1956 dome light
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: victoria
I have had my truck 2 years now ...never noticed it doesn't have a interior lite..so .. was it an option ?? or did mine get lost somewhere??anyone here know??and yah I know mine is only a 54 ..and his is a 56 ..
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New User
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I installed an aftermarket big back window kit and now the inside center metal support is too long right where the dome light cut out is. Thinking maybe the big back window trucks dont have the dome light?
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
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From: Simi Valley, CA
Truck parts catalog makes no reference to 1956's "big back" window inre to dome lamp. The same puppy was used 1953/56 and on specific Passenger Cars.
FAB-13752-A .. Dome Lamp Switch / 1953/56 Trucks except S/B & P/D // 1954 Ford Passenger Cars except Victoria H/T & Sunliner / 1955/56 Ford Passenger Cars except Sunliner.
8M-13783-A .. Dome Lamp Lens / 1953/56 Trucks except S/B & P/D // 1949/51 Ford/Mercury Station Wagons.
FAA-13786-B .. Dome Lamp Body / 1953/56 Trucks except S/B & P/D / 1954 Ford Passenger Cars except Victoria H/T & Sunliner / 1955/56 Ford Passenger Cars except Sunliner.
S/B: School Bus / P/D: Parcel Delivery / H/T: Hardtop (no B pillar for y'all too young to know what a H/T was) / Sunliner: Convertible (ragtop).
FAB-13752-A .. Dome Lamp Switch / 1953/56 Trucks except S/B & P/D // 1954 Ford Passenger Cars except Victoria H/T & Sunliner / 1955/56 Ford Passenger Cars except Sunliner.
8M-13783-A .. Dome Lamp Lens / 1953/56 Trucks except S/B & P/D // 1949/51 Ford/Mercury Station Wagons.
FAA-13786-B .. Dome Lamp Body / 1953/56 Trucks except S/B & P/D / 1954 Ford Passenger Cars except Victoria H/T & Sunliner / 1955/56 Ford Passenger Cars except Sunliner.
S/B: School Bus / P/D: Parcel Delivery / H/T: Hardtop (no B pillar for y'all too young to know what a H/T was) / Sunliner: Convertible (ragtop).
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: AKRON ohio
My big window has a factory dome light. The reinforcement bracket must have been different on the big window roofs, or at least in a moved up higher position to clear the window.
I cant get to my truck now to look at it or even get some measurements, sorry
I cant get to my truck now to look at it or even get some measurements, sorry
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Joined: Jan 2012
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From: Western Nebraska
Anybody got a pic of the original dome light ? My '56 standard doesn't have one, but the other '56 4x4 has one in the center of divider: round and I can see where what looks like an original (cardboard style) headliner went around it. ??
EDIT: On line suppliers show an oval (oblong ?) dome light ??
EDIT: On line suppliers show an oval (oblong ?) dome light ??
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2007
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Old thread, but seems to have died before it was answered. I ordered the big back window kit from Mid Fifty. The dome light in a 56 small back window has to be removed for the big window glass. This conversion is in progress so I did a search to try and find the answer to this question. If stock BBW had a dome light, it was not in the same location as a SRW. If I am understanding Number Dummies response, the big rear windows did not have a dome light?
I also understood nothing in the ID of the truck would make a designation of whether a cab was big window or small window. If that is correct, I dont understand how the post from ND would make a difference between BBW or SBW.
Do you still have your BBW Charlie and if so, can you give more information about the dome light? I also need a photo to see how the bottom of a big back window is braced or framed.
I also understood nothing in the ID of the truck would make a designation of whether a cab was big window or small window. If that is correct, I dont understand how the post from ND would make a difference between BBW or SBW.
Do you still have your BBW Charlie and if so, can you give more information about the dome light? I also need a photo to see how the bottom of a big back window is braced or framed.
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Brentwood, TN
I still have mine but it is in storage about 45 miles from here. Kevin has it right...there is the same light it is just mounted to a reinforcement bracket made to fit the shorter span from the roof to the top edge of the back window. If you have gone to the effort to install the BBW kit then I would think that modifying the center reinforcing bar would be a piece of cake.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,100
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dsI think Kevin is spot on too, and actually, there is only one place the light can go if the bracket on the small window is moved up to clear the window. If the dome lights for the big and small back windows were the same, I think I have it figured out. It just takes removing the bracket from the under roof brace, shortening the brace and reinstalling it to clear the big window. I was just looking for confirmation that my assumption is correct. Also, when you cut away the sheet metal for the big window, you run right into a bracket that has to be removed. Im trying to find out if that bracket is reinstalled in a lower position and if so, where. It appears the sheet metal replacement for the big window is reinforced, but I dont want to guess at this. I want to reinstall the bracket if it needs to be there.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
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From: Central PA
To answer this question from an old post, dome lights were not standard. They came with the upgrade package called the Deluxe Cabs in 53 and 54 and the Custom Cabs as they were called in 55 and 56.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
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From: Burbank, WA
Was the big back window an option within the Custom Cab option? Or could it be had with any cab configuration? I always thought it was the former, in which then all of the BBW trucks would have had a dome light?
FTE Legend
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: northwestern Ontario
I think Kevin is spot on too, and actually, there is only one place the light can go if the bracket on the small window is moved up to clear the window. If the dome lights for the big and small back windows were the same, I think I have it figured out. It just takes removing the bracket from the under roof brace, shortening the brace and reinstalling it to clear the big window. I was just looking for confirmation that my assumption is correct. Also, when you cut away the sheet metal for the big window, you run right into a bracket that has to be removed. I'm trying to find out if that bracket is reinstalled in a lower position and if so, where. It appears the sheet metal replacement for the big window is reinforced, but I don't want to guess at this. I want to reinstall the bracket if it needs to be there.