I have given some thought to installing fog lights. I don't particularly like them mounted on top of the cross bar. I think, I would prefer them mounted under the bar, or behind the bar and low, on top of the bumper. On the other hand, I like the clean lines without any new lights. Any thoughts on installation, or appearance. Thanks in advance.
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I bought these from Kirk at Vintage Speedster. The brackets are from eBay. No drilling involved.
^ That's a nice, clean arrangement, and certainly looks period correct.
Love the towel bar over-rider! But it does present some issues with mounting of fog/driving lights. You could go with rectangular ones which might fit between bumper and over-rider. There are body mount ones too. Not sure if the bumper bracket ones will clear the over-riders.
Steven J Spinner posted:
I bought these from Kirk at Vintage Speedster. The brackets are from eBay. No drilling involved.
Can you post the eBay location for the brackets? Those look pretty nice.
I think it's pretty nice the way it is. Lights might look awkward or cluttered. $.02
Or you could do what Mike Cochrane did up in Quebec - mount a pair of Halogen lights behind the horn grills.
FWIW, I agree with Big Al. Your car looks great as it is. Adding driving lights will lead to a slippery slope of over-accessorizing, as in big oval European license plate and leather trunk straps.
Bottom line, its your car to put your individual flavor on it. 
Hmmm. I guess I 'over-accessorized'.. LOL
Actually, my driving lights have both low and high beam, and in combination with the headlights, they light up the road perfectly for safe night driving. They are actually motorcycle lights.
I'm still searching for a large, oval European licence plate, but the leather hood straps are a safety feature for 100 mph + driving. 
Dice hanging from the mirror are definitely not planned.
Steven;
How deep are your lights? Plenty of clearance from the body ? I'm thinking the bumper and body may not move in unison? It looks great.
BTW, Gordon built his own stainless brackets, with a unique wiring conduit.
Another BTW, take into consideration, replacement costs, of things like lenses. My Mercedes SL has a cracked fog light lens. $160+ for one replacement lens!
Art
I vote not to put fog lights on it. With the bumper over rider it would look too busy IMO.
Actually, I agree with Rusty. Have a look at this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/65579473@N08/albums/72157648085121041
(you'll have to copy and paste the link)
A beautiful car, but the driving lights? - maybe not.
Robert M posted:Steven J Spinner posted:
Can you post the eBay location for the brackets? Those look pretty nice.
They are little pricey but rock solid and the lights do not shake or vibrate when driving.
This is the item number. Just place it into eBay search and it should come right up.
Bob: IM S6 posted:Actually, I agree with Rusty. Have a look at this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/65579473@N08/albums/72157648085121041
(you'll have to copy and paste the link)
A beautiful car, but the driving lights? - maybe not.
Those lights sit up high like a Bug Eye Sprite.
personally, if its foggy I don't drive....might take my truck
Well what is not to like about this car.... too 50's German looking for you? 
Actually in case you have not noticed, Dale's car had mid mounted bar and your car has a top mounted bar which makes the lights even higher that is the issue in reality your facing as the lights were on mercedes and other period cars. I happen to like them but then as El Guapo said it's your baby...
No to the fog lights with an over rider...
Bob those are motorcycle lights ... very interesting set up 
First of all, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". All of these are great opinions, but if I listened to people on this forum while I was building and personalizing my car, I would never have installed nerf bars, a "Carson-style" top, my Maserati seats, my West Marine cup holders, my rear anti-sway bar and especially my BERG T-handle shifter (I wouldn't have had the nerve to put in an Engle 120 cam, either). I did my car MY way.
But, you know what? Either I didn't know any better or I didn't care because I did all of that stuff.
I have a pair or Marshall driving lights. They're OK, and I like the look. I don't need "Fog" lights because most of those available don't do what they're supposed to; reduce reflected glare from your headlights in fog, rain or snow (and no, the "Amber" lensed products don't do that effectively).
PerLux are about the only ones that really work and they are still available, but can be pricey. They offer the 500 series, which will fit onto your bumper between the bumper and the over-rider bar if you're careful with the mounts. They are rectangular, which is only saved by the fact that that space (between the bumper and over-rider bar) is mostly rectangular, too, and the perfect height so they'll look MINT. So you get three pluses: They work, they look good and they fit the space.
See what you think. Here's a seller, but there are others. Just google Per-Lux.
No lights on that car John. BTW, I know where your photo was taken.....
Gordon Nichols posted:First of all, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain". All of these are great opinions, but if I listened to people on this forum while I was building and personalizing my car, I would never have installed nerf bars, a "Carson-style" top, my Maserati seats, my West Marine cup holders, my rear anti-sway bar and especially my BERG T-handle shifter (I wouldn't have had the nerve to put in an Engle 120 cam, either). I did my car MY way.
