No trunk drains! 57

[bnw]

Well, it looks like the PO replaced the rear trunk panel probably because of an accident. I actually have a picture of the damage showing a 1959 license plate. This must be the last repair he did before I took over HIS nightmare. Anyway, there are no holes for the license plate lamp or for the rear tail light bulb holder screws. So, how are the bulb holders fastened? Rivets, screws, or nuts and bolts? Anyone have a measurement I can work with for the license plate lamp? Also, where do the trunk gutter drains go? There are no holes in my trunk floor. Any and all responses will be appreciated.

 

[bobhustead]

On the tag lite, it is of course centered. The rubber gasket on mine laps over the spare tire door rubber to a point about 1/4" above the top of the tire door. You will need to do a template from the back of your lite to transfer the hole pattern to the body. You only need one of the large holes to admit the wire.

On the drain holes, they are on the side panel, not in the floor.

Tail light bulb holders are factory attached to the base plates that screw onto the body at the intersection of the rear fender with the rear apron, so I am not quite sure what you are describing.
Bob

 

[bnw]

I guess it's the turn signals I'm after. Thanks for the info so far.

 

[NutmegCT]

Hope these are helpful.

Tom

 

[TR3driver]

Worth commenting, perhaps, that Tom's photos are for later cars without the center brake light and with separate turn signals. Earlier cars used a different center fixture that takes a large central hole; and there were no separate turn signal fixtures. The change point was different depending on what market the car was made for; US, Belgian and Holland-spec cars got the separate turn signals earlier than the rest of the world.

There were also a very few cars that used separate plinths to mount the turn signals. Apparently they had some rear aprons left over that did not have the raised area for the turn lamps pressed into them, so they used the plinths instead.

On the corner lamps (which were turn & tail on early cars; stop & tail on later cars), I believe the screws went into "spire nuts" that clipped onto the panel protruding from the rear apron. I don't recall offhand if that panel was a separate piece or part of the rear apron, but I don't recall it being screwed on. If it was a separate piece, I think it was spot welded to the apron.

The parts catalog also lists spire nuts for the later turn lamps, in spite of the apparently original nuts visible in Tom's photo.

 

[bnw]

Thanks everyone! I'm gonna make it!!!