Expert: Brad Sears - 1/31/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi.  I'm writing to you from Hawaii with a request for some help.  I am helping my boss restore a 1952 Allard J2X and am having the hardest time finding replacement headlights for it.  I was wondering if you might know of a place I could look or point me in the right direction.  I have tried all of the automotive shops here with no luck and I'm not having much success with searching the internet (maybe I'm just typing in the wrong things in the search engines).  It is a round light with a 3 prong plug (sorry I don't know the proper term for it), about 2 inches in diameter and roughly 3 inches "tall".  The light was made in france - unfortunately I do not have the numbers that are written on it with me (they are at home but I can get them if it would help).  If you have any ideas where I could start looking, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you in advance,
Jennifer Baldwin
Szabo Aerospace

ANSWER: Is this the competition model with the chrome headlights mounted between the front fender and the radiator grille? Or is the car the LeMans series with the headlights mounted in the front fenders?
Brad

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QUESTION: It is the competition model with the chrome headlights mounted    btween the wheels (would that be the fenders you referred to) and the grill.  Here's a link to one that looks like ours - http://www.allardregister.org/AR_Models_J2X.htm The only difference is ours has a screen that goes over each headlight casing.  I really appreciate your help - these bulbs are proving quite hard to find.
Jennifer

ANSWER: I am not sure that there is a correct headlight for this car. As there was only about 80 of these great cars made I think that perhaps each one was more or less a custom project. In the hot rod street rod world there are some headlights that would be very close to the Allards.
Brad

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QUESTION: I have the headlights, I'm having a hard time finding replacement bulbs.  I never thought about looking into cars with similar headlights to see if they had similar bulbs.   Out of curiosity, do you have any recommendations for good places to look for parts for vintage or classic cars? Thank you for the help and advice, I really appreciate it. I am loving this whole process, I'm learning so much!

Jennifer

Answer
Have you tried the plain old 6006/6012 sealed beam head light bulb as used in domestic cars of that vintage? You might have to change the connection or do a little modification to mount the bulb. Good luck and I agree these projects are fun. As an aside I drove a Cadillac Allard in competition in the 50's. It was a ball. Went from there and drove Jags in competition for years.
Brad