1937 Pickup Passenger Tail Light Bracket

[Farley's34]

Does anyone know of a supplier who offers a right side tail light bracket to match the left side on a 1937 pickup?

 

[Karl Wescott]

pm sent.


Short answer is no (commercially), and it could be done but the price may or may not be right.

 

[Farley's34]

Karl,
We have the ability to fabricate a match to the left side bracket ourselves but if a vendor could supply one at a reasonable price we'd buy it. Thanks, Jeff

 

[Karl Wescott]

When you do, if the costs would allow, consider making a half dozen or so... Beer money at a couple of swap meets.

 

[OldGold360]

Which style taillight bracket are you needing? I have seen two types on 37 beds. I make the one that is typically seen on 35 and 36 pickups but I have seen this style used on 37 beds as well.

https://nwclassicparts.com/products/1935-1936-ford-pickup-taillight-brackets-pair

 

[nelsb01]

I agree. Ford would have never created a left and right for a commercial vehicle. Instead, the left bracket just reverses for the right side.

Things change if you are adding a rear bumper.

 

[hotcoupe]

On my '37 1/2 ton, I bought two left hand brackets and cut and welded one for the right side that mimicked the left hand bracket. I do have an NOS left hand bracket, if I remember correctly it is a forged steel bracket, still looking for an original right side bracket. Don't forget to fill the license plate light hole!
Tom

 

[petehoovie]

On my '37 1/2 ton, I bought two left hand brackets and cut and welded one for the right side that mimicked the left hand bracket. I do have an NOS left hand bracket, if I remember correctly it is a forged steel bracket, still looking for an original right side bracket. Don't forget to fill the license plate light hole!
Tom

 

[Model51]

I thought that Ford used the same tail light bucket on both sides for Commercial and Truck applications. I can't find any evidence for a Ford tail light bucket without the license plate window. I've searched the Ford Archives before they closed and have all of the tail light bucket drawings. The only bucket made without the license plate window (Part no. 48F-13441) was for certain foreign markets.
Before I did the research I filled the window on one of my rear lamp buckets but now I will have the ground illuminated under the right tail light with no license plate.

 

[hotcoupe]

Model51, I'm sure your research is accurate,that there is no subject tail light bucket without a license plate window. It was just my OCD personality trait momentarily taking over.
Tom

 

[Kube]

Hmmm... I know little, nearly nothing about '37 commercial vehicles. However, I do know that some states, at minimum, Washington and Pennsylvania required two tail lamps in those years.
I find it difficult to believe Ford would have installed a right lamp with the translucent lens atop.
My '36 sedan delivery utilized a bucket with NO translucent lens on the right side.
Also, the '40 pickup I'd restored had the right-side lamp. At least in 1940, the bracket was cast and quite different than the left side (mirror). The lamp itself had no provision for a license lamp.
So, we do know that in '36 and '40. a unique lamp was utilized on the right side. 1937?

 

[Model51]

I can only go on what I've found at the archives. On one hand it seems so obvious that a tail light with no license plate wouldn't need the light cut out (and the assorted parts to make it whole) but on the other hand, it could be easier to just put another identical bucket on the other side since it's will function properly and there's no extra parts to inventory.
I did spend a stupid amount of time researching this and I'll admit, my research often has holes and I make mistakes. I have a 10-page long table of rear lamp information from the Engineering Drawings and Releases that I will share if you PM me. It's only for anyone who really wants to get into the details.

 

[Kube]

I can only go on what I've found at the archives. On one hand it seems so obvious that a tail light with no license plate wouldn't need the light cut out (and the assorted parts to make it whole) but on the other hand, it could be easier to just put another identical bucket on the other side since it's will function properly and there's no extra parts to inventory.
I did spend a stupid amount of time researching this and I'll admit, my research often has holes and I make mistakes. I have a 10-page long table of rear lamp information from the Engineering Drawings and Releases that I will share if you PM me. It's only for anyone who really wants to get into the details.

