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Hi Guys,
Since both taillights on my '52 are MIA I need some help knowing which ones I should be looking for. In the Vintage Power Wagons catalog is says that "early" vehicles used the red stop lamp lens on the left and the blackout stop lens on the right. I didn't see any mention of taillamp changes in the Production Changes section, but I assume a '52 is considered an "early" vehicle. Now since my front blackout marker lamps are marked "AUTO@LITE" should I be looking for the same manufacturer for my rear taillights? If other manufacturers would also be considered "correct" for my '52 can you let me know who they are?
thanks,
bob
Need Help With Taillights
Moderators: Cal_Gary, T. Highway, Monkey Man, robi
Re: Need Help With Taillights
Bob,
If you are restoring your truck to 1952 then you will have one "Cat's eye" style stop/tail light on the drivers side and the black out stop tail light on the passinger side. If you want to be a little more safe you can change the passinger side over to a stop/tail so that you have lights on both sides, but this would not be as delivered from factory. If you want a field modification you can switch to the compsit stop/tail lights that have been used since the early 70's which gives you both stop/tail on both sides and the black out marker and black out stop on both sides. This would be a field modification and not a as delivered from factory. As for the manufacture. If your are going for as delivered from factory you can try to get all made by the same manufacture, but reality was what ever sub-contractor provided the lights was what was in the parts bin when the truck was made, so it is possible to have the front markers from one manufacture, the rears from another and the head lights from yet another. Since they are all Mill Standard the assembler (Dodge) and the quality checker (the guy from the military who says the truck was good to be recieved) didn't care if they were from the same manufacture or not as long as they worked and were to military specs.
Joe
If you are restoring your truck to 1952 then you will have one "Cat's eye" style stop/tail light on the drivers side and the black out stop tail light on the passinger side. If you want to be a little more safe you can change the passinger side over to a stop/tail so that you have lights on both sides, but this would not be as delivered from factory. If you want a field modification you can switch to the compsit stop/tail lights that have been used since the early 70's which gives you both stop/tail on both sides and the black out marker and black out stop on both sides. This would be a field modification and not a as delivered from factory. As for the manufacture. If your are going for as delivered from factory you can try to get all made by the same manufacture, but reality was what ever sub-contractor provided the lights was what was in the parts bin when the truck was made, so it is possible to have the front markers from one manufacture, the rears from another and the head lights from yet another. Since they are all Mill Standard the assembler (Dodge) and the quality checker (the guy from the military who says the truck was good to be recieved) didn't care if they were from the same manufacture or not as long as they worked and were to military specs.
Joe
M37s are HMMWV in my world!
Re: Need Help With Taillights
M37 delivered June 1952 with a Serial Number of 80030594.
Right rear Blackout Tail and Stop Light assembly made by AUTO LITE.
Left rear Service Tail and Stop and Blackout Tail assembly made by INDUSTRIAL LAMP CORP.
Close-up of left rear assembly.
Right front Blackout Marker Light assembly (not shown) made by DC ELECTRONICS.
Left front Blackout Marker Light assembly (not shown) made by ACCO.
The G-741 parts book has manufacturer codes of CC meaning Chrysler Corporation for these items. If memory serves I BELIEVE these items had a Military Specification associated with them which meant as long as the item was qualified to the MIL-SPEC they could be from any qualified vendor and they would be correct.
Right rear Blackout Tail and Stop Light assembly made by AUTO LITE.
Left rear Service Tail and Stop and Blackout Tail assembly made by INDUSTRIAL LAMP CORP.
Close-up of left rear assembly.
Right front Blackout Marker Light assembly (not shown) made by DC ELECTRONICS.
Left front Blackout Marker Light assembly (not shown) made by ACCO.
The G-741 parts book has manufacturer codes of CC meaning Chrysler Corporation for these items. If memory serves I BELIEVE these items had a Military Specification associated with them which meant as long as the item was qualified to the MIL-SPEC they could be from any qualified vendor and they would be correct.