Purchased a set of Trippe Senior Driving safety Lights at a swap meet today

[desoto1939]

I went to a local AACA clubs spring swap meet this morning.  At the second building that I stopped at a gentleman had a set of Senior Trippe Safety Driving lights.

 

I examined them and they were complete even had the correct Trippe mounting brackets and the level in the top of the bucket and the original wire and the original Trippe black tipped bulbs.

 

Came home and polished the buckets and then hooked them up to my 6 volt battery charger and the bulbs even lit up, no cracks in the lens.

 

As many of you might know these Trippe lights are not cheap, the price ranges from 1600-2200 for a set in perfect condition.

 

OK, no i did not even pay close to that amount.  I asked the seller what he wanted for them and I was thinking at least $1000+.

 

He came back with a price of yes $100.  You never saw any one ever get their wallet out and pay the seller.  I basically stoles these from him and I asked him if that was his price and he said yes.

 

Also at the same time he had a box of the Autolite BullNose 6v sealed headlight bulbs in a box. There were six in the box. Asked what he was getting for the bulbs he said $20, I then asked each, he said for all six, so another $20 was spent.

 

Got home and tested these and they all work. There is some rust on the edges and on the back but this can be removed and repaint the back a gray color.

 

As you also know MoParpro sells these same light autolite bullseye for over $200 each.

 

So not a bad day of looking for parts.

 

I attached the picture of the Trippe Lights. 

 

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Ivan_B]

I don't even know what these are. Some sort of extra safety lights for senior drivers? 🤣

[TodFitch]

24 minutes ago, Ivan_B said:

I don't even know what these are. Some sort of extra safety lights for senior drivers? 🤣

I see the smiley so maybe this is a joke. . .

 

But assuming it isn’t, the TrippLite company made accessory driving lights back in the day. The high end lights, very much in demand nowadays, are the senior line of lights.

 

Side story: Back in the 1990s I was researching some uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for work and one of the potential models was made by TrippLite but I had a question I could not answer from their literature so I called the company. The one of the first questions I was asked was how I'd heard about their company/product. I said that I once had a set of TrippLites on my antique car. The sales person had never heard that the company once made those. For what it is worth, they are still in business making power equipment for computer centers.

[Ivan_B]

It was a partial joke. I've never heard about the lights/company, thanks for the info 😀

[desoto1939]

The trippe Lights were made inthe Senior and also Junior product lines.  The Senior Lights were used on the bigger cars of the 1920's thru 1930's.  These were the cream of the driving lights.  When also going to a quality car show look at the big cars such as the Packard's, Lincolns and every notice that they have a large driving light right in the middle of the front bumper and that there isa rod that is connected to the light.  These are called Pilot Ray lights. These light will pivot as you make a turn into a corner or a side street so that you have light to see wre your are turning.  There was a rod that connected to the drag link and when turning the steering wheel right or left the Pilot Ray light would move in that direction.  This was the precursor to the idea that Tucker had for his third headlight in the grill, it was designed to move in the direction of the steering when turned.

 

My Senior light are stationary lights just like fog lights but these are 8 inch lens and spread a beam to light up the roadway at night.  These lights if you look an Ebay are not cheap they range in price from $1500 to $2500  for a quality set that is ready to put on your car. If you ever go to Hershey in the Fall for the AACA swap meet and car show you will see these lights on cars.  The parts for these are expensive.  They even had a special wrench that had knurls or groves to tighten the mounting bolt that hlds the light onto the upright bracket.  This little tool is not cheap it sells for around $125-150.

 

And to answer someone else question this is not a joke and also not a scam.  I only post information that is correct and just thought other cars owners might be interested and to let everyone know that there are still good buy's to be found, just have to be at the venders site early so as the saying goes the Early Bird gets the worm.

