Tunneling Tailight

Discussion in '1947-1954' started by nikalos, Jan 25, 2011.

  1. nikalos

    nikalos Member

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    I was watching Trucks on spike.com a couple days ago and sall they had tunneled there rear tail lights on there 49. I thought it looked pritty cool was wondering if anyone else had attemted to do it, was thinking about doing to my 54


    Link to video is here


    http://www.spike.com/full-episode/classix-part-4-1950s/36159
     
  2. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Lighting Mods

    That like just stalled for me .

    If you're talking about recessing a taillight , this is properly called
    " Frenching " and is a very old Hot Rodders trick .

    The two drawbacks are : less visability from behind with the taillights and less forward visability @ night with the headlights .

    Many have done this , no one is ashamed of it , just not my cuppa tea .
     
  3. Tailgater

    Tailgater Member

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    Nate,
    It sounds like they are improving the visibility by using LED lights which are much more brilliant/bright than the conventional lights. I am sure they are expensive but they are also suppose to last a lot longer.
    Gater
     
  4. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Visability Issues

    That wasn't what I was talking aboit .

    When you recess a light , it becomes harder to see unless you're directly in a180° line with the lens .

    Similarly , when you French a headlight , the beam is narrowed so you don't get good side illumination , like kiddies or dogs running into the street.... :eek:

    FWIW , LED's actually emit light differently so they appear like pinpoints from father away , unlike incandescent bulbs which more fully illuminate the entirety of the lamp's lens .

    LED's are terrific in stock , generator powered old vehicles because they consume very little current .

    I like to re spray the inside of taillights gloss white as this makes the entire lamp brilliant , even with 6 volts .

    Silver or tinfoil actually difuse the light more making the lens dimmer & harder to see .

    Just things to be aware of .

    '54 Brand ' F ' passenger car headlights & doors are cherished for Frenching or at least they were back when as they're so well designed , it allows to adjustment and easy changing of the bumbs after the job is done & the vehicle is painted .
     
  5. brit 50

    brit 50 Member

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    Old dog you.....

    Nate..... your a dark horse, not into rodding or customizing eh;)

    Becha got a 50 sled parked up somewhere:D
     
  6. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Not Me !

    You know I'm a junkyard junkie to my toes ! :rolleyes: .

    I have just worked on most anything you can imagine over the years...

    FWIW , I kinda dig Low Riders , the stock looking ones , not those primerd sh*tboxes that can't be driven .
     
  7. brit 50

    brit 50 Member

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    Ah ha!!!

    I can see you now, slowly cruzin the high street in a low rider with the music bangin and the air suspension jumping an you with your arm out tha window and your bro's in the back:D:D:D
     
  8. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Years Ago ,

    My best bud (who happened to be a ' Pocho ') bought a nice old '54 BelAir Sedan and lowered it to the ground .

    As I'd tought him well the love of Inlining , he retained the 235 & Torque Tube ~ they all said it couldn't be done but he did ~ he had to remove most of the driveshaft hump & re box the floor to allow the clearance but it always ran *perfectly* as it was bone stock mechanically :p .

    He frenched the head lights & added teeth to the grille , made up parking light & tailight lenses in his back yard , many hand done details were added , the dash remained stock with the baby blue paint & some pin striping .

    After I got done tuning it , he drove it EVERYWHERE much to the amazement of most local Low Riders who think they're just Sunday Show Cars , never to be driven far .

    I'da preferred it to retain all the stailness steel & aluminum trims but it wasn't my car so....

    At least we ran the wheels off of it :D .
     
  9. coilover

    coilover Member

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    We just did a 54 within the last 6 months that has the recessed 59 Cadillac tail lights. They are in the curved part of the fender so still have side visibility on the last 2" of the lens. Muffler shops all work on diesels anymore so finding large diameter pipe is no problem. Cut a light mount plate with a center hole for the wires and holes for whatever pattern the light body mount studs require and weld to the inner end of the tubing. Since AD fenders are akin to an egg in shape the hole for the tubing to fit into the fender WILL NOT be round. A cardboard shipping tube the same diameter as the tubing you use will be much easier to trim to fit the profile of the fender and then a line can be drawn around it. Make an index mark so the right and left tubing hole will be mirror images, it's easy to have one twisted out of line from the other. Finally slide the intentionally too long section of tubing into the now precise hole and mark around it keeping the marker against the fender. Cut on this line, fit into fender, and practice your thin metal welding skill.
     
  10. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    What Evan Said !

    And ;

    After all the welding is done , remember to drill a drain hole somewheres along the bottom of said inset tube before priming & painting it , be sure to deburr or chamfer this hole so it actually drains...

    Some kid did this to Snakepit's old '56 F-1
    " The White Knight" before he bought it , he fixed that back to stock before having us rebuild the original Y - Block V-ate .

    That was a nice rig and I miss it , overdrive is *so* sweet .
     
  11. ccharr

    ccharr Member

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    The hole at the bottom would be also needed if one was recessing the Radio antenna into the side of the vehicle.
     
  12. BIG CHEVY 3600

    BIG CHEVY 3600 Member

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    He claimed it was a 49 but it must have been a 51 because of the vent windows. Either that or someone swapped doors.
     
  13. Zig

    Zig Member

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    I wouldn't go to that extreme for a "work" truck, but it is always fun for me to watch and learn something. I love those kind of videos!
     
  14. Elky67

    Elky67 Member

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    Panel beating

    Those how to do videos are really a good thing, to pick up a few hints.

    But cutting up OEM panels always kind of give me a bad feeling, as you can´t just turn back the clock;).
     
  15. vwnate1

    vwnate1 Member

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    Thank you !

    Elky :)

    I have learned much from my Hot Rodder and Kustom buddies over the years .

    I'm a mostly stock kinda guy as I like to drive & work my truck .
     

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