weird scamp tail lights

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Johnny Mac

Johnny Mac

www.blueprintengines.com
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Not sure if this is the best spot for this, but a buddy of mine just purchased a 74 scamp. upon following him home, i noticed that his left brake light, was functioning, but very dim compared to the right side. so we popped the trunk expecting to find a blow bulb...but instead found that the LH tail light was actually missing a spot for a 2nd tail light, but that the RH tail light had 2 bulbs. both tail lights are embossed 1974 on the lens, and appear identical other than the black molded housing on the back. is the LH tail light a parts store reproduction that really runs one light less than the RH side? i just found it odd that if it was a reproduction, it would still be embossed with the pentastar and 1974. ruling out my original pondering that maybe 73 ran one less bulb and thats what it was from.

anyways...just thought it was weird, and wondered if anyone else ever found something like this on one of the 73 and up cars?
 
Sounds like a ground or feedback issue, id clean the bulb contacts and the sockets, put new bulbs in them, ensure the tailight housings are making a good ground, not sure if the 74 uses the housing as a ground or a seperate wire but seems like its getting feedback or improper grounds
 
71DodgeDemon340 said:
Sounds like a ground or feedback issue, id clean the bulb contacts and the sockets, put new bulbs in them, ensure the tailight housings are making a good ground, not sure if the 74 uses the housing as a ground or a seperate wire but seems like its getting feedback or improper grounds
Click to expand...

i appreciate the response, but i think you're missing my point. driver side tail light only has a spot for one bulb...it's actually molded w/o a spot to put in a 2nd tail light. the passenger side has a spot for another bulb, as in 2 total. the spot for the bulb is missing on the driver side altogether, as in it never was molded with one.
 
The one with the single bulb MAY have come from a Valiant or a Dart that had 4 taillight bezels. Scamps had one taillight per side while some Darts had 2 per side. Thus the Dart one on the inside would have only one bulb. I think.
 
They have to be '74 and up because the taillights and bumper were different in '73. '74-up Dart taillights look different than Plymouth lamps..they have a chrome bezel on the outside and the Plymouth does not.

That said, I went back and watched a video of my old '74 Valiant and it has ONE bulb per side for the tail-stop lamp.

Question:

Is there actually a bulb and holder for the second position or just a hole? This is far-fetched but in Europe vehicles used a rear FOG lamp which essentially was a brake light bulb wired to the taillight circuit and located adjacent to the taillight bulb.

Mercedes and Volvo's sold here had provisions for them but were not enabled because we aren't smart enough to know what it was. Everyone thinks it's "brakelights stuck on":confused:

You might grab the part #'s off of them and post it, could help solve the mystery.
 
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