Tail light lens

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Road/Rage

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Can someone tell me what the difference is between the sedan tail lights and the wagon tail lights are. I need the clear lens for my sedan and the only ones I can find are from a wagon which I was informed wont work! All I want are back up light, not much to ask in this zombie filled world... come on guys come through for me!:confederateflag:
 
It's a different light altogether. Similar in appearance, but, the S.W. lenses are held in with screws from the outside, where in the other models, the light assembly needs to be removed from the car and the lens screws remove from the back side of the housing.
 
It's a different light altogether. Similar in appearance, but, the S.W. lenses are held in with screws from the outside, where in the other models, the light assembly needs to be removed from the car and the lens screws remove from the back side of the housing.

True for the taillights for sure - not sure I've seen a '64 Dart wagon with backup lights.
My '64 coupe has the backup lights in the trunk lid - my '64 wagon doesn't have backup lights.

Looking at the backup lights, I'd be concerned trying to get those into the wagon tailgate, that they'd interfere with the rear glass raising/lowering.
Maybe get some and put them in the valance under the bumper?
 
True for the taillights for sure - not sure I've seen a '64 Dart wagon with backup lights.
My '64 coupe has the backup lights in the trunk lid - my '64 wagon doesn't have backup lights.

Looking at the backup lights, I'd be concerned trying to get those into the wagon tailgate, that they'd interfere with the rear glass raising/lowering.
Maybe get some and put them in the valance under the bumper?
All I need is the clear lens!
 
Do you have a photo of your housing (and measurements)? I can measure what's on my coupe, and compare, if that's helpful?
No but I will get the measurements and photos tomorrow and post them here!
 
Do you have a photo of your housing (and measurements)? I can measure what's on my coupe, and compare, if that's helpful?
2 3/4 wide 1 7/8 tall inches. Those are the lens dimension. I never could find just the clear lens for the back up light.
4EEA6467-DFD3-4DAF-A07A-0BBF89767716.jpeg
 
Some '65 Darts came with BU lights, some didn't. That clear lens only came from the factory as part of the tailight lens. It's supposed to be attached to the red lens by the chrome bezel, which was riveted to the back side of the red lens. Over the years and a bit of corrosion, the pot metal pins on that chrome bezel would crumble and release from the red lens. All 4 lenses and bezels, both on the cars and station wagons, are unique and will not swap around to any other taillight.
 
Some '65 Darts came with BU lights, some didn't. That clear lens only came from the factory as part of the tailight lens. It's supposed to be attached to the red lens by the chrome bezel, which was riveted to the back side of the red lens. Over the years and a bit of corrosion, the pot metal pins on that chrome bezel would crumble and release from the red lens. All 4 lenses and bezels, both on the cars and station wagons, are unique and will not swap around to any other taillight.
If I can find the clear lens I’ll cut it down with a foul and make it fit. My car has the pigtail for the back up lights. Which I thought was odd that they would make a car that didn’t have back up lights that does not make sense
 
I don't see a light socket in your photo. What do you have on the other side? The cars that didn't come with BU lights had a plastic plug in the housing instead of the bulb socket.
 
I don't see a light socket in your photo. What do you have on the other side? The cars that didn't come with BU lights had a plastic plug in the housing instead of the bulb socket.
Yes it has the plastic plug there but the wiring harness has a pigtail hanging on the inside just behind the plugged up whole
 
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I am assuming that that is for a back up light?
 
Your car probably didn't come with BU lights. It would have an all red lens instead. It would still have a chrome bezel, but, a red center lens instead of a clear one. You can put backup lights in your car if you want. You'll need the correct outer lenses, pig tail sockets, and you might need the switch and wiring up front.
 
Your car probably didn't come with BU lights. It would have an all red lens instead. It would still have a chrome bezel, but, a red center lens instead of a clear one. You can put backup lights in your car if you want. You'll need the correct outer lenses, pig tail sockets, and you might need the switch and wiring up front.
So are you saying that that pigtail is not for a back up light?
 
No, it is, but, that's just the provision in the main harness, which was the same harness if your car had, or didn't have, BU lights. You need the individual light sockets and maybe wiring and switch up front to make it work. You'll want to either trace that wire up to the driver's side kick panel and beyond, or, to get a good wiring diagram to show you what you might be missing. Is yours a column or floor shift? Auto or manual trans?
 
No, it is, but, that's just the provision in the main harness, which was the same harness if your car had, or didn't have, BU lights. You need the individual light sockets and maybe wiring and switch up front to make it work. You'll want to either trace that wire up to the driver's side kick panel and beyond, or, to get a good wiring diagram to show you what you might be missing. Is yours a column or floor shift? Auto or manual trans?
Mine is column shift automatic a 904. Does the switch work off of the neutral safety switch or is it individual somewhere else
 
The backup light switch for your car, if it has one, is mounted on the top side of the steering column under the dash. It would have two wires going to it. If your car doesn't have it, you will see or feel just a hole there. You would also need to get the little metal finger that operates the switch. It clips into the shift tube running down the column. That might be harder to find than the switch. I think the column shift '66 models use the same parts. Oh, the neutral safety switch in mounted in the transmission and has nothing to do with the backup lights on your year, assuming it's stock. Now, if you are using a late '68 and newer transmission, things just got a lot easier. The later torqueflites with the 3 wire neutral safety switch used the other two connections for the backup lights and would easy to wire in. Sorry, you can just swap the switch out. Internals are different too.
 
Lots of good info here. My first car was a 65 270 Dart. It had b/u lights but was missing a lens. Back then I didn't think to go to the dealer to see if I could buy one. No 65's in the bone yard.
 
The backup light switch for your car, if it has one, is mounted on the top side of the steering column under the dash. It would have two wires going to it. If your car doesn't have it, you will see or feel just a hole there. You would also need to get the little metal finger that operates the switch. It clips into the shift tube running down the column. That might be harder to find than the switch. I think the column shift '66 models use the same parts. Oh, the neutral safety switch in mounted in the transmission and has nothing to do with the backup lights on your year, assuming it's stock. Now, if you are using a late '68 and newer transmission, things just got a lot easier. The later torqueflites with the 3 wire neutral safety switch used the other two connections for the backup lights and would easy to wire in. Sorry, you can just swap the switch out. Internals are different too.
Do you have a picture of what it looks like/ This sounds more complicated than its worth! I can get the pigtail plugs NOS off ebay but the switch and how to wire it i would have no clue!
 
I don't have any photos of that setup. I just remember from working on them for the last 45 years. Maybe a member here with factory backup lights in a column shift '65 or '66 will be kind enough to post a photo. It's not an easy place to photograph under a dash.
 
In a '66 the backup light circuit gets it's power from a connection on the wiper switch. Maybe the wiring is a standard part of the dash harness for all models and already wired for it? IDK. I'll look and see if I have a '65 wiring diagram.
 
Yeah, the '65 diagram shows it getting power from the same connection on the wiper switch. The wiring diagram lists it as a B1 wire connecting to one of the two B terminals on the switch. In the diagram, that circuit is off by itself and not run along with all the other main dash harness wires, but, this is just a diagram and sometimes they do that for space or to just make it easier to display. It may still be a main harness wire.
 
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