Frenching is the act of recessing or moulding a

headlight A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for ...

taillight The lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted to or integrated into the front, rear, sides, and in some cases the top of a motor vehicle. They illuminate the road ahead for the driver and increase th ...

antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...

number plate A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificatio ...

into a car body to give a smoother look to the vehicle. The name originates from the end result looking like a

French cuff A cuff is a layer of fabric at the lower edge of the sleeve of a garment (shirt, coat, jacket, etc.) at the wrist, or at the ankle end of a trouser leg. The function of turned-back cuffs is to protect the cloth of the garment from fraying, an ...

of a shirt sleeve, which has a ridge at the end. Also known as tunnelling, it is a common modification used on leadsleds and

customs Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...

since the 1930s. Frenching a headlight or taillight is done in one of two ways: either removing the bezel, mounting the light deeper in the car's head or taillight nacelle and using the headlight rings from another car (or an aftermarket kit) to mount it deeper into the body. Or it can be done by modifying the light's mountings so that they can be removed from behind, welding the bezel to the body once the chrome plating is removed and painting it body colour. This gives the effect of visually lengthening the car, as well as smoothing out the body. Many customs have lights from another car transplanted in place of the original factory items, but even these are frenched as well. This modification is seldom carried out on late models, as newer cars have flush-fitting headlights. This is a styling cue both influenced by customising and a means of improving the

aerodynamics Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...

of the car.

Tunnelling

This is done by cutting an area of sheet metal the shape of a number plate (for example), fabricating a box and welding it deeper into the body. The same principle is used in recessing car radio antennas, only that a hole must be drilled into the bottom of the tubing to let water drain out, reducing the risk of corrosion. This modification is still used on minitrucks, leadsleds and

customized car A custom car is a passenger vehicle that has been either substantially altered to improve its performance, often by altering or replacing the engine and transmission; made into a personal "styling" statement, using paint work and aftermarket ...

s to this day.

References

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External links

A how-to on frenching headlights from Rod and Custom magazine.
Vehicle modifications

Tunnelling

See also

References

External links