HELP!....headlight ID

I'm restoring a 1948 Long Model A tractor for the company I work for. Unfortunately it was missing it's original headlights. I found some other Model A's with their original headlights and have discovered that they are rounded housings (not tear drop) and are ball mount with rivets holding the ball on. The wire exits the housing through a small hole in the back of the "ball" swivel and there is a tab that comes off of the bottom of the bezel that a screw goes through to hold it to the main housing. The headlights were made by Arrow. Another model A owner managed to pick up a set of identical headlights at a tractor show that were painted dark gray and the seller seems to think he took them off of a Fergy. Does anybody know what tractor these might have been on so I can check the junkyard? Thanks!

Jeb

Almost any headlamp was fitted to the TE series that would fit - including motorcycle headlamps (hint).

Drawback was that with the lamps on the side of the bonnet (hood) you could not use most fore-end loaders produced over here, so later on with the 35 series the headlamps were often mounted in the style of Mickey Mouse ears (on top of the bonnet).

After 53 years mine still has no lights - its a good excuse to stop early!!!

Good luck with the restoration.

HTH

Jeb

Who is to say that the tractors you have seen with these headlamps are totally original? Can you verify that? Where is the evidence?

Seriously, I am not challenging or being aggressive here, but every tractor has its own story to tell, and in that respect it is unique, so maybe we ought to give them that little bit of slack that is missing in today's world where we all aim for perfection, all the time.

Over here a common question is "what is the real Ferguson grey?" and the real answer is "Whatever came out of the factory that day". Look at a line up of old Fergies here and it is a bit of a colour swatch :)

2Ns might be different, I don't know, but somewhere between perfection and real life is where a Fergie lives.

JMHO.

As said before, good luck with the restoration, and above all, enjoy it.

Signing off for the weekend, have a good one.

To be honest, i was going to kinda "give in" and get some ford lights to put on there. That was until I found out that the guy an hour from me picked some identical headlights at a tractor show...painted gray and that allegedly came off a ferguson. That ups the propability of finding another set significantly and so I renew my search. Now I just need to find out which fergie! I'll try to get some pictures this weekend and post them. Oh, the Long Model A tractor was originally farmall red with john deere green wheels and looks almost identical to a farmall H at 50 feet. Hence, finding a set of headlights with a base layer of ferguson gray paint raised my eyebrows a bit.

I am not offended and I hope I didn't come across as aggressive either. Sorry if I did. Just trying to stress that historical accuracy is important where still feasible. For example, the external hydraulic lift cylinder will have to be aftermarket and something that "works". No way to find an original so a best guess works fine. Thanks!

Jeb

Looks like farmers over your way had more money to spend on their machinery than our lot did/does - farmers here will do anything to save a penny or two, and have a reputation for being as watertight as a duck :)

Hence they used to use anything that worked.

Good luck in the hunt, and I look forward to seeing the pictures if you get them.