Reverse Lights

[Tenshi95]

Hello All,
Quick question; I didn't have reverse lights when I first got my car, finally picked up the pig tails but I don't know what light bulb to put in them!

I read in another thread what I need to check for to make sure my car came with reverse lights and what I need to do to hook them up if it didn't. Just have the problem the parts guys around here don't have it in their books or have it as 1157 (dual filament)

While I'm typing, just to verify the taillights are 1034, right? That's what I have in there now but the one part store that listed lights said 1157.

Thanks all! Getting close to finally being on the road, I can't wait!
-Robert

[jopizz]

You didn't mention what year you have. The '59 manual lists the backup lamp as 1003. The '60 manual as 1141. The tail lights are 1034.

[Tenshi95]

Opps! '59 is correct, thanks for the reply!
-Robert

[partsetal]

Perhaps you already know this, but for the backup lights to work, the headlights or parking lights must be on.
Carl

[Tenshi95]

That's... weird, wonder if I can rewire that, although you don't need the lights to see unless it is night time, it seems like good safety to let people know you are going backwards

Thanks for the heads up, I probably would have been confused.
-Robert

[simplyconnected]

Robert, back in the day these cars had generators that only produced 35-amps (and only when the engine was going over 1,500-rpm). 35-amps isn't much, especially in Northern Winters as people get up in the dark, put their wipers on to keep snow or rain off the WS, turn on headlights and a heater motor, AND charge the battery (recovering from a cold start and sitting all night). Ford conserved electrical demand wherever they could. Henry spent a lot of engineering and manufacturing money when they dropped generators and switched to alternators with different regulators. Engine pulleys, water pumps and brackets changed too. To the customer, the improvement wasn't apparent because everything is expected to work.

When you pull the Headlight Switch out to the first position, your front (and rear) Parking Lights will shine. Pull the switch all the way out, and the front Parking Lights go out but the rear tail lights remain lit. If a headlight burns out, this condition is a motorcyclist's worst nightmare because there is no 'corner markers' to show him which headlight is out.

Can these be rewired? Very easily, at the headlight switch:
Tie P (parking lights) to R (tail lights). - Dave

[Tenshi95]

Dave,
Thanks for more info, I love old cars but this is my first generator car so I am still learning. Makes sense to conserve power. I think I will wait till I upgrade to alternator to tie in the parking lights and reverse lights.

Thanks again,
Robert