Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[clan chieftain]

My estate has 2 spotlights below the front bumper but I have never used them. Mind you the car is seldom out at night. I have seen Crestas and Consuls fitted with exterior sun visors with a small spotlight fitted on them. My visor has a hole for a spotlight as well. Do you use your spotlights.?
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The Clan Chieftain

[peter scott]

Short answer is No!

I've never found that they give any advantage except to illuminate parts of the road that I don't need to see. The lower positioning of them theoretically means they won't blind you with fog and snow but I still prefer dipped headlights. I can only remember one occasion very many years ago when I drove in a blizzard and needed to have my head out the side window to make out the verges but headlamps were still the best.

Peter
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https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[clan chieftain]

I am the same Peter. If my car didnt have spotlights fitted I wouldnt have fitted any.
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The Clan Chieftain

[Riley Blue]

If they're below the bumper theyre most likely to be foglamps. Is the beam wide, illuminating the kerb and across the front of the car - that's a foglamp.
If the lenses look different, the one with vertical flutes is the foglamp and on my Riley is on the nearside with a spotlamp on the offside that shines up the road into the 'distance' - it's a Lucas 576 so 'distance' isn't that far.
Yes, I use them otherwise I'd take them off the car. Though I've only been out in fog in the Riley a couple of times, there were several times the spotlamp was useful before I converted the headlamps to halogen.

[JohnDale]

Hi Larry, the movable spot fitted to the 'A' pillar or visor is illegal to use when moving as it's too high - their designated use is as a signpost lamp
(in the days when we had country roads with sign posts) as opposed to a distinct lack of sign posts now.

My original Zephyr with a pair of signpost lamps



My current one with a single lamp(mostly for show)



In the old days we also used them for shooting rabbits on the airfield - don't think that would happen now,cheers,JD.
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1958 Ford Zephyr Mk2 Convertible
1976 Ford Granada Ghia.

[clan chieftain]

I didnt know that John. I dont know when I last saw a fingerpost in the country. If I remember they gave you the miles as well. Nice looking Zephyr John. Where is that photo taken.
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The Clan Chieftain

[Keith D]

The current trend with young blokes on this part of the planet is to drive through the well lit suburbs with two spotlights on as well as their head lamps! Oncoming drivers end up with headaches!
Keith D

[peter scott]

Hi Keith,

I'm afraid it's not just down under. It's fashion! Like all fashion it won't be long before it's seen as "uncool".

Peter
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https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[Jim.Walker]

There seems to be total confusion about spotlights and fog lights and their legal use in Britain.
Fog lamps are those less than 2 feet from the ground to the centre of the glass and may only be legally used in fog or falling snow. Many cars come now with built in lamps too low for normal driving, though many people seem ignorant of that.
Spot or driving lamps must be over 2 feet from the ground and not used when main beam lights are dipped.
Moveable lights of any height must not be used while the vehicle is in motion.
I may be out a little on the exact heights - I have not checked lately, but the use requirements have not changed as far as I am aware.
Although lights may be designed as either "spot" or "fog" it is their position (height) which legally defines them,

Here is a tip which might be useful,
My spot lights are fed through a relay which is eathed via the headlamp dipped beam wire. That ensures they will only light when on side lights alone or on main beam because on dipped beam the relay earth "disappears". Solenoid dippers will have to work things out for themselves
Jim.
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

[Keith D]

The rules regarding driving lights in Western Australia are that they must be wired through the dip switch so that they will only work when headlights are on high beam. Ha! Ha! I wish the police enforced this! - Keith

[Riley Blue]

They can be movable Jim, some modern cars have steerable headlamps like those originally found in the DS.

The name 'Appleton' rings a bell when thinking of those pillar mounted lights or was that an American name?

[Jim.Walker]

[V8 Nutter]

Appletons are the American version of sign post lights. They are still very popular on 50's cars. Two Appletons on 50's custom car was the dogs. I had one on my first American car, it gave a fantastic long thin beam.

I have just had an MOT on my daily driver, an 08 Seat Ibiza Sport. There is a headlight adjuster on the dash, which needed altering to set the dip properly it's all to do with the load.

[47Jag]

[Could there be a distinction between "moving" as in connected to another system or "moveable" as in by a person?
quote]

Jim,

I think this is the qualifying phrase in that the Citroen system was tied to the steering system. I'm sure I've seen a recent advert (for a Vauxhall I think) that has a Citroenesque movable headlamp system. There are many moderns that have a vertical adjustment fitted. My wife's BMW Mini, my Jaguar and my last BMW all have a vertically adjustable headlamps feature to name a few. Any car with HID lamps has to have fully automatic height adjustment.

Art [/quote]

[JohnDale]