'35 4 Door Hump Query

[Road Trip]

Recently picked up a fairly complete 4 door hump back sedan. Was looking at things this evening ( I've had it for a month or so) and I happened to notice that one tail light stand is longer than the other. I get that the drivers side needs to clear the trunk for the license plate, but figured both sides would be the same. It is a fairly original car, so I don't see any good reason why someone would have stuck a short one on the other side at some point (accident, or similar). Is this normal / common, or do I in face have an incorrect stand on the passenger side? Or - maybe I have a Standard, and someone added the other one?

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Road Trip

Recently picked up a fairly complete 4 door hump back sedan. Was looking at things this evening ( I've had it for a month or so) and I happened to notice that one tail light stand is longer than the other. I get that the drivers side needs to clear the trunk for the license plate, but figured both sides would be the same. It is a fairly original car, so I don't see any good reason why someone would have stuck a short one on the other side at some point (accident, or similar). Is this normal / common, or do I in face have an incorrect stand on the passenger side? Or - maybe I have a Standard, and someone added the other one?

They are short on a '35.






They are LONG on a '36.




.

[Brian]

Yes! the touring sedans [hump-backs] had two different length tail light stands. Interestingly, in RHD models, the long and short t/lite stands are on the opposite sides to your LHD version

[deuce lover]

Here is the long right '35 tail light stand.The first pic is a US '35 humpback.2nd pic is a custom bodied German '35 conv.Not common in USA. Some other Euro '35's also had them. Added a close up of the German bodied '35 Ford tail light bracket

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by Brian

Yes! the touring sedans [hump-backs] had two different length tail light stands. Interestingly, in RHD models, the long and short t/lite stands are on the opposite sides to your LHD version

Learn somethin' almost every day! Why would they do that on the touring sedans? DD
.

[mercman from oz]

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Australian 1936 Ford Tail Light Mounts. The Extended Mount was required in New South Wales, so that both Tail Lights could be seen at the same time from the side. without the Spare Wheel blocking the view. It was a NSW Law only. Other States got the regular length Mounts. Check the underside, and you can see the welds of the added section.

[V8COOPMAN]

Originally Posted by mercman from oz

Australian 1936 Ford Tail Light Mounts. The Extended Mount was required in New South Wales, so that both Tail Lights could be seen at the same time from the side. without the Spare Wheel blocking the view. It was a NSW Law only. Other States got the regular length Mounts. Check the underside, and you can see the welds of the added section.

Soooo.....This was an Aussie thing ONLY? So, Yankee cars had normal-length tail lights, all models...correct? DD
.

[deuce lover]

NO on the 35's ,I have seen Yankee cars with those long tail light brackets. That first pic is a USA humpback fordor.I have even found them on EBAY USA.Maybe Don will chime in.

[Stretch Cab]

Well, Road trip you have me wondering about my Humpback or as it is affectionately called, "Humpty". I will have to see if one of mine is different.
Do you have the dual wiper setup for the Deluxe?

[rockfla]

Sheldon
I went back through and looked through my library of photos of the "custom" and "Euro/British" 35's and there is a plethora of a "MIX" of short and long stands.....so much so that I don't think you can draw ANY conclusion on when or what body style used which. Interesting to go back and look. I have pictures of cars with the busselback trunk with both AND cars without trunks with both long and short. SO who knows

[rockfla]

For example, here is our Non trunk car with short and then the third picture of a Non trunk car with longs, same for the trunk equipped ones!!!!

[Road Trip]

It would seem mine is a Standard; one wiper, non-banjo steering wheel, etc., that's why I thought someone added an "incorrect" stand. I'll have to take a pic later, but the difference in lengths is considerable. Just a very curious detail I happened to notice. Really didn't pick up on it until I removed the spare last night.

[VeryTangled]

Hi Everyone, In 1935 the Touring Sedans were all Deluxe models according to pages 134-135 of Don Rogers' book. In '36 they could be Standard or Deluxe.

On page 22 it addresses taillights with this (and probably written about LHD vehicles): "There are two left side taillight brackets for the '35; one for touring sedans (longer) and one for all other body styles. Three are listed for the right side; one for rumble seat cars (with the step plate mounting), one for non-rumble seat cars and a special optional longer style for the touring sedans to match the left side. The taillights for all 1936 models are the same length except for the Trunk back convertible sedan which were moved from the fenders to the trunk lid."

I propose the longer taillight for the Touring Sedan was to allow the license plate to clear the body/trunk.

They would be flipped on vehicles that were RHD?

Telltale Deluxe signs, there are many, are two horns, chrome windshield surround, twin taillights. Banjo steering wheel was not standard equipment on any car, it was an option.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by Road Trip

It would seem mine is a Standard; one wiper, non-banjo steering wheel, etc., that's why I thought someone added an "incorrect" stand. I'll have to take a pic later, but the difference in lengths is considerable. Just a very curious detail I happened to notice. Really didn't pick up on it until I removed the spare last night.

The banjo steering wheel was not introduced until '36, and would not be considered show correct on '35's, although it will certainly fit and look good on any '35. Also, there was only one windshield wiper on driver's side for standard and deluxe. There was a tandem blade accessory kit available to add a wiper on passengers side, that was driven by a rod connected to driver's side wiper arm.
All, or most all of these items in question here are defined in the 1935-36 Ford Book authored by Don Rogers, a member here on Fordbarn, and is available for purchase on the Early Ford V-8 Club's website.

[Don Rogers]

The touring sedans (hump back) had one long and one short tail light stand for both 35 and 36. As others have pointed out the long stand was on the left for LHD and on the right for RHD. The extra length was to provide clearance for the license plate so it didn't scrape the trunk.

[Road Trip]

I understand the reason for the longer one on the drivers side (license plate clearance) - can't really flip it to the other side because of the filler neck.... So, either someone broke the pass side one and stuck on what was available, or....?

[Don Rogers]

Please read my response again. Passenger side bracket on LHD vehicles came from the factory shorter than the driver's side. You have a factory correct vehicle!!!!!!!!!!!

[Road Trip]

I did read it, thanks. One reason I picked up the car in the first place is because of how complete it was. Wonder why Henry would do that though? They left the factory looking like someone messed up! The unequal lengths will bug me.

[Brian]

So...place an wanted advert in the classifieds here for a long passenger car version as found on RHD vehicles. Someone in NZ, Aussie, or elsewhere might have one. I used to have a pair, both sides, long version, but they've long gone. They are out there, good luck, Brian

[Brian]

mercman from oz shows another solution...obviously those Australian 'lengthened' stalks were longer again than the factory long stalks, but if you can't find a long pass side version, perhaps you could lengthen your existing unit.