Hey Jim Nolan....

[RICH MUISE]

Jim...not really an off topic question as it concerns the tailights on my '57. Do you still have your '63 and does it have back-up lights? I'm using the '63 Galaxie 500XL lenses and buckets, and I'm not sure I'm using the correct holes for the tailight and backup sockets as I seem to have one extra hole of that size in the bucket.

[JimNolan]

Rich,
   Let me see if I remember. There's one bulb hole in the housing best I remember, that's for the tail/stop light. There's two more holes in the bucket and that's for rubber grommets that hold the wires for the backup light and a third one that holds one ground wire that fastens about 3" out of the housing to a screw that holds the bucket in the car. The backup light it's self has a bulb socket. Hope this helps. Jim OH yea, that ground wire starts at the backup light socket best I remember.

[RICH MUISE]

Yeah...three holes in the bucket and one in the backup light you can't see from the trunk area. I fed the backup light wires thru one (outer hole) with a grommet, then put the tail/stop on the outer hole. I'm using sockets with grounding tabs so no having to grond to a screw...they are wired to a grounding strip in the trunk. I plugged the last hole in the center. I'm not sure if the tail/stop light socket was suppose to go in the center. I heard it was, but it didn't make sense to me being behind the back-up light. Do you happen to remember where you put your tail/stop socket? Thanks, Jim.

[JimNolan]

I don't remember but I'm going back out there tomorrow and I'll check. Remember to line your bucket with aluminum foil or do as I did and paint them with chrome paint. Just to let you know how stupid I can be, I once bought these high intensity LED bulbs for the 57. I installed them expecting them to light up the night. I turned the headlights walked around in back and you couldn't see the tail lights 5 foot from the car. The LED bulbs were hidden by the backup light. Soooo, my advice to you is place the bulb if you can farther from the center of the tail light bucket. And, don't buy LED bulbs for the tail light of a 57 Ford if it has backup lights. LOL

[hiball3985]

A few guys have told me they have had better results painting the buckets white rather then aluminum/silver. I haven't tried it yet, it's on the list.

[RICH MUISE]

I don't have led's. That would make sense in (your) hindsight that the led's wouldn't work. I almost bought an led 3rd brake light and that's when I found out led's are directional...they have to be aimed. So currently I DO have the tailight off to the side even though they are not LED. Thanks again. I bought led indicator lights for my dash (turn signals and headlights), but when I bought them for my console to be mounted on the side for my engine check light and OD lockout I just bought the incadescent cause they're aiming at my knees! Those LED strip lights, I would guess, work because the plastic they are enclosed in diffuses the light.
When I refinished my tailight buckets years ago, I painted the inside surface a bright white...we'll see how that works....it's gotta be brighter than the old oxidized aluminum buckets at least.
LOL...I just saw Jim/Highball's post while I was typing.

[Hoosier Hurricane]

Jim, Rich:

The tail light bulb is placed at the focal point of the reflector, and this lights up the entire lamp.  The backup light in front of the non-directional original bulb does not interfere with illumination of the entire lamp.

John

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks for that input, John..makes sense to center the bulb...it's an easy fix.