Front Marker lights...

[Oddjob]

The front marker lights that have the black out function... Most of them I've seen the lenses are clear... These from Saturn Surplus have an amber lens in the top with the black out underneath... http://saturnsurplus.com/lights/amberlensoldstyle.htm Would these be incorrect for my 53 ?

In addition if those were not correct would the top bulb in the clear assemblies be an amber bulb...

Or is this just a matter of semantics...

[T. Highway]

The clear lens on top would be correct but many do switch over to the amber top lens, I think is from a Gama Goat type of turn signal housing.

I bought an amber set for my truck since finding amber 24 volt bulbs is tough for the clear lenses.

Bert

[Cal_Gary]

I run ambers on mine but they aren't the goat lights-those would have the same round lens as the red rear goat lights. Here's my old thread with the ambers burning....
http://www.g741.org/PHPBB/viewtopic.php ... ber#p33041
Gary

[Oddjob]

Think I'll order me up a set of those... I don't know what happened to mine but the lower black out slits on mine got really toasting all the way around the truck... I'm thinking about picking up one of those 4 wire turn signal units and those would work good...

Originally I was just going to use hand gestures but this being California we have far too many people that would qualify as Brain Dead...

When I get a chance to hit one of the Mil Vehicle Swap Meet's I'll look out for a set that can be salvaged for the future...

[Cal_Gary]

I like mine, as they contrast with the headlights at night. I suppose clear lenses with amber bulbs would offer the same effect-personally, I would not care to run clear turn signals so close to my headlights at night. I got mine from Memphis Equipment years ago-you might look them up.
Just my 2 cents,
Gary

[PoW]

People are always maligning the older generation of stop/turn/tail/BO lights on M-series MVs.

Take a minute and check an old one out: That top part is (usually) glass, and is made of optical quality material, and have a MAGNIFYING lens cast into it, so as to make the apparent light circle as perceived by a human appear much larger. See for yourself by turning on a turn signal, or have someone hold the brake pedal down while you go back and take a look from a normal following distance...you might be surprised by just how bright they seem. Not so bad, methinks.

If you want to keep your truck original, and still lose sleep worrying about someone rear-ending you because of your lights, make up a lightweight metal bar the width of the bed. Fab a couple brackets so it hangs over the tailgate, and just install new, godawful bright lights on it and plug them into your trailer socket.

Voila, problem solved!

I've driven mine over 40 years in traffic, most of it on the mean streets of Phoenix. Nobody has even come close to rear-ending my old Dodge, even with those little old lights.

Dennis

[Oddjob]

I can still run my clears so long as I can find a replacement lens for the lower black out function... I can always pull them out of the ones from Saturn... The Glass is perfect in mine but the bottoms got toasty...

I was already thinking about building a separate tail light bar to plug into the trailer plug... Just haven't gone that far yet...

[PoW]

The "cover" as used with the original metal lights by Guide is called a door. They are not serviceable, only replaceable, as you cannot remove either the plastic blackout unit, or the glass service lens.

Some of the more desirable assemblies used lead crystal service lenses, and have now turned purple due to sun exposure over the years; a nice vintage touch.

As a side note, if you elect to use the plastic Goat doors, make sure to keep the smaller 3cp (#623) lamp in the tail/park socket. You will notice that socket is much closer to the lens.

The complete new surplus light assembly comes with three 21cp lamps, and if used as such, will melt a hole in your very expensive purchase.

Mounting the recent composite lights is so tacky, and is just wrong on the first-generation "M" series Dodge trucks. In my opinion, at least...

D

[Oddjob]

Hmmm bummer...