Gene....was / is this your truck?
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Tripper
Older and more rusted every day!
Couper,
When I was in my early twenties I had the same problem with my 5-window '51 Chev AD & my dad came up with some really cool chrome boat trailer tail lights that were on I guess what you'd call a post! Might give that a try! Sort of like this...
Chrome Die-Cast Honda Pedestal Light W/ 2 1/8 Inch Arm
BoB
When I was in my early twenties I had the same problem with my 5-window '51 Chev AD & my dad came up with some really cool chrome boat trailer tail lights that were on I guess what you'd call a post! Might give that a try! Sort of like this...
Chrome Die-Cast Honda Pedestal Light W/ 2 1/8 Inch Arm
BoB
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gene49
Well-known member
Yes, it was my truck. Those flush mount tear drop LED lights were something I bought off of E bay around 2018 or 2019.
They looked pretty cool, but in reality, they were cheap China junk. I was not impressed with them, but I didn't spend much money. I was going to buy another set of them so I had a backup, but after that 1st run, they sort of disappeared. I have not seen them since then with the full tail & brake light function. They were available as running/tail lights for a while not long ago, but did not have the brake light function. They did fit pretty nicely at the widest point of the curved stake pocket, but would have not fit any other place, they would have been too wide.
You can but glass lens versions with the old bulb and sockets yet I believe, but those are not cheap and are not flush mount. I believe there were from a 30s Ford.
Here is a better picture of one of them. The "chrome" is just part of the plastic lens. I don't know how to make the picture bigger.
They looked pretty cool, but in reality, they were cheap China junk. I was not impressed with them, but I didn't spend much money. I was going to buy another set of them so I had a backup, but after that 1st run, they sort of disappeared. I have not seen them since then with the full tail & brake light function. They were available as running/tail lights for a while not long ago, but did not have the brake light function. They did fit pretty nicely at the widest point of the curved stake pocket, but would have not fit any other place, they would have been too wide.
You can but glass lens versions with the old bulb and sockets yet I believe, but those are not cheap and are not flush mount. I believe there were from a 30s Ford.
Here is a better picture of one of them. The "chrome" is just part of the plastic lens. I don't know how to make the picture bigger.
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Hey Tripper..... If I could get some bullet lense's that might work. I ordered a set of these last night...
Of course I'll keep you all posted.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-LED-Cat-Eye-Tail-Light,41769.html
Hi Gene,
I thought that was yours. Yews I was at a swap meet yesterday and I saw some.....they were cheap as hell. I ordered these.....we'll see. Hope you are well pal!
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-LED-Cat-Eye-Tail-Light,41769.html
smallfoot
He's rockin' the "Nuttin Special"!
gene49
Well-known member
Those Amazon lights sure look like what was on my 39 Dodge pickup.
I think your stake pockets were wider than mine..... the lights smalls attached are 2 5/8" wide.... I don't have that much surface. The cat's eye's I ordered are 7 1/2" long and only 1 5/8 wide.... they actual show 2 conflicting sizes 1 1/2 and 1 5/8. They might have a nice custom look.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-LED-Cat-Eye-Tail-Light,41769.html
If I don't like them, I'm gona try to find something like these small bullets. I think 37 Ford.
Looking but no luck yet with brackets.
If the second picture are flush mount they might look ok too.
My last resort would be a pickup tailgate light under my roll pan like this in the 48"
https://store.xkglow.com/catalog/pr...l36N6TU4W9V1T4dkiXADd3St0iQaAvuXEALw_wcB#true
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-LED-Cat-Eye-Tail-Light,41769.html
If I don't like them, I'm gona try to find something like these small bullets. I think 37 Ford.
Looking but no luck yet with brackets.
If the second picture are flush mount they might look ok too.
My last resort would be a pickup tailgate light under my roll pan like this in the 48"
https://store.xkglow.com/catalog/pr...l36N6TU4W9V1T4dkiXADd3St0iQaAvuXEALw_wcB#true
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MercuryMac
Builder Junky!
I put those '37 Ford car taillights on my '36 truck. The brackets that come with the lights are for a car and bolt to the fenders. I built my own brackets out of a wrecked lawn chair leg. It was a hollow bent pipe so I ran my wires inside the pipe and the lights are away from the box a few inches and very nice.
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![P1130207[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/ratrodsrule/data/attach/161/161309-P1130207-1-.jpg)
Nice Ford Mac!.... I like those lights. The install looks great. I'm gona try the cats eyes first and if I don't like them I'll step up my search for these... I've seen the lights but might have to make the brackets like you did.
gene49
Well-known member
Cooper, the taillights on my 39 used up all the space on the stake pockets. I had to get creative mounting them. They were not a slap on and done deal.
