Hello everyone. I finally got my Mack Hill bed all welded up, primed, and floor mocked up in my project this week. I purchased some blue dot 32 taillights for the truck and I'm looking for some different mount ideas. The truck will have no bumper or fenders. Just eye balling them I think I want the lights up towards the top of the bed sides but I'd like some pics of the stock under bed mounts too if anyone has them. From what I saw in the MAC catalog there are some flat brackets available for later years that I may be able to use for positioning them higher. Does anyone know if the screw holes for the back of the tail lights that mount them to the brackets changed at all from 32 to say 38? Please post any pics of mounts you guys have used so I can get some ideas....thanks! Sent from my SM-G920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
no pic, but in the last week or so, there was a pic on here of a fenderless roadster that had two round light bodies mounted/hanging under the rear panel. It really looked old timey, IMO I'm not saying that I don't like the ones set into the gate, as I had a late1950s built chop/channel RPU with 54 Buick round lights in the fixed gate.
For stock taillights Id use the stock 32 Pickup mounting brackets. I've built 4 deuce pickups unfortunately none with stock taillights to show you.
The Model A truck tail light brackets work with your tail lights, they would mount low under the edge of the bed. HRP
The model A bracket above looks cast. It seems there is one that is stamped and bolts to the front side of the rear stake pocket. Phil
I also used 37 taillights on my current 32 PU to go with the 682 headlights. Aren't the 32 taillight brackets similar to the A's?
37 Ford tail lights mounted on So-cal stainless tail light stands. Really nice part about them is that being tubular the wires go through them. On my 26 RPU. Ignore the LEDs, the last picture shows them lit up with the replacement glass lenses and Silverstar 1157 bulbs.
This might help https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/mounting-tail-lights-on-1935-ford-pickup.1105494/ Hope this helps a little. The stamped steel bracket bolts to the stake pocket using the tail gate hinge bolts, I think. Phil
Not sure I want to mount my lights that low though Sent from my SM-G920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
This is what I was thinking I remembered. With self tapping hex head bolts, you could mount them at any height on the stake pocket. Could be fab'd easily, if you are so inclined. https://www.bobdrake.com/FordItem.aspx?Item=91C-13471 Phil
That's a licence plate light, I put one on each side of the plate, I probably could have gotten away with one, however it looks more balanced with one on each side.
I was looking at those earlier. Just wondering if the 32 tails I bought have the same bolt pattern on the back Sent from my SM-G920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The bolt pattern was the same from late 1928 through the early 50's pickup trucks. the 50's pickup trucks used a flat steel mounting plate which should make things easier for you.
Here's my '32 pickup that I built. I mounted '33-'34 blue dot taillights (almost the same as your '32 taillights) with 1938-56 Ford pickup taillight brackets. I was able to make them fit between the rivets on the stake pockets. They are slightly offset so you will need a right and a left side and they are available in black or stainless steel. Here's the pic of one for the right side. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-1938-...280794137970?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10 Here's some pics of them on my pickup on the "Road To The Sun" in Glacier National Park
I too suggest the various late thirties Ford brackets. They can go as high or low as you want on the stake pocket. There are two similar generations of these readily available in repro, and they come in with and without bumper versions...that variation is about height and may not matter if you are drilling the holes. On height...the stock '32 ones look like it was designed by a streetrodder: "Let's use these little bitty lights, and if we put the bracket down here, we can have then dragging in the dirt so nobody will notice them." IMHO they need to be UP, where there is at least a possibility of the cell phone zombies noticing you are stopping. My pickup is going to use this basic type with black shell '35-6 lights. Also...these are pretty easy to find in original form, and some of those are forgings that look nicer. Tail Light Bracket - Stainless Steel - Right - Used With Rear Bumper - Ford Pickup Truck Part # 47-18442-1 Fits: 1938-1947 FORD Alt #: 81Y-13470-SS Tail Light Bracket - Stainless Steel - Left - Used With Rear Bumper - Ford Pickup Truck Part # 47-18445-1 Fits: 1938-1947 FORD Alt #: 81Y-13471-SS Tail Light Bracket - Die Stamped - Left Or Right - Without Rear Bumper - Not Offset - Ford Pickup TruckPart # 47-15555-1 Fits: 1935-1936
Year ? They’re a custom made part made to fit the 37 Ford Tail lights. Made by SoCal SpeedShop in just polished stainless as far as I know. You could buy a set and throw them in a blasting cabinet and either paint or powder coat them black.
If you're wanting to do a custom taillight, you're only limited by your creativity. Look at the other options posted above. How Vintagehotrods mounted his taillights is the stock way, but he mounted his brackets upside down (which raises the taillights, and probably makes them easier to see by other drivers). It also scoots them forward on stake pocket about 1/2 inch. The 1st two brackets that Bruce Lancaster posted show the bend in them to move the taillight back away from the fender. They are what I used on my 48 F1 PU. The bracket bolts into two captive nuts inside the bed stake pocket. If you don't have those two holes with captive nuts(aftermarket stake pocket), just add them. If you have a capped bottom on the pocket like my 48 has, you'll need to weld a nut to the inside of the stake bed pocket because you cannot access it with a wrench. Most of those tail light housing also come with a little Cup that bolts on the back of the housing to route the wires down, but you can remove it and mount you wires like Vintagehotrods did on his wires.
FWIW: I found that people just were not seeing (more like not looking !!!) the stock, low mounted lights on my '38 pickup. I make up a pair of LED's lights that mount in the rolled edge of the bed side. They are just used as turn and brake lights so they are not very noticeable when off. First time on the road and at a stoplight another motorist commented how bright and easy to see they were so apparently they work like intended. I made mine as they didn't make them for the smaller bed rolls back then. I believe that they are making them to fit the smaller dia bed rolls now.
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