1936 ford pickup rear taillight bracket question

[Wehill99]

I have another question for the fellow 36 pickup group.

What is the best way to mount these brackets? I have been looking at pictures and can’t find anything clear.

Let me know what you think looks and works best.

Ed

[1936 ford pickup]

Hello,

Here's my '36 Ford pickup rear tail light mounting.

Bruce in California

[Karl Wescott]

First, that bracket is not "correct" for the 1935-36 pickup. It was used 1929-34 on pickups and iirc on the 1935-36 1/2 ton flat bed and some other truck applications.


Attached is a photo of our stainless version of the "correct" style. Mack Hils also makes one in mild steel.


The photo shows the mounting to the rear stakepocket top rivets for the rear crossmember. Photo credit is to Ford Archives copied from Mack Hils "Ford Pickups 1932-1952. (I recommend the book for your library).


Karl Wescott
Wescotts Auto

[nelsb01]

On a reproduction bed, these are the two rivets that you need to grind off to add the taillight bracket shown in Karl Wescotts post

The quickest way to attach the taillight bracket is:
once rivets ground off, use new rivets and weld the ends of the rivets from inside the corner piece from the bottom.

[Lawson Cox]

Good advice from Karl and nelsb01. Two guys who know pickups. That's the kind of stuff that would have been included in the ill fated pickup book. Hopefully the "big truck" book will sell well and make the club a lot of money where someone else can abscond with it. LOL

[Don Rogers]

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Here's a picture of Bob Engstroms 36 P.U.

[nelsb01]

Gee Don.................I guess I could have posted that picture of Bruce's 36 pickup tail light...I still have the original photo.
(and lots more)

[Wehill99]

Thanks. I actually have the “simpler” brackets already. The one hole was welded over so that confused me. I removed some paint to find it. This project is like a escape room with many puzzles to be solved.

I had stopped in at Mid West Early ford last week and impulsed bought the stainless ones. So I have them if someone wants them

Thanks.

Another question. I got new rivets for the bed . I need to take it apart some what to wor on it. Has anyone welded in the back of the rivet instead of actually riveting it ?

Sorry for all the questions.

[pistonbroke]

I have a question about ford pickup tail lights 35 thru 41. When we use the correct tail light/license plate bracket the bumper completely hides the plate number. Is this correct or am I missing something? Local law enforcement has commented on this in the past (maybe looking for a reason to pull me over) saying it should be legible from a certain distance. Tim

[TJ]

Originally Posted by pistonbroke

I have a question about ford pickup tail lights 35 thru 41. When we use the correct tail light/license plate bracket the bumper completely hides the plate number. Is this correct or am I missing something? Local law enforcement has commented on this in the past (maybe looking for a reason to pull me over) saying it should be legible from a certain distance. Tim

Local law enforcement needs to see the plate to make sure it has the current registration tabs affixed and to be able to call the number in to dispatch if they do a car stop.

[pistonbroke]

Just a follow up note. I in no way am talking derogatorily about our law enforcement. I have great respect and praise for the work they do. Tim

[Karl Wescott]

Originally Posted by pistonbroke

I have a question about ford pickup tail lights 35 thru 41. When we use the correct tail light/license plate bracket the bumper completely hides the plate number. Is this correct or am I missing something? Local law enforcement has commented on this in the past (maybe looking for a reason to pull me over) saying it should be legible from a certain distance. Tim

Fairly simple answer for 1935... No factory bumper.
There is an offset "1937" bracket that may provide clearance but I have not seen enough applications or photos to be certain. (Mack Hils reproduces the LH only).
Lawton... this is your curtain call!


1938-1941 I have seen several variations of reproduction brackets, and never an original in good enough condition to be confident as to what is "correct". Likely there were two brackets, one for pickups not equipped with a factory bumper, and one for those with a factory installed bumper.
Perhaps Kube can step in with his experience of 1940-41's.

[DavidG]

With the general de-funding and de-emphasizing of law enforcement these days for fear of offending someone short of murder, license plate readability has probably fallen off the lists of most police forces, along with no tail lights, no brake lights, and one or even no headlights/or failure to use them.

[Bob C]

Pickups with a rear bumper used a different tail light bracket than pickups without a bumper. 1936-37 with bumper 77-13470, without bumper 50-13470, 1938-47 with
bumper 81Y-13471, without bumper 91C-13471.

[Don Rogers]

In Missouri, Pickup trucks are not required to have a rear license plate. Just the front one. This was approved since many pickups are used for towing, which obscures the rear plate. Check your local regulations. You may be able to run with a front plate only.

[pistonbroke]

Hey Don, How far are you from Perry Mo.? We just bought a home there and hop to be moved by June. Tim

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by Karl Wescott

Fairly simple answer for 1935... No factory bumper.
There is an offset "1937" bracket that may provide clearance but I have not seen enough applications or photos to be certain. (Mack Hils reproduces the LH only).
Lawton... this is your curtain call!


