Thread: frenched lights or swap

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As most of ya know I'm playing with a 1951 Buick >>> "details " http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/sho...&threadid=6356

I was out looking at her today and pulled ( sorry............ > DROVE ) her up by my tools so I could fit my fenders and was wondering if I can grind the chrome ( pitted real bad! ) off the back tail light housings and just mold'em in to the fender?
I've seen what looks like this has been done but did they use the old bezel or do I need to hammer one out from some cold rolled steel ?
in short : can I just use the "cast" bezel to french them in ?

!!!! " Or do you guys have some good ideas on what tail lights I should use? " I'm open to opinions because it'll be a while before I get to it but thought I'd just put it out there.

Wha'd be double throw'down COOL ! ?

"Oh, ya the front head lights are going to be frenched in"

I'll attach a pix , " not mine just one like it , to show what they look like ."

I just took the tail lights out and the housings and the metal under is just as strait " and nice as can be" hate to put thoes ugly tail light back on . I think I'd like it more if I had "some " ???? style that is long , "to go up and down" , slim line ,thin, narrow ,... something that would flow along the same lines as the back fender up and down.
Any ideas ? models I should go look at, years ?

and the antennae is on the middle of the roof above the windsheild ! "I'm gon'a keep it ............. for now"

56 Packard tail lights are cool and were popular on customs since the 60s. See the picture below. They're hard to find though and expensive. $400 or $500 each for a complete unit on ebay when they show up. The back end of the fenders were welded on and leaded. They used the 54 quarter panels underneath. They were shaped more like your Buick before they added the cap. Another good one is the 56 Caddy. You'd have to cut off part of the Caddy quarters and mold them in.

I found the 1956 Packard Clipper
Tail Light "Lens" $120.00 Pair but not the bezel or the housing.
" and I like that look , but what are these ? ( Pic)
This is kind of what I had in mind, Shes going to be long enough .... "with out fins " But If I come across a Packerd !!!....... You can bet I'll have the Sawzall in the truck ( with plug in converter ) !

sorry ! best pic I could find ....

Originally posted by The Al Show
56 Packard tail lights are cool and were popular on customs since the 60s. See the picture below. They're hard to find though and expensive. $400 or $500 each for a complete unit on ebay when they show up. The back end of the fenders were welded on and leaded.

So I should probably pick up those cherry packard tail lights out of the '56 in the local boneyard?

TL, Those are 53 Pontiac station wagon tail lights. They may be scarcer than Packard lights. The wagons usde the same quarter panels as the Chevy wagons so they designed a tail light to fit the Chevy sized hole. 53 and 54 Chevy tail lights are the same size. I don't like the 53 version the 54 lights look nice though. I think I have a set of 54 lights around here somewhere but the chrome is pitted. If you're going togrind off the chrome and french them they would work good. The bottom half is a clear backup light but they sell custom lenses for them that eliminates the clear lens.
Some people use two pair of the Packard lenses and butt them together to make a boomerang shape lens similar to a 60 Chrysler and make their own housing.

Suedeplymouth, Those Packard lights work on a 53 Plymouth too. You should get them before somebody else discovers them. If people have trouble identifying your car now they'll really be confused with those lights. Check out the engine while you're there. They were wicked fast in a heavy Packard and would make your Plymouth fly.

Originally posted by The Al Show
TL, Those are 53 Pontiac station wagon tail lights. They may be scarcer than Packard lights.

GREAT ! "figures ... don't it ! "
The Packard fins are growing on me .............

Suede : "hope you get'em " show a pix when you put them on.

I don't know about the chevy lights ....
is this what we're talking about AL ?

Originally posted by The Al Show

Suedeplymouth, Those Packard lights work on a 53 Plymouth too. You should get them before somebody else discovers them. If people have trouble identifying your car now they'll really be confused with those lights. Check out the engine while you're there. They were wicked fast in a heavy Packard and would make your Plymouth fly.

I wish the packards 352 was still there, but unfortunately when I checked out the car it was the only thing missing. Too bad, since the car really was in mint condition, perfect body, paint, it even had those stupid clear plastic covers on the seats! But im definately going to swing by there and pickup the talights and their housings. I doubt ill use them on my plym, but at least ill have them for a future project.

Ill probably just mold the stock taillight bezel into the fender, since the tail light itself goes on from the outside with two hidden screws.