MTFCA Forum

Looking for an excellent set of 1915-1916 Headlamps and Sidelamps. Headlight Socket screw should be in the 12 o’clock position in relation to the socket. (See photograph)

Please Call or Text me at 314-287-190

And the side lights should have the round "Diver's helmet" reflectors.

Allan from down under.

The sidelamps and tail lamp should also have a ring of small holes around the base of the chimney. Most 1915 model year, should have brass trim on all the lamps. Beginning in July of 1915, the brass trim was being replaced by black painted steel (most in the model T world already know that).

The headlamps get a bit more complicated. While nearly all of them had the adjusting screw at the 12 o'clock position, there were a few companies making them, and even within individual companies, there were variations between production runs. Those E&J 440s were fairly common (relatively speaking), but still varied on the sharpness of the circle-stamped name and model number around the lamp plug. When I was putting lamps together for my 1915 runabout, I had to find four E&J 440s to get two that matched, and the other two aren't even close to each other (not very nice condition either?).
With 1915 and 1916 headlamps, you need to pay attention to the area around the plug/socket. Many are flattened around the plug/socket just like the millions of later headlamps. The E&J 440s have their information stamped there, some other's do not. Some other manufacturers are completely rounded from the bucket to the plug/socket. Many of those do not have the manufacturer's information on them. I have seen a few 1915/'16 headlamp buckets that had a manufacturer's stamping up about halfway between the socket and the bezel. They are not stamped very hard or deep, and many of the stampings are very difficult to see, let alone read. Often, when repainted, that stamping disappears forever. I think I still have one that the circle can clearly be seen, but not read.
There were also a few runs of buckets that are a bit more rounded or bulbous than the usual. The earliest 1915 headlamps on only center-door sedans and couplets were slightly larger in size overall as well as more bulbous. Those are very rare. I have wondered but never found solid information if the more bulbous smaller ones were an early crossover change or not?
The 1915/'16 versions carried over at least through early 1917 model year.

To further confuse the issue? Many of the suppliers to Ford also sold replacement headlamps after-market. Some variations could be because of that.

At this time, I am not looking to sell any of my leftovers (some aren't very nice anyway?). However, if someone needed one to make a match, and I could find I had the right one? I would let it go.
I did have a nice extra E&J 440 several years ago, and did sell it to someone that needed a match.

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