1938-1941 I have seen several variations of reproduction brackets, and never an original in good enough condition to be confident as to what is "correct". Likely there were two brackets, one for pickups not equipped with a factory bumper, and one for those with a factory installed bumper.
Perhaps Kube can step in with his experience of 1940-41's.

Karl, I'm presuming that you are asking me, thus my reply. "Lawton" is close enough.

Call me anything EXCEPT LATE FOR SUPPER.

The picture of Bob Engstrom's tail light bracket is correct for 35. I have seen the other brackets pictured but am not conversant with their correct applications.

[Don Rogers]

Pistonbroke, St Louis is about 100 miles south east of Perry, Mo.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by Karl Wescott

Fairly simple answer for 1935... No factory bumper.
There is an offset "1937" bracket that may provide clearance but I have not seen enough applications or photos to be certain. (Mack Hils reproduces the LH only).
Lawton... this is your curtain call!


1938-1941 I have seen several variations of reproduction brackets, and never an original in good enough condition to be confident as to what is "correct". Likely there were two brackets, one for pickups not equipped with a factory bumper, and one for those with a factory installed bumper.
Perhaps Kube can step in with his experience of 1940-41's.

I can't speak to any other years than '40 / '41. In these years, there were dedicated brackets for trucks with a rear bumper vs. a truck without a rear bumper.
The trucks with, had the bracket fastened to the rearward side of the rearmost bed gusset. For trucks without (bumper) a different bracket was fastened to the foreward side of the gusset.

[OldGold360]

I have replicated the taillight brackets from an original. I went thru this awhile back on my pickup. I bought an aftermarket pair of brackets and they weren’t correct. I found an original and decided to make a dozen. My pickup originally had one taillight. It was on the drivers side. I’m torn between adding the passenger side light or to keep it as it was originally.

[OldGold360]

Originally Posted by Lawson Cox

Good advice from Karl and nelsb01. Two guys who know pickups. That's the kind of stuff that would have been included in the ill fated pickup book. Hopefully the "big truck" book will sell well and make the club a lot of money where someone else can abscond with it. LOL

I offered…

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by OldGold360

I have replicated the taillight brackets from an original. I went thru this awhile back on my pickup. I bought an aftermarket pair of brackets and they weren’t correct. I found an original and decided to make a dozen. My pickup originally had one taillight. It was on the drivers side. I’m torn between adding the passenger side light or to keep it as it was originally.

I added a tail light on the right side at first, just for safety. I later added turn signals so it came in handy.

[highbeams]

Originally Posted by OldGold360

I have replicated the taillight brackets from an original. I went thru this awhile back on my pickup. I bought an aftermarket pair of brackets and they weren’t correct. I found an original and decided to make a dozen. My pickup originally had one taillight. It was on the drivers side. I’m torn between adding the passenger side light or to keep it as it was originally.

Excellent! Use one bracket for the passenger side!

2015 I did on my '36 half-ton for safety and directional!
You'll breathe a sigh of relief when driving! Absolutely!

You'll surely need to turn into the slow lane at some point,
and inform those behind you of your intention! fer-sher fer-sher!

(without a passenger tail light, you'll die, trying to 'merge in'.)

(In 2015 I phoned Rhode Island Wiring, spoke to Marcia,
and asked what to do for a wire loom for a'36 half-ton.

She did a little research while on the phone and said, hmm,
we can use a'36 Ford panel truck loom or a '36 Ford sedan utility loom.

Phone Marcia; she's still there - spoke to her last week.
It might get pricey, like everything else, but your life depends on it!
And you'll have an original Ford loom.

[OldGold360]

Originally Posted by highbeams

Excellent! Use one bracket for the passenger side!

2015 I did on my '36 half-ton for safety and directional!
You'll breathe a sigh of relief when driving! Absolutely!

You'll surely need to turn into the slow lane at some point,
and inform those behind you of your intention! fer-sher fer-sher!

(without a passenger tail light, you'll die, trying to 'merge in'.)

(In 2015 I phoned Rhode Island Wiring, spoke to Marcia,
and asked what to do for a wire loom for a'36 half-ton.

She did a little research while on the phone and said, hmm,
we can use a'36 Ford panel truck loom or a '36 Ford sedan utility loom.

Phone Marcia; she's still there - spoke to her last week.
It might get pricey, like everything else, but your life depends on it!
And you'll have an original Ford loom.

… but my old motorcycle only has one taillight. 😜

[nelsb01]

Why won't a pigtail wire from the driver's side wiring work? I believe they did that when passenger vehicles had a passenger side taillight added. Base part number 14424.

Of course this would just be light and brake light and not turn signals.