Where do the interior lights go, exactly?

strangeplant

Hi, my  1928 sedan had an interior cut glass frosted dome light with the car that I now know is not one that belongs. It works, and has a push-pull switch on the body. From blurry pictures, I'm seeing that the switch is supposed to be on the right 'B' pillar, and I think between 28 to 30 inches from the floor. (By scaling the photo.) Now, since I also had no roof, that leaves me to guess where a correct dome light should go. Trying it out in the roof frame, no matter where I place it, the light field is limited. Is this supposed to illuminate the back seat area? if so, how do you see in the front if you drop something?

So time goes on, and unexpectedly I find a pair of opera lights. (I don't care that they were not standard in my model, I want to pimp it up.) I'm going to put them in the back corners, but again, they don't seem to illuminate the center of the rear seat area too well. They do work as reading lights though, I can see that. Where exactly should they be placed so they don't shine in your face...and where is the switch supposed to be, or are there two switches?

Meanwhile, I find a more correct dome light to match the opera lights, and it has no switch, so back to the 'B' pillar for that.

Your help will be appreciated, and photos will be valuable.

Tom in New Jersey.

rusty_apache

Mine is in the center of the roof but being a coupe that is probably useless information. 

Geoff

it is slightly behind the  front seat, so that passengers can see to get in, and the driver can read a map

strangeplant

Ah, good. Then I'll move the dome light back a little. 

Where would the opera light switch belong?

Geoff

On the right door post. 

m_mman

As an FYI in the ancient days interior lights were far, far dimmer than what we are used to today.
Thick glass lenses and 6 volt bulbs meant that they emit the lumens that would be expected from a candle. 

strangeplant

Geoff, if the opera switch goes on the right door post, then where does the dome light switch go? On the left door post, maybe?

I was planning on using 6 volt LED lights from China via eBay in all of the fixtures, mostly because the covers are difficult to get off to change a bulb. The LEDs will fit ok, and the elements can't be individually seen through the frosted glass. I did a comparison with one old bulb that was already in the dome light. The LEDs are much, much brighter, cleaner light with no yellow like the filament bulb has, though I have no way to measure light output at home. And they will accept reverse voltage, necessary since the connectors are not polarized.

Geoff

Sorry, I misinterpreted what you meant by "Opera lights".   Your car did not  have these as an option originally, so you can put  it wherever you want.  The '29 Biddle & Smart bodies had  it by the rear quarter window, but your car does not have these.  

strangeplant

By the rear quarter window, do you mean they would go in the side wall, or in the two corners at the sides of the rear seat?

Geoff

Half way up the door post