Windshield/Cowl Lights

Revco

Adventurer
I want to install some lights on my Suburban. I didn't want to replace the fog lights that are on the bumper with these 6" offroad lights because I use the fogs everywhere since the factory headlights are unsatisfactory. I had plans to build a bull bar style bumper and finish my roof rack and mount lights up top. But I've since decided that I'm not going to keep this Suburban for very long (it's currently for sale) so I can focus on my F250 project. So no bumper/roof rack for this one, which kinda means no place to mounts more lights.

Anyhow, I have these lights, they're cheap, I know...

IMG_20120401_020108.jpg


I wanted to temporarily mount them to my Suburban, so that they are easily removeable and will leave no trace. I always see the Jeeps with the cowl mounted lights and thought... "hmmm, I wonder how it'll look on my big ol Suburban?" So I came up with this simple plan...

IMG_20120401_020050.jpg


I grabbed a scrap piece of 18-gauge sheet metal and ran it through my Beverly Shear without any templates or markings...just cutting it to a rough shape by eye. I drilled a hole in it, and bent it up in the vise real quick to form a "C" shape. This is just a test piece to make sure my plan will work...

IMG_20120401_020153.jpg


In order to clear the hood, I figure my little bracket will be located right about here...

IMG_20120401_020123.jpg


This little end cap comes off with a single Phillips screw...

IMG_20120401_020136.jpg


This is sort of what I'm thinking...

IMG_20120401_020218.jpg


The little cap can even be reinstalled with the bracket in place...

IMG_20120401_020313.jpg


Here's the light mounted to the bracket, the end cap would need some minor trimming to clear the stud on the light, but it's just a rought draft...

IMG_20120401_020601.jpg



Hey, not bad lookin'...

IMG_20120401_020554.jpg


It'd look better with both lights in place, but you get the idea...

IMG_20120401_020703.jpg


It even clears the hood when fully opened...

IMG_20120401_020632.jpg





So that's it for now... This was just a rough test piece/template to see if my idea would even work...and it does. So next I'll fine tune the template, and transfer it over to some 3/16" steel, make a pair of them and get them installed. It's 2:30am...I just ran out to the shop to see if this idea I had while sitting on the toilet would work, took me about 10 minutes to make it and test it out. I'm headed to Vegas next in a few days for a week-long vacation so I'll wrap up this project when I get back.
 
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sxharr05

Adventurer
That's pretty slick, man. No better way to light the way than at line of sight I suppose. Or at least very close to it. Looking forward to seeing the finished results and your opinions on the function of them.

I REALLY wish I had a shop..................or a usable garage, even.
 

colodak

Adventurer
I have two attached to seperate 10 lb 4" dia. magnets that I can use as trouble lights. One was mounted to the top of my old pickup for 4 mos. and never came off.
 

Revco

Adventurer
That's pretty slick, man. No better way to light the way than at line of sight I suppose. Or at least very close to it. Looking forward to seeing the finished results and your opinions on the function of them.

I REALLY wish I had a shop..................or a usable garage, even.


Thanks, I think it'll work out. When I was in high school I had a little Ford Ranger 4x4 that had spot lights on the pillars when I got it. I had some KC lights on the grille and those spot lights were always facing forward...I never moved them around from inside the cab. They worked out really well in that location because they didn't give off a glare on the hood. Either way, like I said this is just a temporary solution to achieve more light. I'll remove them when I sell the Suburban and probably mount them on my F250 in a similar fashion.

Speaking of the shop, it's great to have, but in the past 4 years of being here, I've collected so much crap it's unreal. Now I'm moving to a new house and have to stuff 1200 sqft worth of my shop contents into a 540 sqft garage!

You run out of room real quick, this was 3 years ago...

006-1.jpg




I have two attached to seperate 10 lb 4" dia. magnets that I can use as trouble lights. One was mounted to the top of my old pickup for 4 mos. and never came off.

Magnets would be great for some portable trail lights. I don't know where to find stronger magnets, but the ones that come on those Harbor Freight $20 magnetic towing lights suck. I always have to tape them down when I use them.
 
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BurbanAZ

Explorer
good looking set up. I had those same lights for a little while on my bumper but they kept getting moisture in them so i ended up upgrading to dually d2 led lights. Good looking set up though.
 

ExpoMike

Well-known member
If you need to downsize, I'll take the hot rod off your hands. :D (looks like a '28/'29 A but hard to tell in the lighting).
 

Pacific Northwest yetti

Expedition Medic
Looks great, I have an 04 silverado, and am planning on doing the same thing. I currently have them mounted on a headache rack, but am building a bumper very soon, and will be mounting 2 of my lights with the driving pattern like that. I am using cb antennae mounts(for the specific year truck) can usually get them at any radio shack, or truck stop.
 

Revco

Adventurer
If you need to downsize, I'll take the hot rod off your hands. :D (looks like a '28/'29 A but hard to tell in the lighting).

Close.... '27 "T" Coupe that had the roof lopped off in the '50s. But on a Model A frame with a 292 Y-Block between the rails. Sold it a few years ago, and kicking myself ever since. That's a '26 Model TT pickup cab on the left, behind the '68 Triumph 650 Chopper and a friends CB550, and what you can't see are the two other cabs, a '29 Model A Roadster Pickup, and a '31 Model A Closed Cab Pickup. The '53 Chevy 210 is the only vehicle still in the shop today.
 

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