'53 - '54 Chevy Tail Light Conversion Question

So I am changing my '53 tail lights to the '54, and I just got my '54 backing plate in. The '53 backing plate has 3 light sockets (see below), while the '54 backing plate only has two sockets (upper and lower). I figure that on the '53 the top bulb is the running lamp, the middle the brake lamp, and the bottom is reverse. Which bulb works as the turn indicator? AS it stands, one of the bulbs won't go into the new backing plate. Which bulb gets left out?

 

Normally the turn signal is used as the brake light.........though some cars do have seperate filaments for each function. The '54 light bulb socket should have two contacts inside ans use a two filament bulb. Whereas, the '53 probably have single filament bulbs. The little mounting pins on the bulb base are usually across from each other on single filament bulbs......staggered on dual filament bulbs because they should go in only one way. That is because one filament, the stop/directional is a heavier filament to produce a brighter light.

Your '54 should have a white lens in the lower portion. That is obviously would be the backupo light. The other should be for a dual filament bulb for tail and stop/turn. Wire accordingly

Ray

 

Ray,

Thanks for the info. Let me see if I follow. My '53 has the three bulb system, and the top bulb is used as a running light only, and the middle bulb is used as the turn/brake/running lamp. I did notice that the middle bulb does have a dual filament in it (one larger than the other) so I think that if I use that bulb, and the reverse light bulb I should be ok. The only thing I would be missing is the top running light bulb, which appears to be extra since my middle bulb does that as well?

 

Ray,let me ask my dad what he did.He has a 53 with 54 TL.I will get you an answer by the weekend.

Joe

 

i use the 54 backplate and red lens top and bottom or a full custom lens

and braze a washer to fit the bottom bulb to the tin and tee 2 double contact bulbs together put one in top hole and one in bottom hole

when i was a young man i just used some bailing wire to hold the bottom bulb in

I used to trim the bottom red lens using a electric soldering iron witha flat cut offf tip used 2 red lens from the 54, of course the car was onley 9 year old then so you could find cheep parts then