Ideas for 53 Studebaker tailights

I'm looking for ideas for Barb's 53 Studebaker Starliner coupe. Anybody ever put different tailights in one. I was thinking maybe 55/56/57 chevy or packard, and others. If you've got em show em. I getting ready to start on the frame and want to maybe be ready when i get that far. That way I can find parts to do this . After she ok's it. Gotta keep her happy. Thanks, Steve

 

I put 55 taillights on mine. they look smoother and they repop them.

 

I also put '55 lites on my '53. They have the look of a bubble taillight like Lee made for '54 Chevy back in the day.

 

I have '54 lenses and housings on my '53.
...

 

Difficult to improve on the pure simplicity and the smooth design of the '55 lamps.


Ray

 

Plus the '55's are visible when viewing the car in profile -- a minor design flaw in the '53. Whether or not you decide to remain original, the 53-54-55 designs are all available as repops -- both the housing and the lenses. Check with Studebaker International or Fairborn. And rub a grounding strap from the housing to the frame. They weren't that well grounded through the body panels. It really made mine a lot brighter.

And be careful, the sedan housings are not the same as the coupe/hardtops.

 

I would suggest this as well. Look real sharp and leave people wondering. My next idea would be 55 Chevy with Lee Lenses.

OK someone post a pic of lee lenses for the uninformed please.

 

I think the challenge with '55 Chev lamps, Lee or stock, is they are too wide for the Studie fender. A more compatible choice might be the '56 Buick (lens only) which was sometimes seen in '55 Chevy tailight frames. As I recall, you had to heat them and spread them a bit to fill out the Chevy bezel.

If one were wanting a 'frenched' lens, that could work and look very nice. However, I stlll mantain it's difficult to improve on the stock '55 Studie lamps.

Ray

 

Ray
I really like the '55 stude lights myself and they are a bolt in. I know this sounds nutz but I am actually keeping the '53 lamps in mine because I like the flat lense.

 

saw this at maxton a few yrs ago. they are 56 buick.

 

Beaner,

I am okay with '53 lights as well, only commented on the '55's as that is what was being discussed as an alternative.

I am embarrassed to say, as I sit here writing this, I can't recall what the bezel/lens looks like on my '56 Hawk It's been in storage for about a year and that amount of time really strains my memory...............

Ray

 

I am probably wrong but it should be the same as the commander with a different lense. I don't think that stude changed the bezels on the lowey platform from the beginning up to the hawk GT.

That said I'll have to go looking now.

Trouble maker.

OK I was not only wrong but I was absolutely wrong. The only hawk that shared a tailight with the Commander/Champ is the power hawk. The rest heve an entirely different tail light.

here is a bunk of hawk pics, I think some of them are niot hawks at all just a packard on a lowey floor pan.

http://www.google.com/search?q=stud...gXNwLD-Dg&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=547

 

Hey Beaner,

Thanks for the link. I have a Sky Hawk (Hardtop body, President trim level, no fins). Photos of Sky Hawks in link look like the '55 bezels/lenses .....whoopee!..........

Ray

 

Oh you don't want those. I'll trade you my '53s for 'em.