 

For MoPar car owners the correct headlight bulbs, seal beams, from 1949-1956, stil using 6 volt systems, the correctbuld that was used is the Autolite Bullseye beam bulb and not the standard 6v 6006 replacement bulb. During the 1940 -56 every headlight was still manually aimers against a white wall and the car was positioned 25 feet from the wall.  In 1956 approx they came out with the BEAR headlight aiming machne and the headlight bulbs then had the three tits or gismos to aim the lights.

 

I did a presentation at the National Desoto club several years ago with all of this information and most of the members did not even know what headlight were to be installed on their cars.  I have even found that the AACA judges and there judging manual does not even have this information and I have sent them this information but they have not changed their judging criteria.  Car from the 1940-1948, Mopar and also others would have used a headlight number 4030 and also would not have the aiming tits.

The first picture is the Autolite Bullseys sealed beam.

The 2nd and 3rd picture is the 4030 bulbs and note no aiming tits these bulbs were used from 1940-48 on the MoPar cars and Trucks

Rich hartung

 

Desoto1939@aol.com

 

 

 

 

[Sam Buchanan]

Good info, Rich.....I learned a lot! When I got my P15 it still had one of the "old" sealed beam headlights that looked like it had a bulb inside it. It was defective and got replaced with a conventional sealed beam to match the other one.

Edited March 25 by Sam Buchanan

[Veemoney]

Rich you did good and I appreciate all the backstory on the lights you purchased. They shined up nicely.

[Doug&Deb]

Good score Rich! I need to start shopping with you. You always find the good stuff.

[desoto1939]

1 hour ago, Doug&Deb said:

Good score Rich! I need to start shopping with you. You always find the good stuff.

 

Doug: Well I guess you need to attend the Hershey swap meet with me for a couple of days. Always looking in the odd lots of parts and you never know what opportunity might come your direction.  Yes the Trippe lights were a great find and also the 6 Autolite Bullseye headlights.

 

I worked on two of them today and was sanding the rust spots on the back of the lights and sprayed them gray.  Then took some glass paste and cleaned up the front lens on two of them.  They are now ready and backed in bubble wrap. These Autoite bulbs will be going to Hershey for resale unless some one needs them sooner.

 

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

[Dan Hiebert]

That was indeed a nice score.  Didn't Trippe make a funky looking vertically elongated light, too?  Looks kinda like the mask the "Scream" character wears?  They tended to be put on high-end 1930's cars, I haven't seen any for a while.

 

One of the headlights on our D24 was an original 4030 when we got it.  Has "June 1946" stenciled in yellow paint on the back.  It still works (worked?) but I replaced it pretty quick once I saw that date.  Stashed away for safe-keeping right now.

[Young Ed]

1 hour ago, Dan Hiebert said:

That was indeed a nice score.  Didn't Trippe make a funky looking vertically elongated light, too?  Looks kinda like the mask the "Scream" character wears?  They tended to be put on high-end 1930's cars, I haven't seen any for a while.

 

One of the headlights on our D24 was an original 4030 when we got it.  Has "June 1946" stenciled in yellow paint on the back.  It still works (worked?) but I replaced it pretty quick once I saw that date.  Stashed away for safe-keeping right now.

My 48 had one headlight stamped nov 1948 on the back. I also assume it is the original. I have it stashed too and put 2 new ones in. 

[desoto1939]

Yes the 4030 headlight was used from 1940-1948 as a standard 6 v sealed beam light. Also when you look at one on these light bulbs you will notice that there are no aiming tips and then in 1949-55 Mopar used the Autolite Bullseye bulb and these still did not have any aiming tips.

 

Then around 56 MoPar used either GE or Tungsten headlights

 

So if you try to use a conversion kit to go to sealed beams on a pre 1940 car the sealed beam 6006 6v bulb will not fit properly in the housing because these new 6006 bulbs come with the aiming tips and the original conversion kits were not manufactured  to get past the tips.  I know this because i have several kits and the round mounting trim ring can not get past the tips. I tried a 4030 bulb and the trim mounting ring goes right over the bulb.

