For some of us, appreciation for vintage motoring accessories is slow to grow. As a teenage hack in the ’70s, yours truly shamelessly removed a cherry Appleton spotlight with a hacksaw. At that time the now-coveted adornment was an obtrusive hiccup, completely interrupting the bodyline flow of a 1947 Studebaker truck. Those who are familiar with the M-series trucks know that they’re anything but sleek. With that, I now have to wonder if the offending spotlight was really so out of place. How could it be uglier than the holes it left behind?
Since the ’70s the old truck hobby has become an integral part of a profession. As the years roll by, customer jobs come ’n’ go while our poor little Stude rests relegated to outdoor storage, unfinished and scattered around the yard in pieces. That’s where Mrs. Rotten comes in. My lovely bride, Mrs. Rotten, happens to have an affinity for old trucks and she’s picking up where I left off.
At the time of this typewriting the old Stude is back together. In fact, it’s been testdriven around the nearest orange grove with success. With mechanical chores pretty much ’tended to, redemptive cleanup can begin—beginning with the driver-side A-pillar where a spotlight really ought to be. The cherry Appleton is gone. A like-kind-and-quality replacement would be a heavy hit today. The spotlights in our swap meet stash are rough, but using the best bits, let’s at least attempt a save.
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