1939 Pickup Headlight buckets

kehughes

Senior Member
I have a couple of questions about original '39 pickup buckets.
Were the same buckets used from 35-39 pickups?
Pickups and trucks the same?
Could someone please post a picture of one?
Does anyone have a set they'd let go of?

Thanks for any help.
 
35-36-37 pickup headlight buckets were different to 38 -39 which were the same. Trucks were the same as pickups. Lenses, stainless surrounds and reflectors were the same for all these years, as were 35 cars. 35-36 car buckets were the same as 38-39 pickups.
 
The 38 and 39 pickups buckets were also the same size as the 40/41 truck buckets that had a factory seal beam. The headlight stands for the 40/41 were the same dimensionally as the ones for the 38/9 pickups but they had marker lights built in that make a great way of putting turn signals on the 38/9. Dennis Carpenters has some of the 40/41 truck buckets back in their NOS department, or at least did back during Auto Fair. They were mixed in on the shlf with quite a few 36 passenger buckets.
 
This is one that came off my '39 pickup. Says Ford Twolite Headlamp.
 

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I had two buckets that had a solid stud to attach them to the fender. However, once I was ready to install them, I didn't see or remember how the wires could get to the inside part of the fender. I had a third bucket that had a 'pipe' type connection where the wires could go through and hook up under the fender. That looked like the correct way so I started looking for another one like it. I was fortunate to locate two headlight buckets on a Nevada ranch and worked a deal to get them. They are now on my 1939 pickup. I also added the parking light type stand that belongs on a COE truck because I liked the look.
 
Had to recharge the battery in the camera, hope these help you. The last picture is the headlamp tower support by the wheel and inner fender.
 

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The center bolts that hold the bucket in through the stand and are hollow to run wires are made of unobtainium. Basically you have to buy buckets for the bolts and clips. No one makes them. I used to have an extra set.


You also want the nuts too as they are 11/16"s or 13/16"s... rare anyway


.
 
The center bolts that hold the bucket in through the stand and are hollow to run wires are made of unobtainium. Basically you have to buy buckets for the bolts and clips. No one makes them. I used to have an extra set.


You also want the nuts too as they are 11/16"s or 13/16"s... rare anyway


.
Good call Jess, RH 11/16 jam nut, aka. tie rod ends. The pictured nut if you cannot make it out is 910-01249 from speedwaymotros.com
 

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1935-1936 commercial headlight buckets are the same. 1937 commercial buckets are by them selves, Just look at the rivets that assemble the bolt plate to the headlight bucket,. 1937 buckets have the bolts further up the headlight bucket. 1935, 1936 passenger buckets are the same as each other. 1938, 1939 commercial buckets are the same as 1935-1936 passenger car buckets. 1940, and 1941 commercial buckets are similar to 1935-1936 passenger, but while the buckets form1940-1941 commercial headlights are similar, they are not the same as each other. If you don't believe this, try to put 1940 commercial headlight rims on 1941 commercial buckets. they don't fit, and vice versa with trying 1942 headlight rims on 1940 headlight buckets.
 
Nick...The 36 passenger car bucket hollow mounting bolt is far shorter than the 35 passenger and the other buckets you list. The 36 passenger bucket will not work on the 38/9 pickup without changing the mounting bolt. None of the 35-37 commercial buckets are the same as 38/9 commercial or truck but they use the same headlight door, headlight lens, and innards. During the 1937 model year I have found both the 35/6 commercial type bucket and the buckets with the mounting bolt farther to the rear of the bucket. Ford also made two different height headlight stands with the shorter ones using a spacer for the headlight mounting because they did not change the length of the mounting tube and the headlight would not bolt up without the spacer because it is not threaded all the way up.
 
Good call Jess, RH 11/16 jam nut, aka. tie rod ends. The pictured nut if you cannot make it out is 910-01249 from speedwaymotros.com


Not sure that is correct. But I could be wrong. Think it's even a 15/16" Anyone else have specs on this? Been a while.
 
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I said that the 1935-1936 Ford passenger buckets were the same. I did not say that the mounting bolts were the same. Read what I have written, I did not at all refer to the mounting bolts, I only referred to the buckets. don't misrepresent what I stated.
 
We stock the 35 headlamp bucket bolts NOS as well as a very limited supply of 36’s. I always thought the 38-39 pickup bucket bolts were longer??? Guess I’ll have to look it up in the parts book next week and see
 
While both the 1940 and 1941 big trucks (1941-47 COE same) used sealed beam headlights, they were different in that the 1940 ones could only be adjusted by moving the entire bucket - the sealed beam was fixed in position. The 1941 version (COE to 1947) had an assembly inside of the bucket to adjust only the sealed beam not the entire headlight bucket.

While the thread on the tie rod nuts is the same (11/16" - 18) that's about all that is the same as the original Ford nuts are much larger in all other dimensions.

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399873
 

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