Looking for a set of round tail lights assemblies for a short narrow bed Ford pickup. The replacements available are the shield type. I want to use the original round metal assemblies.

 

You didn't mention the year, so if this is a flareside bed....

The shield type were used from 1955 to 1966.

Round lamps were used: 1948/54.

The right side lamp was optional till the mid 50's on trucks. (1956).


FYI: The gov't mandated that all cars have two rear taillights (R/L) by 1952 and trucks by 1956.

 

Thanks for the reply. Your information matches all that I have been able to find at swap meets, etc. I have however found that at least four old Ford flaresides that I have seen (unrestored) have had round tail lights on both sides. This has included a 1958, two 1960's and my 1961. Could it be that the Ford factory installed round tail lights but the only replacements were the shield type. This is the only thing that makes sense. Otherwise how did some of the late 50's and early 60 have have these old rusted out round tail light assemblies. Mine is a 1961 F100 Flareside that had round tail lights when I bought it a few years ago. Someone had replaced one of them with a Walmart plastic housing. I would like to obtain new original units. Note: The Ford replar manual also shows round tail lights on this truck.
I am confused.

 

I used aftermarket polished stainless steel lights for my 48 with blue dot lenses. They are for 33-36 Ford passenger cars or 42-54 Ford trucks. Get two right side lights if you do not want a license plate light lense in them.

 

It's easy to get confused, because who knows what has happened to these trucks since they left the factory.

The information I typed above in regard to what taillamps fit what years is straight from the original Ford 1948/56 parts catalog.

Because of the design of these trucks, and the fact that rear bumpers were optional at extra cost, people were always backing into things, busting up the lamps.

So they would go to the junkyards and find replacements. Round taillamps were used on Fords since the 1920's, so they would be easy to find. Some also prefered the looks of either the round or shield type lamps, and swapped them.


Back then, it was also popular to add a rolled sheetmetal pan below the tailgate. Then french in some 1939 Ford passenger car lamps.

You will see all manner of rear lamps on these trucks, but from my original post above...that was what Ford used originally.

NOTE: In 1961, Ford changed the design of the shield taillight lenses, by removing the original F O R D block letters, which were moulded into the lenses. The 1961/66 lenses are plain. So it's quite possible to see plain lenses on all these trucks.


The entire taillight was changed in 1967 to a different design (squarish), because of the need for backup lamps, which are incorporated into the red lens.

The original lenses with the moulded F O R D letters have been reproduced by aftermarket suppliers. They are a duplicate of the originals.

PLUS: Any shield type lenses that have a chrome Ford script added are not original.

 

Allen,

Thanks for the compliments on my truck. I tried to e-mail you but couldn't. Did you find the tail lights you were looking for?

 

B7C-13405-C R/H Lamp-Round (for states which legally require two lamps)

FAF-13404-A L/H Lamp (round type, less mounting brackets change bulb for 6 volt system).

Verbatim from parts book...Only one (left) taillamp was required then. I believe it was by 1952 that cars nationwide required two taillamps. Trucks? Not sure of when two lamps were required.

 

I think Mid-Fifty and Carpenter sells the round tail lights, which by the way the 53-54 tail lights did not have the chrome around the light. The 48-52 trucks had teh chrome round lights. I have the chrome ones on my '54 as I did not know the difference when I painted my truck in 1998 nor did I know of any repro stores that sold the correct kind. I am looking for the correct kind (I could buy them from Mid-Fifty but don;t want to pay top dollar.) I found one on ebay but am looking for the right side, with no license plate lens.