I am making a new tail light panel for me 28 RPU. It came with a crudely made (but functional) 1/4 plate panel. I am trying to retain this feature as part of its history but want to upgrade the design. It uses 4" truck lights and stratolite lenses. I am keeping the light units but I am looking for a lens with a built in reflector in the middle. Does such a thing exist and if so is there an online source. Just want to replace the lens and keep the original housings. I am in the UK so rummaging around in a truck junk yard is not an option. The pics show the original installation and new design.
Look at the red dot item A510-5 here. I bet it would work. Glass Dots, Reflectors and Traffic Light Viewers (taillightking.com) Use blue dots also, if legal.
I like your idea for the tail lights . I used the same trailer lights that you are using. I added the blue dot to each. I used a 4 inch piece of exhaust tubing to make my Frenched tail lights on my V8 Corvair. Turned out like this.
The truck is being painted now so I'll post finished pics in the next few days hopefully. This is the mockup. I need rear reflectors to be 100% legal but I didn't want to spoil the look.
Also go to www.iowa80.com and go to the chrome shop. They deal in lights and chrome acc for big trucks. There is a lot of stuff that we can use.
WOW!!! I really like your panel. It really looks nice and well thought out. A few minutes of poking on the web, I found this. I think this is what you’re looking for. You may have to modify it to fit in your housings. Or maybe those housings will work better. I’ve had luck in the past looking at Betts lights and Grote lights. Both trucking suppliers.
Those are universal big truck and trailer lights. You can look at Napa, Trucklite, Grote, Etrailer, regular incandescent is getting harder to find with options. Or you can go old and make it fit (not mine):
So this is the finished tail light panel. Not got reflector lenses yet so I will get some magnets to stick some accessory ones to so they are removable when showing the car. I have never seen trailer lights used on a RPU before so it was a bit of an experiment. It's a bolt on panel so I can change it out I'd I find something better
Looks pretty good, nicely finished off without being cartoonish. Any chance we can see the rest of the truck? I have one in the lineup. Might try for something like this one on the left.
It's mechanically stock apart from reverse eye springs and tube shocks. I wanted to retain the vintage feel and history of the car. Just doing my own thing basically.
That's really nice! I'm usually not a fan of PU rear panels, they visually make the back look heavy and hide the mechanical goodies, but yours is stylish and really fits. Hope you can get the reflector lenses so it's legal and visible. Drivers here are oblivious to anything that isn't painted in a bright color with 1K candle power lights.