Different rear lights on an AD
 

I like to read a new build thread every few days or so and I'm seeing lots of different rear light setups.

What setups do you have? Anything different on the front too?

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

I wanted a different look to the rear of my truck and put these "cat eye's" taillights on.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Those are nice. What about back up lights?

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Not original but after 2 near rear endings my original 54 tail lights had to go. The brackets are from the 84 chassis and protect the lights. Chose to upgrade 84 lights with LEDs and work fairly well. Did add a third light and extra backups as vision is problematic at my age. MAny hate these but they work for me.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Unattractive or not where Vintovka lives lights that can be easily seen from behind are a must. If you lived there and never drove your truck in rain or fog you would never drive it. Plus the area is loaded with tourists doing the lookie loo thing and not paying attention.

Tail lights are one thing that I haven't decided on this time around. I am leaning towards 48 Chevy car lights under the tail gate but they are on the small side.

No matter what lights you use I highly suggest both turning the lights on at night and walking out behind the truck for at least a hundred yards to see what you can see and having someone else drive the truck while you follow in another rig in both daylight and at night.

Having followed several friends with the blue dot lights the can be hard to see in the daylight and a bit annoying at night if you have to follow them for a hundred miles or so.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

I'm wanting to go LEDs all around, just not sure what type or size. One of the threads I was reading, the guy put Plymouth lights on the rear fenders, looked really cool.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Lights in the fenders look great but may be hard for someone to see both if they are behind you at a slight angle. I've seen some with 49/50 Merc lights that were frenched in slightly that look great and saw some round 52 Pontiac lights in photos of one the other day that look great.

There is a guy on FB who sells rings to french headlights and tail lights and has some for the 52 Pontiac round lens that might work with a 56 Chevy car bullet lens. Much shorter than the 59 Cad that are way over done. Those lenses don't cost much of anything from the tri 5 Chevy trinket vendors. A guy would have to come up with the rest of the light to make it work and there are probably LED setups to work with that lens available.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

I love the look of the 54-59 chevy truck stainless lights with LED from bowtiebits. the only drawback is they dont have the separate tag light but I think next time I will just add one of my own. talk about visible, they look like a hole to hades when the brakes are on

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4541/...6451b070_c.jpgIMG_0871_zps7crny6c4 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4440/...cef88ee4_c.jpgIMG_6946 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

I also like the stainless LED 41-53 chevy truck lights from bowtiebits, they are very bright and a great upgrade to the same look

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4396/...f78054cc_c.jpgIMG_5253 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Same lights here, been rear ended to many times and the old lights are hard to see. Safety is most important.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

I used a 54 bed on my 50, so I could mount lights in the stake pockets. I also install a 3rd brake light in the cab. Nice a bright day and night...Jim

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Thats nice looking and probably bright enough. Sorry if a repeat, but incident before last with old lights was vision of "KENWORTH" backwards in my rear view mirror. The brake sounds and stopping about a foot back was enough. Did i mention i was stopped, first in line, at the Thomas Creek Bridge (432' high) google it. Even had my E flashers on. Last one was a looky lou with a 100' cliff on onside and a 500' drop to ocean on other.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Oldman3 that truck looks awesome!

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Joe, Whose truck is the green AD with the rich cream artilleries? If I ever do an AD it will be the deep dark green factory color and artilleries too.

As for me, I like the original AD ad TF tail lights though I agree they're small/mounted low and should be upgraded to LED's for safety. I'll do the same on mine. I also have a 3rd LED brake light in the rear window and I'm considering bed roll lights. I just can't decide if they should be brake lights (red) or reverse lights(white)? Opinions?

PIC is not my truck (obviously) but I kinda like the red lights, not sure how I feel about them if they're white.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

When you say in the rear window...

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

What are you using for a 3rd brake light?

Thanks.

Wade

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

It's an LED 3 brake light I got from Ron Francis wire works, but their are many on the market now...Jim

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Very similar but not same. Those are original 84 tailights . I used these very thin leds with similar face.

Google Partsam 2x Universal 16 LED Stop Tail Turn Signal Backup Reverse Brake Clearance Marker Lights Lamps Red/White for Truck Trailer Jeep YJ JK CJ Waterproof 12V

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

I built that one in 2016, a great guy in PA bought it. I always like to match the wheel color and the interior color

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/p...ictureid=24530

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

In addition to the tail lights I've been thinking about mounting some 15" LED stop-tail-turn lights horizontally, tucked along the bottom of the tail gate. Maxxima #M63318R-A

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

I have thought of something similar. But I don't have a factory bumper, not sure how well it would look.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

thats what i have see pic above. easy to wire in. Really wakes up log truckers and looky-lous.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

One of the biggest things we can do to avoid being rear ended is to change OUR driving habits. I am not saying it's your fault if you get rear ended, but a change in driving habits can make a huge difference.

Leave more room between you and the car ahead of you this leaves you stopping slower and gives more time for the people behind to you to understand what is going on.