As I'd mentioned earlier, I know about zero in regard to '37 Fords.
I do know all too well how the Benson Ford Center works having spent countless days there while researching the '40 book.
It may have been the case that while researching the left lamp, you didn't come upon the right lamp. Different part number for certain and again, knowing how that place operates and the overwhelming number of documents to research, well, easy to overlook something.

 

[Farley's34]

Okay, here is what we fabricated. It's an exact reversed copy of the left side bracket.

 

[Kube]

Okay, here is what we fabricated. It's an exact copy of the left side bracket.

An exact copy? Appears to be exactly opposite.

 

[Model51]

Kube - As you probably well know, the base part number for a pre-war commercial tail light is 13408 or 13407. These are the complete assemblies which use a bucket with the part number of B-13440. I have a Ford Engineering drawing of this part. In the notes are the following variations of the bucket:
B-13440-A Rustless Steel
B-13440-B Painted less drain hole
B-13440-C Painted with drain hole
48F-13440 Painted less drain hole and without white lens opening and screw holes

So, there is a version of the commercial and truck tail light without the license plate window however it was only for a limited number of foreign countries and was never specified (at least from the documentation I have) for any domestic production vehicles. Maybe someone else can help with further research? I'm not completely satisfied with where my research lead me, but this is the reason I'm going with identical tail lights on the back of my truck

 

[Kube]

Kube - As you probably well know, the base part number for a pre-war commercial tail light is 13408 or 13407. These are the complete assemblies which use a bucket with the part number of B-13440. I have a Ford Engineering drawing of this part. In the notes are the following variations of the bucket:
B-13440-A Rustless Steel
B-13440-B Painted less drain hole
B-13440-C Painted with drain hole
48F-13440 Painted less drain hole and without white lens opening and screw holes

So, there is a version of the commercial and truck tail light without the license plate window however it was only for a limited number of foreign countries and was never specified (at least from the documentation I have) for any domestic production vehicles. Maybe someone else can help with further research? I'm not completely satisfied with where my research lead me, but this is the reason I'm going with identical tail lights on the back of my truck

I wish I could add something helpful to your quest for a definitive answer.
It just seems that having offered a right lamp in 36 w/o the white lens and again (at least) in '40, well, why would '37 be missed?

 

[Karl Wescott]

Some speculation here. IIRC the station wagons also used the light with two bulbs and the license lamp down, so the RH version could be a 46- prefix.


Kube, your sedan delivery uses the single bulb light with the shape the same 1933-36 passenger but with external (stainless vs painted) and internal (mount holes vs nuts*) differences. Different animal than the pickup ones. *Drake made some with internal nuts, I don't know where he found the patterns but I expect he had some but his interchange was a shotgun blast with wide choke.


Another issue is that any light 1929 on will functionally replace any of the teacup lights the accuracy of anything but a well documented original, and including Ford parts books, must be suspect.

 

[Kube]

Some speculation here. IIRC the station wagons also used the light with two bulbs and the license lamp down, so the RH version could be a 46- prefix.


Kube, your sedan delivery uses the single bulb light with the shape the same 1933-36 passenger but with external (stainless vs painted) and internal (mount holes vs nuts*) differences. Different animal than the pickup ones. *Drake made some with internal nuts, I don't know where he found the patterns but I expect he had some but his interchange was a shotgun blast with wide choke.


Another issue is that any light 1929 on will functionally replace any of the teacup lights the accuracy of anything but a well documented original, and including Ford parts books, must be suspect.

Karl, I realize my '36 SD has different lamps. My point (and yes, speculation) was that in '36 Ford did in fact offer a lamp for the right side without the lamp lens and again in '40.
I find it difficult to believe Ford skipped a year or two. Yes, speculation indeed.

 

[37 truck]

I didn't know about Washington requiring two taillights in 1937. I have had two sold new in Washington pickups, and both had just one taillight.