Hi All,

A few of you owners have installed real MODEL A HEADLIGHTS and LIGHT BAR and I seem to be running out of projects and my investments are heading up for a change.

Though much has been discussed in the FORUM and documented on the subject about the idiosyncrocies and foibles of installing Model A parts on Shay's, I would appreciate any photos, take from the front in order to "entice" me to do the same....

I receive the occasional comment (mostly from my Model A friends) that now that my 1980 Shay has so many Model A parts like the recently installed COWL LAMPS and ETCHED GLASS WING WINDOWS, that the only thing that stands out are the rather small sealed beam headlights.

Reggie

NY - RON

My chrome headlight bar is a 29 model A bar that was given to me by a special friend! It also shows the mother-n-law seat that I made.
(patent pending)





Paul Stark
Assistant Membership Officer
Shay Owners Club International

Here is a picture of origanal 29 lights and a modified 30-31 bar.I did this several years ago because the Shay bar broke on one end.I added approx. 1 inch to the center also cut drivers side to center light between the radiator and fender.

Thanks to you all for sending photos by the FORUM and by e-mail.

I will have to work up the motivation to tackle another "project".

Reggie

Ron love the fog lamps where did you get them adds a nice touch

Fog lights came from Labaron. I remember they were very reasonable but I don't remember the cost.

NY - RON

Mark,

Also check out Mac's....You will find FOG LAMPS in their 1932-1948 Ford parts catalog.

For information, sealed beam FOG LAMPS were POST-WAR so any parts dealer that sells parts for cars from the 40's have FOG LAMPS such as the referenced Mac's from their 1932-1948 Ford catalog...I have a vintage set of FORD FOG LAMPS on my Shay.

Reggie

I installed an original 1928 head lite bar on my Shay with no modifications or reaming of the Shay original mount fender holes.

If you are a shay owner and have not replaced the head light bar, head lights, cowl lights, rear tail lights and steering wheel, you are nuts. If those parts were available to Shay in 1980 he would have put them on the orig. car. Powder coat the wheels and paint and screen the horns. Now you are seeing a beautiful car. Also replace that horror of a rear view mirror and tire mirror. Paint the radiator flat black and get a stainless radiator guard. Sweet ride.

Oh my I must be nuts.
I do have the stainless guard as it came with the car.
Done the seat relocation.
Did the coils and made adjustments till the car was perfectly level.Front fender height is only 3/16th of an inch different and that is because one fender is different than the other.
Desmogged the engine.
Built a trunk.
Added door sills
Did the carpet
Still no headlight changes or powder coated the wheels.Mine are pretty well perfect as is.
Maybe in the far future when I have nothing better to do I will even attempt to make it look like a real 29.
At our clubs huge swap meet this past week end there was a couple of oldtimers with 29s and didn't quite know what to make of my Shay.They could see some differences but thought I had done some changes to an original.When I told them what it was he thought it was pretty damm good.
Enjoy today.
here it is 24 F this AM.
Chuck

I don't think Harry would have used those parts which were on the market then too [too costly]. I have paper work from a Company that sold the parts for shay owners to put on their Shays.

"If you are a shay owner and have not replaced the head light bar, head lights, cowl lights, rear tail lights and steering wheel, you are nuts".

I don't think this is the way to help other shay owners on this SOCI forum.

Gary M Wood
Webmaster
Shay Model A Website
www.geocities.com/shaymodela/
SOCI Membership Chairman

It's okay Gary, I know I'm nuts

In my case, it seems each year I start a project that keeps the Shay off the road & I miss half the driving season.

This year I think I'll wait till November before I tackle some of the things I want to do to the Shay. I want MORE road time.

Will probably do the headlights at some stage. I think originals to the '29 look great.

With 10 cars on the road with plates & insurance, & me the only driver, well, you know what I'm saying.

Anybody up for starting a thread on our other cars???

Shay + '30 A + Corvettes +++

Sorry..don't mean to change subjects but curiosity killed the kat.
What kind of Corvettes do you have Steve? I have a 74.

Not to offend other shay owners, But why did Mr. Shay pick the 1929 ford to reproduce? It is a tribute to the special place that car had in history. You can't argue that the trailer like tail lights, the old honda like cowl lights and the dune buggy head lights along with the shower curtain quality light bar are not up to par.

It was 1978, the 50th anniversary of the Model A, and Shay saw this as a way to increase traffic into Ford dealerships. It proved to be very popular and did increase the number of people coming into the showrooms, but also created great demand for the Shay itself.

Shay had $20 million in orders even before there was a factory to produce them, and production problems put the building behind schedule, then lawsuits piled up from people who ordered and did not get their cars.

Great idea, poor planning!

Don Smith
Administrator, SOCI forum

Don hit on the main part for Harry Shay's plan. As for the parts you listed, I think it was a money thing. If he used reproduction parts [Ford] then he would pay allot more money for them and the name of the game was to keep the price down, so he got the cheaper parts that would do to get them made. If you read the history of his Company [Shay] then you would under stand why the Company went Bankrupt. I have talked with some owners of other companies that were to do business with him but had to pass because he didn't want to pay their price for their items. He wanted them to cut them down more so he could get by cheaper.

Gary M Wood
Webmaster
Shay Model A Website
www.geocities.com/shaymodela/
SOCI Membership Chairman

Hey Steve, this is Steve.in.Roanoke

Just traded for a '92 C-4 w/ Greenwood kit

& about a year & a half ago I bought a '74 coupe. L82 w/ Hooker headers & wide open side pipes. It was modded a bit so has quite a 'lope' to it. I've added a Tremec 5 speed. The sound is awesome...

Shay
74 Stingray
92 Corvette
75 MGB
76 Spitfire
78 Leyland Mini
30 Ford Town sedan
01 Jaguar XK8
00 Silverado
01 Prowler

Steve in Roanoke,
How about a picture of your 30 Ford Town sedan. I have never actually seen one.

Ray - FL

Wish I could say I had a clue on how to post pictures here, but I don't !!!

If you want to go to http://steve-black.magix.net I've got pictures of the whole fleet.

Hi Steve
Nice collection.Good to see the British connection.I have 2 Sunbeams as well as my Shay.