| Junglejim | -- 03-11-2021 @ 8:02 PM |
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I have a 1937 ford fordor that I am currently working on, I took the tail light lenses off and see this? I'm trying to trouble shoot why my lights are so dim. What are the original tail lights supposed to look like? And can I upgrade these to LED on a 6 volt positive ground. Jim 1937 Ford model 78 fordor
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| 1931 Flamingo | -- 03-12-2021 @ 5:49 AM |
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To me possibly somebody already added a ground for the same problem you have. Ck and see what voltage you get when brakes or lights are on. Some people paint the inside of the housings white. Other's "scavenge" a reflector from the inside of a flashlight and put it behind the bulb. Also, after verifying voltage they do make 6V LED bulbs that will swap in. Paul in CT
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| trjford8 | -- 03-12-2021 @ 6:10 AM |
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Someone has added replacement light sockets. I suspect your problem is poor grounding. Get a long piece of wire and put alligator clips on each end. Clip onto the socket and then clip onto a clean spot(you may have to sand a clean spot to bare metal) on the frame. Then try the light.
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| 37RAGTOPMAN | -- 03-12-2021 @ 6:15 AM |
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37FORD check your grounds from taillight to the chassis, is that blue wire running to the body,? I would use a temporary jumper lead from taillight to the chassis and see if that will make a difference, also your bulbs look old, and do not look like the CORRECT ones for a taillight, are they 63 ? are they the correct candle power for a taillight ? should be 2 filament ? 1 FOR PARK and 1 FOR STOP LIGHT paint the inside of the taillights silver or white. the old reflectors from old flashlights are a good tip, hope this helps 37Ragtopman ,Maine
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| 40 Coupe | -- 03-12-2021 @ 6:15 AM |
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There has been some modification and the addition of a second light bulb most likely for directional signals.
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| Mr Rogers | -- 03-12-2021 @ 6:59 AM |
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The grounding clip doesn't look like it is very clean. Rust?
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| TomO | -- 03-12-2021 @ 7:16 AM |
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Someone has modified the tail lights and replaced the original light sockets. You did not give enough information to get good advice on how to fix your problem. It looks like 1 bulb is for the tail light and the other bulb is for the stop light and neither bulb looks like it has enough brightness for the job. I would look into replacing the socket with the one that Bob Drake sells for 1940 parking light conversion to turn signals. Then I would paint the inside of the housing bright white or chrome. Then you can use the LED bulbs that use 6 volts POS ground. You must make sure that the brake light bulb is centered in the lens. Tom
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| Junglejim | -- 03-12-2021 @ 8:38 AM |
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Thank you, yes it appears someone added something in, the blue wire does ground to the body. I am not sure where these lights are from, so I could not tell you what year they are. From my research it originally would be two filaments in one bulb. Does anyone have a picture of what that looks like originally? Also what does the wiring look like underneath? Can one of you take a picture of your crossover wiring harness? 1937 Ford model 78 fordor
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| 37RAGTOPMAN | -- 03-12-2021 @ 9:48 AM |
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jim you could also have problems in the light switch on the bottom of the steering column, check the brass contacts , also made be corroded , how old is the wiring ? if the brake lights are dim it also could be the brake light switch, you have mechanical brakes or hydraulic ? hope this helps 37 Ragtopman if you need any wiring I recommend RHODE ISLAND wiring, use correct gauge wire, comes with DIAGRAM and a PHONE NUMBER you get what you pay for, DO IT ONLY ONCE,,, if you run into problems This message was edited by 37RAGTOPMAN on 3-12-21 @ 10:36 AM
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| Junglejim | -- 03-12-2021 @ 10:23 AM |
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So I have cleaned the light switch, contacts are good, the wiring of the body harness is covered in cloth, but towards the back regular plastic coated wire is there, which is why I would like to see what it looks like underneath an original car. Mechanical brakes, I removed and cleaned the brake light switch as well. My thought is that the replacement halogen bulbs draw to much power and causes most of my issues. Rhode island is a great resource however those prices seem a bit steep. Jimy 1937 Ford model 78 fordor
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| mfirth | -- 03-13-2021 @ 4:43 AM |
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I tried both l e d & the "extra bright" on my 52...6v +ground. The extra bright ones were "wired" backwards. The dim filament lit when brakes were applied and the l e ds were dim. Put the original bulbs back in & painted the body white. Worked fine. I also added a 3rd stop light on top of the package tray in the back window. Worked 4 me.
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| trjford8 | -- 03-13-2021 @ 7:25 AM |
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Check with Sacramento Vintage Ford 1-888-327-5988. They make some very good wire harnesses and they are less expensive than some of the others. I have used them on several occasions and they work well. You can also purchase dual contact sockets to repair your existing tail lamps or purchase new reproduction tail lamps. Your existing lamps do not appear original to me. This message was edited by trjford8 on 3-13-21 @ 7:27 AM
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| TomO | -- 03-13-2021 @ 7:39 AM |
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The wiring harness for the tail and stop lights is cloth covered, just like the ones to the headlights. You should have a black covered wire for the tail lights and a green covered wire for the stop lights. The third wire in the harness is for the fuel gaugeThere is a harness that comes from the light switch back to around the filler pipe and then another harness that feeds both side of the tail lights. This drawing shows how the harness is laid out. It shows all of the connections and where the clips are to hold the harness to the frame. http://vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/FH_images/FH_electrical-pics/Flathead_Electrical_wirediagram1937car.jpg If Rhode Island is too pricey for you, Tyree Harris provides quality harnesses for more reasonable prices. His contact information is on this web page. Look over the rest of the site while you are there. http://www.fordv8foundation.org/Friends.html Tom
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| Junglejim | -- 03-16-2021 @ 1:37 PM |
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It appears the driver side tail light is original and the LH is not. What I would like to see is what the cross over harness looks like? 1937 Ford model 78 fordor
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| 51woodie | -- 03-17-2021 @ 4:59 AM |
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I bought a full harness from Tyree for my '51. It was top quality, had all the connectors, and each harness came with an instruction sheet.
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