But, you know what? Either I didn't know any better or I didn't care because I did all of that stuff.
I have a pair or Marshall driving lights. They're OK, and I like the look. I don't need "Fog" lights because most of those available don't do what they're supposed to; reduce reflected glare from your headlights in fog, rain or snow (and no, the "Amber" lensed products don't do that effectively).
PerLux are about the only ones that really work and they are still available, but can be pricey. They offer the 500 series, which will fit onto your bumper between the bumper and the over-rider bar if you're careful with the mounts. They are rectangular, which is only saved by the fact that that space (between the bumper and over-rider bar) is mostly rectangular, too, and the perfect height so they'll look MINT. So you get three pluses: They work, they look good and they fit the space.
See what you think. Here's a seller, but there are others. Just google Per-Lux.
""Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain"."
With all due respect Gordon; John asked for our opinions.
These aren't unsolicited comments on an addition he made to his car and just posted some pictures. He is contemplating the addition and asked us for our opinion on how the SOC thought it would look.
Gordon Nichols posted:...First of all, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain"...
Well, this thread IS titled "Opinion wanted...".
And around here, when you ask for opinion, that's what you get.
Of course, around here, opinion is also what you get when you ask which is the best exhaust, who builds the best Speedster, what's the best oil to use, and who won the 1963 World Series.
1.) Tigers', A-1 Sebring
2.) Special Edition/Beck
3.) Brad Penn, 30 wt.
4.) In a sweep, LA
5). Trump, in a landslide
No lights on that car. Certainly no square ones. I have spoken.
Everyone, thanks for all the input. A lot of good opinions. This whole idea was generated by my surfing eBay a couple of years ago and finding pair of period Marcal Fog Lights which I installed on one of my Morgans. Well that's a different car, and a different profile. Fast forward to the 356, and a host of different issues, and body shape to integrate with, coupled by the bumperettes & towel bar configuration. I still do not prefer the lights mounted on top of the towel bar, but is there a way, and enough room, to mount them upside down under the towel bar and above the bumper. I thought that way they might look more integrated. I like Steve Skinner's mount, but I think the lights sit to high for my car and the lights would be shining thru the towel bar area. Also the previous photo I posted does not show another problem I have here in NH, i.e. a front license plate, see photos below. Maybe more is less.
If you're hell bent on putting lights on, go with a smaller diameter light mounted to the bumper blade.
Definitely, not hell bent. Just trying to think it through, rather than do and undo!
Ah, an ex-Morgan owner. Then you must know about Lucas back mount driving lights.
I had actually considered on my car, finding a pair of original or replica Lucas back mount driving lights, and installing them on the body with through bolts. I have seen some original Speedsters with body mounted driving/fog lights, so there is a precedent for doing that.
That is one option, except that Lucas is British, and if you want to keep your car 'German', perhaps not a good choice. However, it's really not German, is it?
https://www.vintagecarparts.co...-576-fog-lamp-wft576 or available easily through MOSS Motors, etc.
Maybe Marchal made some that you could find?
Bob, thanks, I have used the Lucas Flame Thrower lights on another car. To try and mount between the bumper and towel bar seems to be a possibility, but I am leaning towards the lights being closer to the car body, not out in front so much. However, I am not sure how the light will defuse between the bumper and towel bar if mounted back. And still some concern about to much going on by adding the fog lights.
To be effective fog lights are best mounted low to the road (unlike driving lights). The later 356 C had an added cutout below the bumper. They either had a grill or fog light mounted there. These were rectangular lights with rounded corners and often had an eye brow to direct light down. If you are looking for simply more light replace the headlamps with Hella H4 with the City light option and use the city light as a DRL or pseudo-fog light.
Thanks Wolfgang, Can these be mounted without the cutout without sticking out forward to the bumper? Good photo.
You could fabricate an L shaped steel bracket that would connect to the bumper bracket to hold these lights. Just watch for curbs when parking.
No kidding on curbs, but the car is short, should not be a problem, with some forethought.
I like the idea of hiding compact lights behind the horn grills. Here's an oval example from Hella that just might fit.
You'd have to fab up some kind of bracket, but that would be out of sight too, so aesthetics wouldn't matter much.
Somewhat later:
...and here it is for a lot less on Amazon.
My 2 cents on the driving lights, go for it and point them down to the road.
@Bob and all, here is a good source for all kinds of Euro license plates and also Antique and US state customized license plates:
"@Bob and all, here is a good source for all kinds of Euro license plates..."
Thanks, Julio
I know Musbjim has been looking for one...