 

Rich Hartung

[Dan Hiebert]

Things that make you go "hmmm".  I put new 6v bulbs in the D24 about 15 years ago so they'd match "side-by-each" as a friend from Vermont would say.  Not because either of them quit working.  I do remember getting them from AutoZone, as no one else carried 6v bulbs (that I could find).  I don't recall having any problems with the aiming nubs (throwing another description in the mix).  I gotta remember to check on the next trip out to the shop...because now it just bugs me.  

[desoto1939]

3 hours ago, Dan Hiebert said:

Things that make you go "hmmm".  I put new 6v bulbs in the D24 about 15 years ago so they'd match "side-by-each" as a friend from Vermont would say.  Not because either of them quit working.  I do remember getting them from AutoZone, as no one else carried 6v bulbs (that I could find).  I don't recall having any problems with the aiming nubs (throwing another description in the mix).  I gotta remember to check on the next trip out to the shop...because now it just bugs me.  

Dan: the newer replacement 6v 6006 bulbs will fit just fine.  But what I was referring to is if someone was trying to to a retrofit with an aftermarket conversion kit that was sold for cars that were produced prior to 1939 they would have to make modification to the mounting ring that holds the sealed beam inplace. The mounting rings were not designed to get past the modern aiming tips. On my unit I had to use a small round file to cut into the area were each tip on the lens would be located on the mounting rim so that i could get the lens to fit perfectly in the mounting rim.

 

Hope this clears up the information.

 

So this is why the 4030 bulbs should be used and not the 6006 bulbs that are now available at stores like Tractor supply.  Its all about how finite you want to be for a driver car. Most people do not know this detail of information but if you are having a car judged then it is a major factor and or points deduction.

 

At last years AACA Hershey they had a 1950 Chrysler Windsor 6 cylinder GRAND NATIONAL Winner on the field and it had the 6006 sealed beams.  As we all know these were not produced until around 1955-56.  Also the correct bulb would have been the Autolite Bullseye bulb.  The car parked next to this car was a 1950 DeSoto that had the correct bulbs and was being judged for the first time in an AACA event.

 

So what I am saying is that even if an AACA event things get past the judges. But for being a Grand National badged car i would be expecting it to have all of the correct items installed.

 

I have found out that since no one is producing the Tar top batteries for our older cars they are now permitting the use of modern 6volt batteries. Yes things are changing because of the lack of products. So I am ok with this official change, it is minor when presenting the car for judging.

 

Rich Hartung

[andyd]

Re Dan Herberts "Scream" headlights.......I think he is referring to those made by the Wood Light Co.........or known as "Woodlights"......at least they are what I thought he meant.........andyd

[Dan Hiebert]

19 hours ago, desoto1939 said:

Dan: the newer replacement 6v 6006 bulbs will fit just fine.  But what I was referring to is if someone was trying to to a retrofit with an aftermarket conversion kit that was sold for cars that were produced prior to 1939 they would have to make modification to the mounting ring that holds the sealed beam inplace. The mounting rings were not designed to get past the modern aiming tips. On my unit I had to use a small round file to cut into the area were each tip on the lens would be located on the mounting rim so that i could get the lens to fit perfectly in the mounting rim.

Thanks, it does, and I had read that, but it didn't click.  But it still created one of those "I wonder" moments.  The bulbs in our car are Sylvania, I don't have the part number. 

 

12 hours ago, andyd said:

Re Dan Herberts "Scream" headlights.......I think he is referring to those made by the Wood Light Co.........or known as "Woodlights"......at least they are what I thought he meant.........andyd

 That could be them.  I haven't seen any for a long time, an article on a car in Hemmings Motor News many years ago.  I don't even remember the make of the car, just that it was a high end '30's car and for whatever reason that's what comes to mind when someone mentions Trippe lights.  I'll solve my confusion and look them up in the near future.