Two Questions

[Barry Maxwell]

I am beginning the restoration of a '51 BC3 and I have two quick questions:

Q1 - The attached photo of the end of one of the bed sides shows 9 holes. I am certain that holes 2,4,5,6 are for the bracket that attaches the bed sides to the rear cross member. I THINK that holes 1,3,7,8,9 were drilled by a previous owner for some reason, but I am not sure. I would like to close the holes (which are drilled through both sides for cross bolts), but I want to make sure that the holes are not necessary. Are those holes necessary?

Q2- I am thinking of buying the tail lights and brackets that Roberts have in their catalog. Does anyone know if they are close to original, and if so where do they mount on the bed sides? Two of the holes noted above?

Thank you for your help.

[Dave72dt]

Holes 2,4,5,6 are for the rear cross bracket as you said, 7 should be a factory hole and have a matching hole onthe front stake pocket but it looks big to me. 1 and 3 I THINK are factory on the inside only and I THINK are where the tail lights mount. 8 and 9 don't match anything on mine

[grey beard]

The only tail lights that are close approximations of the oritinals are the stuff Roberts sells. They're okay but usually lack the internal gaskets that are supposed to keep them dry inside. They're nice but very spendy.

Good Luck.

[Dan Babb]

You can also check out vintagepowerwagons.com. They are plain lenses, but were less money.

My truck had what looked like factory holes toward the bottom. Here's a picture of where my lights are mounted.

[JBNeal]

Note how 8 & 9 are not along the centerline laid out by the other holes...this makes me think they are custom holes by a PO, possibly from an aftermarket rear bumper bracket. As for tail lights, I've seen a fair share on eBay every once in awhile, them folks are awful proud of'm.

[Merle Coggins]

The tail light brackets that Robert's sells are not correct for our Pilot-House trucks unless you have a flat bed. Get brackets from Vintage Power Wagons. I got a left and right like pictured below. It was a perfect match for the original bracket on my truck.

[Barry Maxwell]

Thank you guys for your responses. I tend to think that holes 1,3,8,9 are not factory holes. I think that Dave72dt is correct that hole 7 is a factory hole, but I have no clue what it would be for. At this point I will probably fill what I hope are not factory holes.

As to tail lights, I WAS inclined (prior to Merle's response) to order the two arms, license plate bracket,and the Dodge script lens from Roberts in the hopes that I can match the lens with a less expensive tail light assembly than Roberts. Is that doable? Also, does anyone know whether the Roberts arms mount on existing holes (2 and 4)?

Merle, I don't know what you mean "unless you have a flat bed". As usual, I am confused. Also, I tried to wander through the VPW on-line catalog looking for your brackets with no success. Their catalog confuses me as well.

I may be entirely too fussy/picky about all this. I simply want to nail down the tail light issue and have the parts on my shelf before I move on with what will be a long term (but mostly enjoyable) project.

Thanks for all your help.

[Reg Evans]

Go to page 7 for those brackets.

http://www.vintagepowerwagons.com/pdf/parts/06electrical.pdf

[Barry Maxwell]

Thanks Reg. I obviously didn't spend enough time looking. I ordered their catalog some time ago. It was close to being finalized at that time.

[Merle Coggins]

The bracket that Robert's sells is a long cast metal stalk that may be correct for earlier trucks, but not for the Pilot-House trucks. I've seen pictures of trucks with that bracket and in my opinion it just doesn't look right. The lights stick out too much. It these brackets were used to come off the frame under a flat bed they would look better. (again, my opinion)

The ones I showed earlier, from VPW, are exactly like the one that was on my truck when I got it. They mount the lights in nice and close to the bed. I went the cheap route from there. Instead of buying replica light assemblies from Roberts or VPW I went to my local Farm & Fleet store and purchased a couple of generic round trailer lights and a license plate bracket. They are the same size as the originals, and unless you know the difference when you're looking you'd never know they didn't belong there. Plus they only cost about $5 each.

I tried to find a picture of the back of my bed for reference on the holes but I came up blank. I guess I'll have to try to remember to have a look at my truck tonight. It's got me curious now.

Merle

[Reg Evans]

I went down to my bone yard and had a look at 4 different trucks for comparrison. It seems that the high sided beds have 4 factory holes and the low sided beds have 3 factory holes. This held up no matter what year the truck was.

