I have a pretty good idea as to how this works but I have never actually done it so I took a gander around the hamb and didn't turn anything else up... sooooo, any one know of any threads or wanna drop some knowledge? I have a set of 56 packard lenses that I am maybe going to french into my 54 chevy quarters. I have been told that I will have to make them to where they pull out from the inside but I have also been told that they can be made to pull out of the front? not really sure how that would work? and as for pulling them out the back, that means that I will have to make a backing plate that holds my bulbs that has tabs that screws to the sides and this backing plate will screwed to the back of the lenses? I have got the opening part down pat, just make a skeleton out of 1/8" TIG rod and the wrap with sheet metal, welding the lip to the TIG rod and carefully grinding it smooth. correct? thanks for any and all info guys!
I don't know for sure how the packard lems is held in. Some thing just don't stick in your head. but the easiest way to french a tail light is to make a bucket the proper shape and weld it into the sheetmetal. The bucket should have a proper way to mount the lens.
but if I weld it to the sheet metal there is no way to ever get the lense out right? or am I missing what your saying?
Weld the ring , trim the bucket lip and mount it from the inside of the fender , not the front.... adjust the screws for perfect gap..... you're done!!!
I've done a lot of frenched lights in cars, and some taillights are tougher to do than others. The Packards are a tough one. I have them in my 55 Olds, but didn't french them in, cause they were a bit more work than I wanted to do. So I cut off the backup light, and bolted them onto the body. In any case, they can be done. I think I would do them simialr to how I did my own 54 Chevy with Lee lenses, or a 53 Merc I did with 55 Chryslers. I hope you can follow along, I don't know if I have pics of how I did them. First, build a tubing, or solid rod framework, that fits VERY tightly around the taillight. I think 3/8" or 5/16" works best with these lights, but that is up to you. Make it slightly smaller than the total outer reach of the lense, so if you push it up against it from behind, it touches the tubing completely around the circumference. No gaps, no open areas where there is no lense. You need this for sealing up the area behind the lense, so water does not enter the trunk, or light bucket. Now, IIRC, the Packards use 3 small sheet metal type screws to hold the lense into the housing. Useless for our purposes. Weld a bunch of #8 machine screws, about 3/4" long, onto the inside edge of the tubing, pointing directly inward. Place the lense up against the tubing structure, and make a cardboard pattern to fit the back of the lense, and extending about an inch all the way around. Make this out of 16 ga. steel or stainless (polished is nice and will reflect the light better!) Drill holes where the #8 machine screws are, so the backing plate sandwiches the lense between the outer tubing, and the backing plate. Now get a hole saw and drill out a couple holes in your backing plate to accomodate a couple aftermarket taillight sockets. Buy the sockets first, so you drill the right size for them. The factory Packards only used one bulb, but on my Olds, I added a second, about and inch and a quarter, hihger up, for better visability. If the bulb looks too close to the lense in your application, it may melt it, so you might have to weld in a piece of 2 in. exhaust tubing onto the backing plate, with a fender washer welded to it, to house the light socket, and keep it away from the lense. When the housing assembly is done, disassemble it and weld the tubing to your car body. That's about it, except that when you are finally ready to assemble it for good, put a thin roll of "Strip caulk" aound the edge of the tubing to seal the lense to the body. It doesnt' harden, so it won't break the lense trying to remove it for painwork, or whatever reason. Hope this helps, ask questions if you don't understand anything!
thanks chopolds! that was pretty much what I needed to know yea that packard lense is a big sumbitch. I would do what you did with using the bezel and cutting the reverse light off if I could fine and affordable set. I also think I am going to spray my lenses with kandy red to darken them up. they are new and pretty but kinda bright red and I really dig the dark red of the LEE lenses... anyways thanks for the post. if any one has any pics feel free to postem!
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