Installing right tail light 40 Ford V/8 (standard)

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4d fjord

Junior Member
I want to install a right tail light in my 40 coupe both for looks and safety. Does anyone have any helpful hints or what to do or not to do. I want to make sure it matches the left side perfectly. The rear fenders are off the car. Any advice before I start drilling and cutting would be greatly appreciated.
 
4d fjord said:
I want to install a right tail light in my 40 coupe both for looks and safety. Does anyone have any helpful hints or what to do or not to do. I want to make sure it matches the left side perfectly. The rear fenders are off the car. Any advice before I start drilling and cutting would be greatly appreciated.
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Measure twice, then two more times. I have done this numerous times.
Ford dealers simply swapped fenders. There was a reinforcement bracket at the back of the right fender just like the left fender.
You could probably get one from a donor fender.
 
Thanks again Kube. I was thinking of making some sort of template of the left side and flipping it over to the right fender. I will probably have to fabricate the reinforcement bracket as I have never come across any for sale used, new, or otherwise. I don't have any extra 40 fenders laying around. Is the bracket the same shape for both sides? Thanks again for sharing your expertise on 40 Fords.
 
I cut up a scrap right rear fender to made a traceable template to do this exact thing. I just overlay it lining it up using flange bolt holes, the tracing is thus off the thickness of the sheet metal in one direction but you'd never notice that. You will need a reinforcement plate as Kube notes, it is thicker gauge than the fender if I remember and should help ward off cracks. I will look for mine, might take a few days to find and post a pic.
 
Yep. I did this recently. Like kube said, measure, then measure again, then step away for 24 hours. Look and measure again. Maybe do that 3-4 times and then break out the knife! I did just what you are saying and made a template from the left side. Really hated cutting my original car but I drive it a lot and safety matters to me. These cars aren’t safe to begin with so my philosophy has always been to do EVERYTHING I can to make it as safe as it CAN be. I don’t remember a bracket….id go out and look but I just dropped the car at the interior shop this morning. 3 months with no ford! :(
 
I think the uniqueness of the standard rear with one tail light is really cool. Of course from a safety perspective it would make sense for an additional light, however if it were me (which I realize you are not!) I would consider adding a nice discreet tail/brake light at the license location which would be fully removable at will. Cheers!
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The 40 taillight has terrible visibility from the rear, due to the lense facing the sky. I think with a second taillight, it will still be terrible.

I agree with PeterC, a modern aftermarket light would provide more safety. And then you get to keep the uniqueness of the single taillight on a Standard.
 
Get a good RH fender from either a deluxe or a state that required 2 tail lights. Some parts books list the RH fender with a tail light explicitly for Washington which required both lights.
 
Personally, I would not cut a hole in a standard fender with no taillight. It’s not easy to find a good one nowadays.
 
Template, measure, measure again, template, measure again. Then tape it on, stand back & use your eye. The eye will see it more accurately than all the fixtures & measurements can make it!
 
579311


As Kube suggested, measure twice, then two or more times.
Check out this Australian 1940 Ford Deluxe Fordor Sedan.
Notice that the left side Tail Light is lower than the right side Tail Light.
This error is from the Factory.

 
I did this same thing several years ago, I made what is called a "flexible shape pattern". This is a method of work that some metal shapers use to capture information on a panel. It is a simple process using low adhesive tape and fiberglass reinforced packaging tape. For a complete description, just Google " flexible shape pattern" , it is fool proof!
Hope this helps,
Tom
 
The 40 Std right rear fenders are hard to come by, hate to see one cut. How about changing out to a Dlx fender.
 
On those saying to change to a deluxe fender it took me 9 years of active searching to find a good one not already attached to a car or costing a kidney. I go to swaps all the time and could not come by one for under $700 used and was not up for $1200 new from Carpenter. In the intervening time I collected 4 $20 bad ones and was going to cut and splice. The only reason I found a good one is in my searches I had also acquired an NOS sedan delivery right rear that I used as trading fodder with Bill Rhodes who needed it for his project and found my for trade ad that had been posted for three years. I have been told that they are hard to come by as you cannot see that corner from the drivers seat and they were all backed into something and crumpled. When get the '40 done I'll be sure to be extra careful backing up! If anybody needs a standard right rear I have one that needs a bit of work at the bottom from being crumpled and poorly repaired but is a good one to repair, I thought long and almost cut it and the NOS delivery to make a patch but my slow work pace saved them as Bill contacted me first.
 
Thanks to all for your comments and advice. I will now compile everything and hopefully come up with a plan that works. I also have a slow work pace as I bought my coupe when I was in high school and I am now 75 years old and it still isn't done!
 
Send me a PM if you decide to use your fender I have a reinforcement plate hanging on the wall for one.
 
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