Spotlight mounting questions

Finally getting around to mounting spotlights to the GMC. I got a set of correct brackets last year from a dealer at a swap meet that specialized in Unity products. The brackets are a matched pair and are opposite from each other, however he had both labelled "110L" One of them has "110L" very obviously stamped on the reverse, and the other, while hard to read, looks like it says "110R"

My question is this: After fooling around with them a bit, sizing up the "L" bracket on the drivers side and the "R" bracket on the passenger side, they appear to fit best like this:

sp1.JPG



If you swap them side for side they will also fit well like this, with the tightening screw facing directly up:

sp2.JPG


I built a jig to figure out where the shaft will come through on the inside, and doing it the "right" way the shaft comes in above the dashboard seam near the top, which looks like it might be tricky to get right. Doing it the "wrong" way the shaft comes in somewhere on the bigger open area below the seam on the dash, which seems like it would be easier to work with. (see pictures below):

sp3.JPG


sp4.JPG



It seems like the outside bracket would look better the right way, with it going front to back instead of up and down, but I'm worried about where it is coming in on the inside. My other option is the do some grinding on the brackets to contour them to fit the cowl in a lower position so the shaft hits the lower area inside instead of the upper portion.

For those that have mounted spotlights from scratch, was it common to have to modify the brackets to fit, or should the fit as is? The fit nicely now, just doesn't seem like they are in the right place.

Any thoughts on up and down vs. front to back?

Thanks.
 
Just to be clear, if I mount them correctly "as is", the shaft will come into the inside below the white trim and above where the two metal panels meet (the seam I was referring to) on each side. I think I would prefer it to come in below that seam if possible, as that is a more flat surface and is known to be clear behind it.

Also, I know my on-off switch is upside down. I tried to change it last year and couldn't for some reason, although I don't remember why now.
 
spotlights

Isn't it more common to mount spotlights farther up thru the windshield pillar than thru the cowl? Maybe I'm not interpreting your pictures right?
 
looking threw my set of pictures you had better have one long shaft if your putting them there. most that I see are set right at the base of the windshield pillar right were it sets on the cowl. this would put the handle up above the dash. the shaft would go just over the top ad the handle haing down over the edge. not below it. spot lights were not a factory option so that unity had to figure out a way to stick them threw. most of the cars they went threw the doors on. but a lot just threw the font pillars. check out this set of pictures and see how they set there, on yours. you can just see were they have been removed from the 57. I know the other bodies are one up from yours but the placment is the same. they are marked L & R for a reasion. the set screw head is noramaly on top or to the out side. got to love that factory run in the dash. I have never seen one with out it.
 

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Spotlights were mounted in various places besides the windshield pillar. As you can see from the photos below of my cars, they could be in the door ('57 DeSoto), the cowl and front fender ('60 Flxible Buick), or just through the cowl ('64 Superior Pontiac). It wouldn't surprise me to see the spotlight in the cowl of the GMC.
 

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The cowl is the location specified by Unity on their website. This is because the door frame that goes around the door glass closes into the windshield pillar, making it impossible to mount a spot there. The problem I am having is I can't find any information as to WHERE on the cowl the mounts go, so I have to move them around and kind of guess where they are supposed to go based on where they seem to fit best.

I was actually kind of surprised that Unity also calls for rather short-shaft spots for my application, but when you start sizing it up they really don't need to be that long to get into the passenger compartment due to where the dash is in relation to the cowl.

Ed, the paint run is not factory, but it was carefully added to duplicate the factory original finish. Don't want to get points taken off for not having the factory runs in the paint...:D
 
Had Unity email me a template, don't know why I didn't think of that before. It does indeed go just about where I have it in the first picture, just a little bit lower. We'll see where that gets me.
 
Todd,
No matter where they go you are alot more daring than me. I thought many times about adding spotlights to my 49 S&S combo but I am so afraid of drilling in the wrong place, and mine would be easier they go through the door.
 
On the old website, I had written a very detailed article on how to drill for a spotlight mounting bracket, along with detailed pictures of all the steps to take, and pitfalls to avoid. Find that article and you will have all the information that you need to do the job correctly the first time. Paul
 
having taken a number of them off that the coach builders put one I can truthfully say none are put in with the skill of a surgeon. most are really just butchered threw and covered up. put if you have the unity template and can follow directions then you can get the eustachian mounted in the right spot to line the long bit up and go threw the cab. I have not see them all but I can't remember seeing one come threw the dash panal ever.
 
That is the original GM spotlight and bracket that was made by Unity for GM. I have that exact kit in my NOS Chevrolet stock, however, the bracket is no longer available from Unity. It was used on a lot of GM vehicles of that era. I had asked Unity if there was a possibility that they would reproduce it, since they have all the original patterns, but they said that it was a proprietary item for GM, and the only way that it could be reproduced is if GM licensed it. Given the state of GM, I doubt that you could even find anyone there that would be interested.
 
Here's a couple more pictures I found, although in these it looks like they are mounted to the doors! (Don't know the source, so I'll link the pics):

http://www.tmcarphoto.com/1957gmcspot1.jpg

http://www.tmcarphoto.com/1957gmcspot2.jpg

I have yet to find a good pic of where the control handle comes into the cab.

It appears that when it comes to spotlights, "correctness" may boil down to a matter of taste. I'm guessing they were a dealer installed option, although you would think even a dealer installed option would come with directions and have some degree of consistency? It could be that the pictures of the blue truck are artist renditions and retouched (I think the originals are dealer postcards), and the other picture I linked to is a one-off truck produced by GM for the Autorama so anything goes there. There is a truck that was auctioned last year at Barrett-Jackson that had an actual spotlight on the drivers side, but I can't find a good picture of the interior.

I was going to mess around with this a little today, but I have a headache that refuses to go away and don't feel much like hanging upside-down from the drivers seat with my head under the dash to investigate things. Maybe tomorrow.
 
Todd,
If I may offer a word of caution here. Many years ago I was making a installation on a truck similar to what your doing. The mistake I made was that I left the drilled metal shavings on the fender. That night the dew caused the particles to rust and they etched their way into the paint. I had to pay for a repaint on the fender so this became a lesson well learned. Take an air hose and blow the shavings away, be sure to wear your eye protection while doing this.:thumbsup:
 
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