Tail lights on the old step side truck beds always looked like the designers forgot to add them in, and just hung them off the stake pockets because they didn't know what else to do with them. The problem is, after 5 or 6 truck builds, I still haven't found anything that looks right to me.
I don't much like the tail lights on my 49, but they are there unless I come up with a better idea, and I'm not thinking much about it these days.
Tail lights on the old step side truck beds always looked like the designers forgot to add them in, and just hung them off the stake pockets because they didn't know what else to do with them. The problem is, after 5 or 6 truck builds, I still haven't found anything that looks right to me.
I don't much like the tail lights on my 49, but they are there unless I come up with a better idea, and I'm not thinking much about it these days.
Thanks Gene, Of course I'll post some pictures if I use them. I cut out some cardboard to the shape and I think these may look good.
Tail lights came today.... nice quality. These are my options. I think I like the stake pockets best but they have to be bolted from the rear and I'd have to drill thru to the other side and use acorn nuts....might look weird. Gene, do you remember how you mounted yours?
Vertical on the tailgate frame would be easy....this is the only position there I like. Really no bondo there as well. Have to drill thru both sides
Horizontal on the tailgate would be easy .....lots of bondo here. Only have to drill thru 1 skin.
What do you guys like?
Vertical on the tailgate frame would be easy....this is the only position there I like. Really no bondo there as well. Have to drill thru both sides
Horizontal on the tailgate would be easy .....lots of bondo here. Only have to drill thru 1 skin.
What do you guys like?
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gene49
Well-known member
I like those lights on the stake pocket better then on the tail gate, then the wiring is not exposed either.
I think when I did the teardrops on my 39, I cut a piece of metal larger then the light and mounted the light on that piece of metal, then cut holes in the back face of the pocket for the light mounting bolts and a hole to connect the wires. Then I used sheet metal screws to hold the metal the light was attached to onto the stake pocket. The screws were painted body color. I think I use 3 (but maybe 4) screws, two on the top and one (or 2) at the bottom. If you look at the pic I posted, you can see the bumps of the screw heads above the light. I think we painted the light holding metal with the truck bed, then installed the lights after the paint cured, then touched up the screw heads.
I think when I did the teardrops on my 39, I cut a piece of metal larger then the light and mounted the light on that piece of metal, then cut holes in the back face of the pocket for the light mounting bolts and a hole to connect the wires. Then I used sheet metal screws to hold the metal the light was attached to onto the stake pocket. The screws were painted body color. I think I use 3 (but maybe 4) screws, two on the top and one (or 2) at the bottom. If you look at the pic I posted, you can see the bumps of the screw heads above the light. I think we painted the light holding metal with the truck bed, then installed the lights after the paint cured, then touched up the screw heads.
Hmmmm... Yah I can see that when I blow that picture up. I spent a lot of time body working all that and wouldn't want to mess with it in that way. I think I'm gona stay away from the stake pockets. If I go with the tailgate, the wiring is under the bed floor due to the frame kick up.
Here's a mock up each way....not measured out perfectly but you get the idea.
Here's a mock up each way....not measured out perfectly but you get the idea.
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MercuryMac
Builder Junky!
I agree with Gene, the tailgate is not going to be nice because of the exposed wiring.
Are the hold down bolts on either side of the light or top and bottom? Or are they studs? I was going to tell you how I put bolts in the tailgate chain anchor, on my stake pocket. My stake pocket is open at the bottom, but my chain anchors had to go at the top. I flattened out a cheap combination wrench and taped it to a long but slight stick and siliconed a nut in the box end and fished it up until I could feel it with the bolt, then screwed it in. This only worked because I had access to the bolt heads. You maybe don't.
Are the hold down bolts on either side of the light or top and bottom? Or are they studs? I was going to tell you how I put bolts in the tailgate chain anchor, on my stake pocket. My stake pocket is open at the bottom, but my chain anchors had to go at the top. I flattened out a cheap combination wrench and taped it to a long but slight stick and siliconed a nut in the box end and fished it up until I could feel it with the bolt, then screwed it in. This only worked because I had access to the bolt heads. You maybe don't.
Hey Mac..... My stakes are not open and I have no way of getting in there. Just for looks.
I'm good with the wires cause my bed "floor" is only 6 or so inches deep due to the frame kick ups....
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MercuryMac
Builder Junky!
That information does make a difference, Coup. I see you aren't going to be opening your tailgate either.
Carry on.
Carry on.
Yes Macster! My tailgate is welded & moulded in. That whole back end took some time to build, the tailgate frame was swiss cheese, so i had to build my own frame. I'm thinking I like vertical best
Bamamav
Well-known member
Coup, if it was me, I’d put them above the Louvers by the tag indent.
