preA center brake light change

[Ray Knight]

early preA license plate light had a center red lens brake light, later changed to a clear backup/reverse light. When did this change happen? late PreA or with A?

[Bil Brown]

Maybe split window to bent window change....give or take

[Ray Knight]

thanks Bill, fits my vague decades old limited memory & would suggest early speedsters did not have center brake lights? does this fit collective wisdom & memory???

[Bil Brown]

correct, no Speedsters ever had red center brake lite.

[Spencer Harris]

Maybe split window to bent window change....give or take

correct, no Speedsters ever had red center brake lite.

'55 parts catalog indicates the change from brake light to backup light started with coupe 11779 and cabriolet 15073 - both '53 models built in '52. As Bil says, definitely pre-Speedster.

Illus 43.JPG (174.22 KiB) Viewed 1887 times

The change from split window to bent window occurred a few months earlier with coupe 11361 and cabriolet 10271 - both '52 models built in '52.

Illus 40.JPG (159.88 KiB) Viewed 1887 times

[Ray Knight]

thanks to Bill & Spencer, my question has been answered. Happy Holidays to all. Ray

[William Block]

the original wiring harness of my '53 #11994 build Nov 1952, with back-up lamp, had an addition wire for the back-up lamp taped to the main harness -- indicating to me this was a recent change. Later harnesses had the back-up lamp wire in the main harness.

[Spencer Harris]

the original wiring harness of my '53 #11994 build Nov 1952, with back-up lamp, had an addition wire for the back-up lamp taped to the main harness -- indicating to me this was a recent change. Later harnesses had the back-up lamp wire in the main harness.

That's an interesting data point William. I'll dig out my original harness (Aug '53) and see which way it was rigged.

[James Davies]

The red lens changed to a clear reverse light when they introduced SWF beehive tail/blinker/brake lights. The red brake light moved to the beehives. This was in Nov 1952, sometime between coupe chassis 11945 and 11958.

Note this was more than a month after they introduced the "A" type bumpers and did many of the other '53 model year changes.

And of course this is covered in Brett's new "Authenticity IV" book. =)

[Tom Scott]

1952 coupe, 11598, definitely had the red stop light lens.
Tom Scott

[Jules Dielen]

1952 coupe, 11598, definitely had the red stop light lens.
Tom Scott

Ditto on 11816. Also still has the cups in the engine bay for the early rectangular tail lights