I'm going to put an electric tailight, for safety reasons, on the right rear of my '20 open express truck. It has an electrified kerosene lantern on the left side. I have some Ford lights but I don't want to "butcher" the single filiament sockets and ruin the light so I can put in a double one. Does anyone have, or know someone who has, just the "can" portion with a lens and retainer wire that I could weld/rivit/epoxy/etc. a modern socket to? It would'nt even have to be a Ford light, just a similar can/glass lens type light. Just so it looks somewhat "period correct". I will not put a modern, "NAPA special" type light on it. I would like the old style taillight. Anyone got one, or know where I could inquire about one?

Thank's,
Steve

I took a light off a 26 sedan that had been added on to it in California at some point. I'll take a look at it and see if it might meet your needs. If I remember correctly, it has a single stud mount in the back of the can. You can have it for the shipping.

Here is how I added a stock napa dual filament socket to an original taillight without modification.

I cut a piece of aluminun to the same size as the clear side window and attached the napa socket to it. It gives a nice period looking tail/brake light option.

Kim,

That looks good! How did you attach the socket to the metal?

Steve

Steve

The sockets are made so that you can drill a hole in the metal, insert the socket, back it up on the inside with a rod that just fits inside the socket held in a vise, then hammer the ouside over with a ball peen hammer. That basicly rivits the socket permanently in place. It works great. You can easily remove the spring, contacts and wires while you peen the socket to the metal, then reinsert them after you have everything painted and ready to assemble. Check out napa part numbers LS6270 and LS6538.

http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?R=ECHLS6270_0006361738

http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?R=ECHLS6538_0215725786

One of these uses offset pin bulbs and the other uses opposite pin bulbs.

I'm using 2 of these on my 21 runabout and really like the extra visibility it gives me. I also burn my oil lamp which also illuminates my license plate.

Good luck

Kim

Steve, I went one step further on my 1916 CD. I had front kerosene lights and a single kerosene tail light. I added a second light on the other side rear. I bend some stiff wire and attatched to a double element bulb in the rear lights and a single element bulb in the front.
Using the most old looking turn signal control I could find at a swap meet, I wired turn signal to all four lights and brake and tail to the rear also. This car is not exactly correct anyway, so this change for "Safety" on a tour car does not bother me.