'd PM me that you want it or you can go to the Ron Francis website and simply search for HL-03. The instruction sheet clearly states that it's your choice to wire the front running lamps to be off when the headlamps are on...

And the file is indeed to large so if you'd like it, PM me or go to Ron Francis website..

[406Rich]

Don we too have to run a front plate in Illinois . Yours looks really good and well placed behind the bar tie . I haven't made it to this yet and am sure it won't be as well planned as this . I will have to remember this one so I can get something close when it comes time .

We`re supposed to but I haven`y had mine on in the last ten years, reason being now for red light cameras, any ways might go with a electric or vaccum hidden plate in front.

[randyr]

We`re supposed to but I haven`y had mine on in the last ten years, reason being now for red light cameras, any ways might go with a electric or vaccum hidden plate in front.

They recently got rid of the red light cameras in LA cause they were costing more to operate than they were bringing in....YAY!!!! However, they'll still ticket you here for no front plate. When my truck got the front bumper ripped off of it in a crash, I put the plate on the dash with a note and pictures while I was waiting to get the new bumper. The idiot meter maid still gave me a ticket! It was a big PITA to jump thru hoops at the DMV and they still charged me $10! A little common sense on the part of the meter maid would have been much more appreciated but I know they are trained to be like pit bulls!

[randyr]

Don we too have to run a front plate in Illinois . Yours looks really good and well placed behind the bar tie . I haven't made it to this yet and am sure it won't be as well planned as this . I will have to remember this one so I can get something close when it comes time .

I got by without running a front plate on my '37 for a few years before starting this rebuild. They seem to be cracking down in Cali these days so I've been thinking about something similar to what Don is showing except I want mine to be easily removable for car shows and stuff. The front of a '37 is too cool to be cluttered up with a stupid ass license plate!!

[406Rich]

City fathers trying to get all the money they can.....

[Don Shillady]

Yeah, my bracket does look clunky but the good thing is that it only takes removal of the one bumper bolt to get it off for show, if ever. I painted the aluminum plate with aluminum color but maybe the bracket should be black or body color? I may yet paint it black to blend in with the bumper bracket iron. The problem with aluminum paint on aluminum is that it looks like it wasn't painted. I am close to getting the car running with the attitude of "get it running and then cosmetise later".

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

[34_40]

Don S., I think your plate mount looks better than hanging it off the light bar! I (naturally) run the same mount, but I really don't sweat the whole front plate deal.. kinda like headlights... I think they detract from the whole "flow" of the 20's/ 30's style car fenders. But we need'em for driving at night. Form follows function right?!?!

[randyr]

Yeah, my bracket does look clunky but the good thing is that it only takes removal of the one bumper bolt to get it off for show, if ever. I painted the aluminum plate with aluminum color but maybe the bracket should be black or body color? I may yet paint it black to blend in with the bumper bracket iron. The problem with aluminum paint on aluminum is that it looks like it wasn't painted. I am close to getting the car running with the attitude of "get it running and then cosmetise later".

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Hey Don, you're always welcome to share your pics & progress here whether IC2 is taking a break or not!
I think you're bracket looks really good and I agree with Mike that I like it better on the bumper than hanging off the light bar. Mounting it to the bumper bolt does make it fairly simple to remove if it ever became necessary, so maybe I'll have to consider that kind of option for mine. I'm a long ways away from that detail, though!

You questioned the "color" you chose for the aluminum part of the bracket, here's my 2 cents: I think black or body color would only draw more attention to it, which is probably not what you want. Have you considered just polishing the aluminum and shoot a clear-coat on it? Then it should just blend in with the bumper & the chrome part of the license bracket. Just a thought...

Thanks for keeping us informed with your progress. Nice work!

[35fordcoupe]

Okay, I got to the shop and verified that the switch is indeed wired to shut off the front running lamps when the headlights are turned on. The switch was part of the package from Ron Francis and the Part Number was HL-03.

The mating connector #'s = Wire Works # HL-03, A-C Delco # D1592, Standard # DS155, or Niehoff DR131K.

I found the installation instructions on the Ron Francis website and will try to post it here, but, it's 1.3 meg and I don't think it'll load. I can send it to you if you'd PM me that you want it or you can go to the Ron Francis website and simply search for HL-03. The instruction sheet clearly states that it's your choice to wire the front running lamps to be off when the headlamps are on...

And the file is indeed to large so if you'd like it, PM me or go to Ron Francis website..

Sorry, I hadn't seen the response until now. I just looked at the Ron Francis diagram and that helps put it together. I took a guess and ordered another switch last week. When comparing the two, the old one does not have the #7 terminal so I plugged in the new one which does, but I still get parking lights with the headlights. Looking closer my wiring harness has no wire in the #7 spot, but I'm not sure yet what I need to do from here. Any ideas 34_40 or Rich?

Looking at the truck write up again to do the opposite of what I am trying to do they spliced together the parking light wire and tail light wire, but my problem is that I don't have a wire in that parking light spot at all. That doesn't make since because the parking lights do turn on in both positions on the switch. I need to look closer at it again tomorrow. I was working on the heater today, but just took a quick look at this hoping I would plug in the new switch and get the result I was after!

[34_40]

#7 spot on which switch?