needing a rear tailight for a 1935 Terraplane

farmermike
farmermike Member
edited May 2014 in Parts & Pieces

I need the tail light housing for my 35 Terraplane. I have the glass parts (lens and license plate glass) but the housing has been gutted so there is no way to mount the lens. I also do not have the metal ring that holds the lens in place.

 

The photo shows what is left on my car.

Thanks,

Mike

Comments

  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    If you can come up with a photo of the missing parts (possibly from another '35 Terraplane) that would be helpful.  Also (and I may have mentioned this) it would benefit you to e-mail your needs and that same photo, to some of the various Hudson parts vendors who advertise in the WTN.  They may not all be following this forum carefully, so wouldn't see this message.  Many of them have collected a lot of miscellaneous used Hudson parts over the years, though they may not be able to identify all the parts, and a photo would help them do so.
  • farmermike
    farmermike Member

    Jon,

    A great idea, thank you.

  • StillOutThere
    StillOutThere Expert Adviser
    At the angle of your photo I can't tell if you have the original tail light chrome housing.   The original is rim-less, it has no rim.  There is an inner piece of spring steel that holds the glass lens which is pressed inside against the resistance of the spring.   Take a side pic of the housing for more info.   Being spun brass these housings tended to crack with age so I won't be surprised if you have a replacement tail light housing.
  • farmermike
    farmermike Member

    StillOutThere,

    I took your advice and have attached another photo of the tail light housing. The past owner had an oversized lens that he had cobbled together and had made two cuts along one side of the housing so he could jamb some screws with square nuts along the inside of the housing to keep the lens in place.

    Thanks,

    Mike

  • StillOutThere
    StillOutThere Expert Adviser
    Appears to be the correct housing and you are only missing the internal spring and a lens.  There do appear to be a couple of cracks in the brass and until those are repaired, a proper lens will not stay in the housing but will be pushed out by the spring.   Silver soldering the housing and rechroming is the fix.

    Attaching photo of the same housing as yours on my '34 Terraplane.  I was missing the license lens at the time.  The '34 lens is almost flat.  Your '35 lens has about a half inch of bubble to it.

  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    edited May 2014
    Are the Hudson and Terraplane light housings interchangeable?

    If so, here's a lonnnnng shot:  I just spotted a 2012 ad for a pair of '35 Hudson taillight housings with "Hudson" lenses.  They're in Canada.  The seller's e-mail address is XXXgwstorrey@sympatico.ca (remove the XXX before sending).
  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member
    Wildrick carries those, I believe.  
  • farmermike
    farmermike Member

    Thanks guys,

    Wildrick does have one. It is not chromed and their lens does not say Terraplane. At least it is the right size and they have the spring also.

     I will solder my housing where it was cut and  try that first.

    One thing Wildrick does not have is a headlight reflector spring keeper. There are three to each headlight. I broke one getting the reflector out and so far I can't track one down. I would appreciate any ideas on where to find one.

  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    You could try Donald Axelrod in Massachusetts (Google him).  I don't think he "parts out" lights, though; just prefers to sell entire light units.
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