Flash your brake lights, this is a BIGGIE in my experiences. I even removed the the stock brake light switch that worked off of brake fluid pressure on my Rambler and put a mechanical one that I could make light the brake lights with a tap on the pedal only moving it a quarter of an inch. This allows me to flash my lights without really even applying the brakes.
I do this as I drive, it's not something I have to even think about, I do it now by habit, just tap on the pedal a few times as I have to slow a lot or come to a stop. I see people behind me react much earlier when I do this.

And the third brake light is a must now, people drive by that third brake light of the car in front of them!

I have studied a number of traffic issues, not just thought about opinions I had, I studied them keeping logs and what not about travel time and stop light length and stopping at lights count and stuff like that and it's AMAZING how our image of these these are so skewed! But watching people, OMG they DRIVE BY the brake lights of the car in front of them. There could be a naked beautiful woman on the side of the street and they don't see her because they are STARRING at the brake lights of the car in front of them.

I spent the day at the wrecking yard looking for the perfect third brake light and came up with this one. Works like a charm!


Brian

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Home made rear roll pan with LED trailer lights tucked in from behind. In the front, OG park lamps converted to LED turn/park lamps and headlights converted to BMW HID "xenon" lights.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

I talked about this on another site, I am after a Corvette look.

http://cdnl.complex.com/mp/620/400/9...e10_448725.jpg

http://mobile.web-cars.com/images/ve...DSC_1134_a.jpg

I think I am going to make something like what you see on that 53 Corvette to mount right at the rail like this.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...pse1e7fded.jpg

The third brake light, I don't know, I don't want it to be seen but when it's on, I would love to pull that off! But it will likely be in the rear window? I don't know, we will see.

Brian

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

here is the "hole to hades" look I was talking about. mrs joedoh saw me having fun with the 41 and wanted a turn

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1757/...e9646099_z.jpgIMG_9957 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

I'm definitely going to go for LEDs. Those are bright. How much of a difference does it make electrically to use LEDs? I kid you not I got a tiny burn, blister and all, from a regular lamp under the dash in my buddy's car.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

they use 1/10th the power and have zero heat.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

LEDs are still evolving. Early ones may be not very good current production seems better. There is lots of old stock sitting around so be careful what you buy.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

The ones I tried on my Rambler were CRAP. There has to be better ones out there, I am blinded by late model cars every day so know they have good ones. LOL

Brian

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

these arent replacement bulbs to fit the 1057/1056 bayonet mounts, the reason those dont work is because they dont optimize the original reflector. these are panel LED in stock appearing housings with no reflectors.

http://www.bowtiebits.com/store/stor...Category_ID=33

http://www.bowtiebits.com/store/grap...duct_1001P.jpg

and

http://www.bowtiebits.com/store/stor...Category_ID=33

http://www.bowtiebits.com/store/grap...duct_1002P.jpg

in my picture those are the brake lights. the parking light is dimmer.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

I really like the new LED's being plenty bright. but a side note. for those of us that drive in the snow, no my 57 will never see snow, but LED's are cold, and therefore get covered by the blowing white crap.
I have almost plowed into the back of many highway haulers with frosted over LED's
should be mandatory to have at least one incandescent bulb at the back for crappy weather

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

yep, with ya on that one cameo, frosted over led's and guys that think since the dash lights are on the tail lights must be too. daytime running lights should be wired to tail lights as well. somebody needs to tell toyota and some other manufacturerers.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Giving this a bump since I will finally be buying electrical goodies soon.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

You did good on that one Joe, everything on that truck goes together as a package with nothing looking stuck on. Your wheel treatment took something that all too often sticks out like a sore thumb on these trucks and blended them in so well they are just part of the truck rather than the truck being the background for them. I've always liked those round tail lights and with LEDs in them they should show up.

This tail light visibility thing is still one issue we really need to be thinking about when we build a truck.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

I may have mentioned it before but will again. Painting the inside of your tail light housings bright white helps a ton to improve the lights visibility from the rear with regular bulbs. Some of these stock looking lights are painted black inside and out and the black doesn't reflect any light. Silver dulls quick and can absorb light as much as it reflects it.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

A little different configuration with backup lights which are gearbox controlled as well as separate turn signals up top

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

Newly electrical question.

How do you get running lights, brake lights, turn signals and back up lights all in one little housing?

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

never seen all three, although the 41-53 housing has a small tag light on the bottom that maybe could be used as a reverse light, just use two of the tag light housings and put brighter LED in the bottom.

for reverse lights I found the LED red is SUPER bright and gives a lot of situational lighting, so I never put a reverse light in, but if I ever did I would just use a flood LED fog light mounted under the bed, invisible unless it was on.

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

So reverse lights arnt mandatory?

Re: Different rear lights on an AD
 

just check your local dmv and they should be able to tell you if they are mandatory or or not. some will require a reflector of some sort on the rear and sides. some require light to be visible from rear and side.