High sided

Low sided

[Barry Maxwell]

Merle: You make some good points. You have convinced me. I will order the brackets from VPW, together with the license plate bracket. I know of several other probable sources for the actual tail lights that will be less expensive than Roberts or VPW (as you note). By the way, did you mount yours on the front or rear of the stake pocket? It seems to me that they should be on the rear, but several pictures I have seen (including the one from Reg below) show a front mount. However, it may not make much difference.

Thank all you guys for your help. Over the years I have been a member of several forums (Massey Harris, Jeep, T-Bird), but even during the brief time I have been of member of this one, it is by FAR the most helpful and knowledgeable of all.

[Merle Coggins]

After seeing Reg's pics I thought that extra hole at the top looked familure. My truck has those same holes above the "L" bracket bolts. Both sides are the same so I would have to think they are factory holes. For what???

Also a couple of my tail light brackets. At least one side.

[HanksB3B]

The bracket that Robert's sells is a long cast metal stalk that may be correct for earlier trucks, but not for the Pilot-House trucks. I've seen pictures of trucks with that bracket and in my opinion it just doesn't look right. The lights stick out too much. It these brackets were used to come off the frame under a flat bed they would look better. (again, my opinion)

The ones I showed earlier, from VPW, are exactly like the one that was on my truck when I got it. They mount the lights in nice and close to the bed. I went the cheap route from there. Instead of buying replica light assemblies from Roberts or VPW I went to my local Farm & Fleet store and purchased a couple of generic round trailer lights and a license plate bracket. They are the same size as the originals, and unless you know the difference when you're looking you'd never know they didn't belong there. Plus they only cost about $5 each.

I tried to find a picture of the back of my bed for reference on the holes but I came up blank. I guess I'll have to try to remember to have a look at my truck tonight. It's got me curious now.

Merle

Merle I have the Roberts kind as you may have seen in pictures of my truck. I had fully intended to return them but when push came to shove I needed something to mount a left and a right turnsignal. I do have a driver side original and even thought about fabricating a passenger side one, but at $5 Farm and Fleet I could ask my daughter in Janesville to pick up a pair and mail it to Los Angeles by way of Alaska. Would you please let me know the part number and if you could take a picture of yours, then I'll only have to do this job twice.

Thanks,

Hank

[Merle Coggins]

Hank,

See above for pics. The brackets are from VPW @ $25 each (as I remember). The lights are from F&F, Peterson brand I believe.If you want some of the cheap F&F lights I'd gladly pick up a pair and ship them to you, Next Day Air - Early AM Delivery if you prefer.

Merle

[Dave72dt]

I've been thinking about that other hole in the stake pocket and seeing as there is one identical in the front pocket, I wonder if it has anything to do with holding some sideracks in place. What are the other possibilities?

[HanksB3B]

Hank,

See above for pics. The brackets are from VPW @ $25 each (as I remember). The lights are from F&F, Peterson brand I believe.If you want some of the cheap F&F lights I'd gladly pick up a pair and ship them to you, Next Day Air - Early AM Delivery if you prefer.

Merle

I thought the brackets were from FF. I'm already running the "generic" brand of cheap taillights. They work and look fine. Next time I see an original "Dodge" script taillight, I was thinking about taking a good closeup and duplicating the graphics and turning into a vector drawing file and having a white vinyl decal made.

Thank you Merle,

Hank

P.S. Have you found a rear bumper for your truck?

[SteveMelchiorre]

...ok...so if those are the correct taillight brackets any idea where these on my '52 B3B came from?

I have no real intention of changing them...just curious...

Steve....

[Merle Coggins]

...ok...so if those are the correct taillight brackets any idea where these on my '52 B3B came from?

I have no real intention of changing them...just curious...

Steve....

My guess would be "someone's back yard fab shop".

As long as they work for you, go with it.

Merle

[B1B Keven]

Can anyone tell me if the lenses from Roberts will fit the VPW housings?

[Dodgeb4ya]

1952 Low side original bed rear stake pockets and tail light brackets. No extra un-used holes.

[pflaming]

Looking at the green tail gate, I noticed how nicely sculptured the side post 'channels' and the bottom pan work together. If all the bolts were 'smoothed', the chains removed, and the hole on the top 'plugged' the rear end would be very clean and NICE, to my eye.

Nice green truck.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Nothing like the sound of the old Dodge PU tail gate chains clanking around on a bumpy road!