MTFCA Forum

Can someone tell me the correct route for the wiring to my tail light. There is a small hole in the area of the bracket, but no corresponding hole in the reinforcement plate. This hole was in the fender when I acquired the car in 1966 and, I assume, was there when the previous owner bought the car in 1953 (price: $27.00, at auction).

Mike

On my '26, there is no hole in the fender for the wire, and no hole in the bracket. The light bracket is mounted slightly off-center toward the middle of the car, which keeps the license plate from sticking out past the fender. I don't know if this is correct or not, but if there were ever any other holes in the fender, someone did a great job of filling them. The wires run down along the bracket and under the body, then run forward inside the frame rail channel. I think there is a spring that holds the wires at one point. My car doesn't have a reinforcement plate, but I think it is supposed to. The way the wires run on my car leaves them exposed to view, but they are protected from the mud and debris thrown by the wheel inside the fender.

By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Friday, September 16, 2016 - 06:35 am:
Tail light wiring on a 26/27 was discussed in this thread: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/33 ... 1379689859
Here's a wiring scheme showing the spring that holds tension in the tail light wire: --
--
Found this shows hole in the fender and with rare accessory tail light
--

There is a hole in the coupe/roadster fender for the wire to go thru.

Thanks everyone. I'll take a look for that hole.

Mike

This is a view of a new 1926 runabout in the freight car. This one seems to have the tail lamp wire looped under the fender and then to the frame clip. Perhaps if your fender has no hole, just route this way.





Most Improved Ts have a hole for the tail lamp wire.

Mine loops under the body exactly as shown in the upper pic.

I have no hole in my fender so I will go under the fender for now. THANKS everyone.

Mike

Mike, thanks to your post I learned something new about my car.
The wire on my 27 Roadster has always gone under the body and looped back up to the tail light.

I just took a closer look. The hole in the fender was welded up at some point, so I guess it did originally go through the fender. In my opinion, this would place the wire in a very wet, muddy environment and give it two additional places to chafe through. The hole through the rear fender bracket is untouched. In the 2nd picture you can also see a tiny hole through the body (turtle deck) just below the fender - I don't know what that was for. I need to seal it and also paint the wheel well portion of the body black to have it factory correct.

The bracket on my car does not have the hole, and the small hole in the body is not present. Could pickup and roadster fenders be different?

Runabout Pickup and Runabout rear fenders for 26-27 are the same, perhaps some early production didn't have the lamp wire hole in the fender skirt. And there were reproduction fenders made back the the day that may be somewhat different. These rear fenders for Coupe and Runabout are the same, factory numbers 40130 Right, and 40131 Left.