47-55.1 Different rear lights on an AD

[Matt_50]

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?

[my56chevytruck]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

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?

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

[Matt_50]

Those are nice. What about back up lights?

[vintovka]

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.

[mr48chev]

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.

[Matt_50]

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.

[mr48chev]

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.

[joedoh]

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

IMG_0871_zps7crny6c4 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

IMG_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

IMG_5253 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

[mikebte]

Originally Posted by vintovka

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.

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

[oldman3]

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

[vintovka]

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.

[Matt_50]

Oldman3 that truck looks awesome!

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by joedoh

[/url]IMG_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

IMG_5253 by Joe Doh, on Flickr

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.

[Matt_50]

When you say in the rear window...

[Driver_WT]

Originally Posted by oldman3

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

What are you using for a 3rd brake light?

Thanks.

Wade

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by Driver_WT

What are you using for a 3rd brake light?

Thanks.

Wade

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

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by mikebte

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

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

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

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.

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

[Black_Sheep]

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

[Matt_50]

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

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by Black_Sheep

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

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

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by vintovka

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.

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

[Atommik]

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.

[MARTINSR]

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





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



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

[joedoh]

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

IMG_9957 by Joe Doh, on Flickr