47-54 AD chevy pickup question about the tail lights.

I have a 51 chevy pickup that I'm doing some work to and I was wondering if they had One or two tail lights originally? My drivers side bracket looks correct but someone added some hokey *** one to the p*** side so i wanted to fix it.

What do the factory 51 chevy pickup tail lights look like and did they Have one or two lights from the factory.

My truck is just a basic swb 51 3100 pickup. If that helps

Thanks for any help. I can't find any info on whether they had one or two tail lights on them and I've seen trucks built both ways.

 

I have the same model truck - heres the answer your question. These trucks did have 2 rear taillights- earlier years being rectangular and the later round. Heres a link to OEM replacments with a visual to help.

http://www.oldchevytrucks.biz/47_55/full.asp?page=68

 

Are you sure they all did? I have seen several restored trucks with only one drivers tail light that the owners told me were originally built that way.

 

two tailights on trucks were not required nationally until 1955, although some states required two before that.

 

Cool thanks.

 

Unless you are building a concours truck for show purposes only, go with 2. Don't want to get rearended just to hear the other driver say they didn't see your only brake light. Here's my setup:

 

The rectangular taillight that came originally on your truck is the same taillight as a mid-'30s Chevy car. I know a '36 Chevy uses that taillight, probably a couple of years before and after that (I'm a Ford guy, less experience with Chevys). The single driver's side taillight was standard in '51, but a p***enger side taillight was optional (probably a dealer-install option, as most options were then). If you're going for a correct restoration, nobody can fault you for having two taillights since that was an option when they were new, and some states had begun requiring two taillights by then. Of course, if you're hot rodding it and less concerned about what is correct, definitely go for two taillights and turn signals (the add-on units are fine. A good source for those is old school busses, which used them up into the mid '60s. Most junkyards will have some old school busses that they use for storage buildings.) If you can find one of those old vintage stop lights with the word "STOP" on the lens, mount it in the back window as a third brake light. It could keep you from being rear-ended. Our old stuff is vulnerable to being rear-ended because most drivers are used to modern cars that have much bigger taillights than our old cars and trucks came with. Everything '86 and newer has the third brake light as well, so people have gotten used to that, and that is something you can add to your truck as I did on my truck without compromising the vintage look. Wouldn't want anything you hadn't planned to haul to end up in the bed of your truck!

 

Here is a picture of the tail end of my '51. It looks like the drives side is the original and the p***anger side was added. But I could be wrong. Hope this helps.

 

Texas boys are serious about longnecks. Having a bottle opener mounted to the rear of the truck, priceless.

 

Hell Ya! Truck don't run yet but at least it has one purpose.

 

I was trying to do an authentic build on the truck but I may not. That is why I was asking. I was planning on building it like a mild custom parts hauler from the mid fifties. That is why I was wanting to know. I know 2 tail lights are the safer thing to do I just wanted to know for accuracy reasons.

 

iagree with 38 ford pu more than likely the p***enger side was optional......dave

 

My 48 Chevy 3-window pickup had 2 factory tailights.

 

Driver's side tail/stop lights only were standard on pickups and other commercial vehicles well into the 60s. P***enger side lights were available as optional equipemnt from day one.

The rectangular taillamp on the 40-53 Chevrolet pickups is NOT the same as the stock 37-38 Chevrolet P***enger Car taillamps other than the lens and the door or rim and the license lens. The housing for the pickup applications has a flat back with 2 studs for mounting to the flat iron brackets off the rear stake pockets.

The 37-38 P***enger Car taillamps have a bump on the back with a slanted face for the mounting screw to attach through the diecast taillamp arm.

The 37-39 Chevrolet pickups use an oval taillamp similar to the 33-36 Chevrolet P***enger Car taillamps but with a flat back and 2 mounting studs. The red lens and door or rim interchange but there are several configuration of license lenses on the P***enger Car lamps plus one without a license lens, just a grommet around the bulb.

The 54-55 1st series Chevrolet pickups used a round taillamp very similar to the common trailer lamp. I believe they were rimless and the lens mounted flush to the housing with 2 screws.

 

Texas boys are serious about longnecks. Having a bottle opener mounted to the rear of the truck, priceless.


Must be an old truck, up here most bottles are twist off
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My '50 was 'unmolested' when I got it and it only had a LH tail-light, AFAIK the right side was an option.
I'll be fitting L&R to stop some dumb*** using the rear of my truck as a crash barrier!

They like their beer in Ca. too I removed at least 60 beer bottle tops from the cab when I cleaned it out! There was no bottle opener though.......

 

GOOD beer requires a bottle opener!

 

Exactly correct on every point.

 

im gonna say 2 man. i have one of these. ask daddyO he is building mine.