Topic: Original 1969 and 1970 Headlights

[Anghelrestorations]

Put together a new guide that shows and talks about the different style original headlights used in 1969 and 1970.  This issue seems to come up in judging on some of the cars I have seen especially with some of the reproductions available today.   
Let me know questions comments or if something is missing. 

http://www.anghelrestorations.com/uploads/3/1/7/6/3176630/headlights_v1.0.pdf

[1969 Cale II]

WOW, great story on headlights. I brought this up awhile ago and glad to see you did such a great job on it. Being I own a 69 Cyclone I was surprised to see the 69 Mustang not have z number parts. This story is why I joined this forum because I know there are similarities between the Ford products and it will help me build the best Cyclone out there.
Chris

[Brian Conway]

     Yes, some interesting information.  My car still has the inner/high beam General Electric ' MADE FOR FORD ' bulbs.  Of the outer headlights; one had been replaced before I got the car and the other I just replaced.  The replaced/burned out one was a TS ' MADE FOR ' bulb.  You might add that a little Windex and a paper towel will take the ink stamps right off.  When replacing the bulb I did not notice any stampings on the bucket ?  Will have to look harder next time.  The pictures of the bulb faces are really pretty good as the glass shots are pretty tuff.  Thanks, Brian

[specialed]

marcus you may want to show the 2 types of fluting in glass wide vs narrow  as I have seen both on restored cars sometimes1 of each . the narrow fluted glass started in the mid 70s & the repo wagner bulbs are newer fluted glass & wrong vendor for concours.

[Anghelrestorations]

Ok, I will see what I can do for pictures of the fluting....may be able to find a way to show that.   

[Bob Gaines]

     Yes, some interesting information.  My car still has the inner/high beam General Electric ' MADE FOR FORD ' bulbs.  Of the outer headlights; one had been replaced before I got the car and the other I just replaced.  The replaced/burned out one was a TS ' MADE FOR ' bulb. You might add that a little Windex and a paper towel will take the ink stamps right off. When replacing the bulb I did not notice any stampings on the bucket ?  Will have to look harder next time.  The pictures of the bulb faces are really pretty good as the glass shots are pretty tuff.  Thanks, Brian

Fortunately if a mistake is made and the date stamping is rubbed off  it might be another 40 or 50 years before anyone is the wiser that it is missing . Certainly no casual observer or scrutineer would ever know because once installed the date stamping on the backside of the bulb whether there or not is impossible to see. Even for someone with the ole hawk eye.

[Brian Conway]

     Thanks Bob for the observation.  That Windex remark was a rueful attempt at humor.  Regretably I was not able to make note of that information for my own curiosity and records.  Brian

[J_Speegle]

Ok, I will see what I can do for pictures of the fluting....may be able to find a way to show that.   

We can always illustrate that with a drawing if the detail does not show well in a photograph

[Anghelrestorations]

Ok....I updated the document so it now shows the different styles of fluting in the glass. 

So otherwise do we agree that there was only two manufacturers in 1969 and 1970?  And its hard to say for sure exactly what came on a car during a certain time period.  I find it hard to say that Shebly's got this bulb or cars in San Jose got a certain type.....

[J_Speegle]

............And its hard to say for sure exactly what came on a car during a certain time period.  I find it hard to say that Shebly's got this bulb or cars in San Jose got a certain type.....

+1 Considering few original headlights remain out of the hundreds of thousands built. Until we find the "smoking gun", a possible piece of Ford document spelling out the details and matching findings on original cars, I think either/or serves us best at this point

[Bob Gaines]

Ok....I updated the document so it now shows the different styles of fluting in the glass. 

So otherwise do we agree that there was only two manufacturers in 1969 and 1970?  And its hard to say for sure exactly what came on a car during a certain time period. I find it hard to say that Shebly's got this bulb or cars in San Jose got a certain type.....

It has been my observation that the most typical large style 2 headlight bulb for a 69/70 Shelby was the TS bulb. The bulb was added at AO Smith. I am not sure what the 4 headlight smaller bulb are of a Dearborn built car (69/70 Shelby's were Dearborn cars but delivered to Smith without front end).

[specialed]

I have only seen ts fomoco headlights in 68-69-70 shelbys    & ts fomoco in 69 Dearborn mustangs until ford ran out late may & went to ge no fomoco script.  You can find hi beam headlights still in 69 b9s since they never got used as much & b9s never had hi miles on them