What are the corect tail lights for our trucks?

[50farmtruck]

Mine are the more generic style round plastic lensed lights. I really like the glass lens style & will probably swap mine for these at some point. But what was OEM? I've seen trucks with lights like mine & the same ones with DODGE script. I've also seen the glass lens style plain & with two styles of DODGE script. In Don Bunn's book I see trucks with glass lens lights & both styles of script. One is curved matching the top of the light & the other is strait across like the ones Robert's sells. I see lots of you guys here running both styles. So what was correct??? Just curious.

Thanks,

Bryan

[50farmtruck]

Man, over 50 views & not one response? I must have offended everyone with the crack about my lights looking "generic". My sincere apologies if that's the case. I'm just not sure if my lights are original or replacements & I'd like to keep things pretty original on my truck.

Bryan

[moparmonkey]

It would probably help if you posted a picture of your lenses.

Standard for most of these trucks was a single tail light above the license plate mount. Actually getting 2 tail lights was an option!

This is the back of my '53. It has 4 lights, but I'm pretty sure only the upper left one is stock, it has the plastic lens and 3 screws. The one on the upper right looks the same, but it may have been added a little later, I'm not sure the bracket is factory. The two lower lights were definitely later additions. I think the earlier trucks got the glass "Dodge" lettered lenses, at some point they switched to plastic.

Your "generic" looking tails may very well be the originals.

Edited May 23, 2011 by moparmonkey

[Desotodav]

I think the tail lights in our part of the world were similar to yours over there Bryan, but yours were mounted on arms from what I've seen. I've attached a picture of my tail light. It's a generic one that I bought somewhere along the track. The base should be black with a chrome bezel holding in the plastic lens. The earlier models had glass lenses. Most of the truck photos that I've seen in your parts seem to have had Dodge script on the lens as well. I planned on having Desoto script on my tail light lens, but it wouldn't work as my tail light is mounted on its side to light up the number plate. Have you got any photos of what's fitted to your truck?

Desotodav

[KJ's Dodge]

My truck is original and purchased in April of 1948 by the previous owner in Detroit with a pair of tail/brake lights. The lens are glass with Dodge painted white in the inset in the glass. My truck had the optional turn signal available which is mounted on the steering column.

KJ

Edited May 23, 2011 by KJ's Dodge
spelling

[Dodgeb4ya]

And another picture of an OE at least 1948-50 lense...

[dontknowitall]

I am tempted to put some modified lights in..still round but build in the panel

[Scruffy49]

Mine was like Dodgeb4ya's light but no letters. Both sides. Both buckets crumbled to dust when I took them off the truck years ago to strip and refinish them. Truck was stone stock with the optional second tail light and bracket (sheetmetal, NOT the cast ones). I may still have one of the lenses, traded the other one for a spare parts starter. I'll probably run cateye lights on the back to be different.

[JBNeal]

I figger the ones in Bunn's Bible are as close to correct as there is, with the perimeter script leftover from the '47s, and the straight script the replacement. As much as I like the look of the script in the lenses, the bucket is a tad on the small side. I've had enough close calls with people not paying attention and nearly sliding up under the spare tire carrier to make me want to upgrade to round 4" lights. They won't be original, but for this day & age, I'd rather have brake lights that make folks whoa-up instead of ooh-ahh.

[4852dodge]

I didn't respond earlier because I'm also not sure what is correct. Neither of my trucks had anything close to original lights in back. I'm not sure what the brackets should be.

[50farmtruck]

Thanks guys, that helps some. Sorry no pictures, need to charge the battery in my camera. So pre 48's had the curved script eh? Good to know. I think I'll probably save up for the ones from Robert's. They look really nice. Can't get away with only buying the left though since my truck also has both lights. Moparmonkey, it's interesting that your lights have 3 & 4 screws in the lenses. Most I've seen (including mine) only have 2. I did find some lights at ACE Hardware today that look exactly like mine only the buckets are plastic. They look the part though & you could always buy them just for the lens i guess.

Thanks again,

Bryan

Edited May 25, 2011 by 50farmtruck

[Merle Coggins]

I did find some lights at ACE Hardware today that look exactly like mine only the buckets are plastic.

Thanks again,

Bryan

That sounds like what I have on my truck. They were around $6 at Farm & Fleet. Although not period correct they work just fine until I can bring myself to pop for the repros.

Merle

[Dennis_MN]

I believe that my tail light is original but it has been relocated to accomodate the Ford Ranger Bumper. It has been moved up and the license plate holder has been removed. I'd like to replace it with the one that has the Dodge Script but the entire tail gate says Dodge so I figure that is enough.

Dennis