Tag: Antique

This is an update to the Antique Pavilion find of the vintage spotlight post from a few weeks ago. After a bit of Googling of “Guide S 18 spotlight” turned up some additional information. Here’s what I found:

• Definitely 6v
• This spotlight was manufactured by Unity from the 1930s through 1950s as the “Guide S 18”
• It was available as an OEM standard accessory for Chevrolet vehicles from 1947-1954 (and perhaps all GM vehicles) and designed for the left (driver) A-Pillar.
• The S-16 was a shorter version for trucks, while the S-18 was for cars. The longer S-18 would interfere with the larger steering wheels of Chevy and GMC trucks.
• These spotlights were also not advised for station wagons, because the A-Pillars were made of wood still (among the last of the woody wagons).
• It looks as though there were variations to the mounting flange. The GM OEM ones had a profile that would mate with their A-pillars, while the Unity aftermarket ones had a boxier and more generic mount (as seen on the Hemmings advertisement below).
• My handle is considered “Ivory”. The automotive “Bakelite” I was thinking of was actually darker (like caramel color) and more fragile. Some models had a black handle instead of ivory.

Pricing Verdict: I got a bargain! (probably)

You’ll recall I paid $40 (plus $2.40 in sales tax), and then transported it home in my suitcase.

I was blown away to find a NOS (in original box) item on eBay for $695! Beautiful! And not too dissimilar to mine (in terms of the handle, anyway). It looks as though the wiring was just loose and fed through the A-Pillar??

And here’s a current ad on Hemmings.com for a “1930s 40s S 18 Guide Spotlight with Mirror” for $195

And here’s a current eBay auction of a much-worse condition for $59:

But these seem to be pretty common on eBay with prices ranging from $30 to $700! Most are labeled as “Chevy, Olds, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, and Jeep Willys” and others marketed as being for “Rat Rods”. Here are some more finds:

• Really nice shape and newer (1950-54 with Black knob and switch) for $395
• Lot of 3 (one “Firestone” branded) for $50.00
• Much more corroded and missing on/off switch for $43

So based on these auctions and their pricing (which is asking price, not sold price, I know), given the condition of mine, I would say it would fetch maybe $100. So I’m comfortable with my purchase. Here are some variations:

Last but not least, I found the full instruction manual in the Chevy section at the Old Car Manual Project (www.oldcarmanualproject.com). Note on page 73 (the last one below), that the next accessory listed was the “986418 Electric Shaver” accessory.

When we were up in the Midwest earlier in the month, we spent a rainy afternoon wandering through an antiques shop. Actually, it was an antiques mall, but was called “Antiques Pavilion“, just to put on airs. Basically lots of individual cubicles, each populated by various consignors. And there were some very interesting finds, including one full of antique tools. I looked at picking up a sturdy mid-century hand plane, but couldn’t decide as there were more than a dozen, and they started at ~$85, so not sure how much of a bargain they were. Also, I wasn’t sure of the condition of the blades or the inner workings, so best to lay off.

In one of the display cases however, I saw an automotive spotlight, and took an interest. The price was $40 and it was in fairly good shape. I pulled the trigger on this, and even more miraculously, I was able to get it in my luggage for the trip home, which it survived undamaged.

This was 95% an automotive spotlight, like you would find on a police car or taxicab, as it has a rear-view mirror on the backside. The hardware shows an exterior flange that would be on the “A” pillar, and what’s left of a collar for the interior of the A-pillar.

It looks as though it could telescope 6-8″, and the rotation of the spot is almost 360 degrees. Probably some limited rotation around the axis. The electrics on this are shot, as there’s one frayed wire emanating out of the handle, with some very thin and old insulation. I’m not even sure if this was for a 6v or a 12v system, but if it’s going to be on my boat, it’s going to need to be re-wired anyway.

There aren’t many marks for identification. The center of the spotlight beam merely says “Guide Sealed Spot” (or maybe “Sealed Spot Guide” – “sealed” was on the top of the circle, “spot” was on the bottom of the circle, and “Guide” was written in script across the equator).

The flange holding the spotlight itself says “Guide S-18”. The backside of the mirror say “Pat. Pend”, so that’s not very helpful. The only other markings are on the controls, which merely said “Made in USA”. The controls are what sold it for me, however, as they have that nice antiqued/faded/yellowing Bakelite type of plastic that may have originally been white. Reminiscent of 1940s/50s car gearshifts and control knobs that have yellowed over time. The ridged on/off switch is also Bakelite and has a red line position indicator.

The fasteners are standard screws, with one hex that would require an Allen key. Also this has some nice curved/artsy details above the spinning knob and under the light itself.

Unlike many craft that have a deck-mounted spotlight (usually a bit bigger, but with a lengthy (several foot) connecting rode), I’m figuring I can install this into my future windshield, either in a middle section or on the passenger side. I like the idea of the spotlight, but since this Mist Miss will be operated primarily during daylight hours, I really need to focus on bow and stern lighting. However it’s a nice touch, and I’m pretty pleased with this find.