I am looking to install an era correct cargo light into my truck. I have a 75. There are two options I have to choose from. Pre / post 1977. I am as concerned with getting the year specific version as I am interested in getting the better version of the two.

Does anyone one have any feedback they can provide on aesthetics, function, durability? Also do they fit the same or would modifications need to be made to go with the later version?

My truck had had a poorly fitted cargo light from a later model truck. I am trying to correct this. The mount provision in the cab may have been modified a bit. If anyone can provide dimensions of what this is supposed to be it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

I've got the 77-79 style on my truck, it's been on there for 42 years, it works great. Plenty of light.

 

The Cargo Lamp bezel, lens, gasket and body with socket and wiring on: 1967/76 F100/350, 1977 F100/350 before serial number Y60,001 is the same as: 1964 Thunderbird back up lamp.

The mounting pad between the cargo lamp body and roof is either 1967/72 or 1973/77. Thunderbird back up lamp did not have a mounting pad.

Thunderbird had a pair of these lamps mounted on the right and left sides of the rear stone shield located below the bumper.

 

Now I do not know about the material used on the LMC repops, but the OEM material is as follows. Using the LMC diagram as reference.

The L/H one is all plastic (lens and body) and small, requiring a smaller cab hole. Little bulb could probably be swapped out for a LED? Over time the sun and the regular bulb heat will fade/bake the lens. Sun also fades the lens and housing.

The R/H one is METAL (pot or cast?) chromed housing and real glass and bigger width wise. But also requires a bigger hole cut in the back of the cab. Bulb could probably be swapped for a LED?

I have the smaller one on my blue 78 it works, stock bulb. But is not a real go getter by no means. I have never seen the large style actually on, to tell you the light difference. Now if you can get a cab/bed back light that is LED like the LMC repop for in the cab light, you might be onto something.

 

My truck ('73 F100) originally had no cargo light. I located a NOS unit along with the correct wiring harness and used it to draw my own version of an installation diagram,

NOTE: The hole is actually off center, it's supposed to be.

 

Yep, if your rig is a '75, then you want the T'Bird back-up lamp version, which is the one on the right in the LMC listing above. The two versions use different bulbs too. The earlier one uses a larger bulb with a metal socket, while the later one uses a 'blade' style bulb like a 194 or 168.

I would love to mod mine to add red LEDs for a third brake light, and add LEDs which come on with the backup lamps - as well as an LED for the cargo lamp. It sure looks like there's enough room in there to still use the factory glass lens - although a clear lens might not offend me too much because of the added functions.


I believed this too, but then I put an older-style lamp in my '78 or '79 cab's factory lamp hole. If you were going to enlarge the hole in the cab, you really only need to clearance where that long boss protrudes from the back of the lamp housing/bezel.

I said "screw all of that," and used a sawzall to cut that boss off of the housing. Then it sunk right into place.


The only modifications I did to my cab was to drill the two holes for the attaching screws, which are obviously outboard of the later-style lamp's attaching screws.


I documented it here: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post17920861

And if you end up using an OEM wiring harness, you can remove these wires' single terminal from the connector to the switch, and your cargo lamp will come on with out the interior dome lamp coming on too. That is heat shrink I put over the terminal to keep it from grounding/shorting out:

 

Thanks for all the great responses. It sounds like I will be sticking with the older style as that is what my cab is already cut for and it’s a bigger hole than the newer style.

So this brings me to my next issue. My screw holes are all buggared up. They have been stripped out to just under 1/4” (0.250”). I was thinking the best approach might be to simply clean the hole up and use a rivnut that has something like a 10-32 thread and mount this thing with stainless machine screws. Not having the parts on hand I need to confirm what size the screw hole in the bezel is. I want to go with the largest machine thread that fits without modifying the bezel.

I appreciate the help with this. If I need to I will hunt down the parts to measure myself but I am doing body work right now and wanted to spend my time staying on task rather than going on a Easter egg hunt.

 

Not sure about thread size, but I am pretty sure that the light housing wants screws whose heads are flat on the bottom, where they contact the housing. So you don't want beveled screws.

 

I was just thinking about this. Either way the screws are easy to come by but yeah countersunk types would cause the material to split. Buttonheads it is.

 

Was it only the 64 thunderbird or other years as well? No trucks at my local pick n pulls but a couple t-birds from the same era.

 

The 1965 backup lamp is different than 1964, the bodies are right & left specific. 1964 uses the same body right/left.

 

On Ebay right now. Everything you need to install the Cargo light.
No affiliation.
Regards
Tbruz

Item number 123682966962