Tail light/plate advice

[Sgt Midnite]

Hello all,

I recently bought this truck and I love it. I can tell that we're going to be good friends. It's a 1923 with what I assume is a dealer made bed (see the picture attached with the plate). The bed is kind of long and I think the plate and light need to be moved more to the rear rather than over the axle. I feel that it's just too far under the truck to see. I'm soliciting advice and pictures on what other truck owners have done. I'd rather not mount the light on the fender because, again, I feel it's a little too far back. Thanks for your help!

[speedytinc]

That IS a long bed.
If you go to a fender mount, put one on each fender so one can be seen @ any angle.

[CudaMan]

On my 1924, I left the plate and lights mounted to the back of the frame, but extended the brackets down so that they would be easier to see from behind. I also added a couple of thin red reflectors to the tailgate.

[Sgt Midnite]

I mentioned cutting it down. My wife said no way. That bed has been on there for a long time. I suppose it will stay. Thanks for the tip on the bracket.

[mtntee20]

To be as safe as possible without completely ruining the look, I added period stop/tail lights to the body at about eye level to a following driver. I converted them to electric double filament socket/bulb. I had to add stand off blocks to keep the housings from hitting the body.

For the tail/license plate light, I opted for an oil lamp tail/license plate light that I also electrified with a double filament socket/bulb. I mounted a wood block to the underside of the body as far back as possible. Added the light/license plate bracket where the top of the lamp would clear the door. I know the photos aren't the greatest but they're the best we can do with the truck in the garage tent. At the very top of this photo, you will see the bottom of the rear door (white).

Just some ideas of how it could be done.

Good Luck

[JohnM]

Listen to your wife! It would be a crime to take a saw to that bed! It would be simple to make a bracket and mount a light under the bed near the tailgate. You could even leave the one on the axle there.

[Allan]

On the one ton truck bodies Duncan and Fraser built here in South Australia they modified original Ford brackets to mount the lights to the rear. The Ford number plate/tail light bracket mounting arm was cut off and a piece of 2" x 1/4" flat steel was riveted in its place. This dropped the light down some 6-8" and moved it back to the rear cross member on the tray. Period correct and easy to do.

Allan from down under.

[Sgt Midnite]

I’ve always liked the gas style lamps (I do t know the actual name if there is one). What year did they stop putting those on?