At 10:45 PM 11/5/05 -0700, Raymond Auger wrote:
>>"On that tube [the badge bar] I see that lights are often mounted."

Sometimes. But that's a "cheap and dirty" method of mounting lights which is not very sturdy. A "P" clip wrapped around the bar and secured with a screw or two will not have a very secure grip on the bar. This may be fine for displaying a badge, but a larger and heavier object like a fog light will often cause the little clamp to slip around the bar and misalign the lamp, or otherwise bend the P-clip. Even if it doesn't slip or bend it can allow considerable vibration of the lamp.

The proper mount for a fog light (or driving light) is a forged and/or welded steel bracket which attaches between the overrider and the face bar and runs upward and back a little, then laterally to provide a mounting point for the lamp just outboard of the overrider. Space is allowed to accommodate a fog lamp bracket along with a badge bar. When the lamp bracket is installed without a badge bar, spacers need to be installed between the lamp bracket and the nut plate in the overrider, allowing the bolt to pull up tight to secure the lamp bracket. The structural mounting of the fog lamp is then secured to the bumper and spring bars and is not subject to the inherent vibration of the badge bar.

>>"This evening I saw photos of some 1930's limos that had both fog lights and a larger center light. Do you think that the fog lights and that tube detract from the purity of the design""

No. It's tradition, very vintage, perfectly legitimate, and therefore quite "proper" in appearance. If you like the appearance, it can be beautiful. Just keep in mind that he badge bar is for appearance only (or for mounting badges). As such, perhaps the weight of the badge bar will not be so appealing to a performance enthusiast. Lamp brackets need to be secured directly to the bumper.

>> "and that an additional center light would be really "over the top"?"

Yes indeed, really over the top. A larger central "flamethrower" lamp may need even more support on the body of the car. Trying to mount a large center lamp on a the flexible badge bar gets to be a very involved process requiring some extra parts for mechanical stability.

The Flamethrower driving light is (or was originally) intended strictly for high speed driving at night, as in serious competitive racing. Today it is primarily an appearance accessory, as a pair of $10 halogen sealed beam headlamps work quite well for normal night driving. Or perhaps you have the intention to go screaming down empty expressways at 100+ MPH at night? You can't use those lights with any oncoming traffic, and they may even be illegal for on-road use in most states and provinces in North America.

Certain types of overtly high powered driving lights may be required by law to have lens covers installed any time the car is on the road. These may be snap in place plastic front covers, or a fabric bag held on with a draw string. You remove the covers for off-road use only. You might get away with "displaying" the lamps on the road if you can prove that are somehow disabled and non-functional (like remove the relay for instance). They would be lots less conspicuous, and less likely to get you pulled over for inspection, with visible covers, If you ever get caught with these lights switched on while on a public roadway, you could go directly to jail, or the car may be impounded until these lights are removed.