1938 Hudson 8

Geoff

Working on a model 84, and need to replace the stop lamps.   Workshop manual says to remove screw from top of lamp body, but there is no screw! Can someone please instruct me how to remove the lamp body or lens to get access to the bulb.   This tail lamp sits flush on top of the rear fenders each side. 

Geoff 

ken1962

Hi Geoff had a look at the owners manual for 38 on hudsonterraplane.com and it said you pull lever the frame off - it must be clipped on and the frame and lens slip off the housing - have a look at the site cheers ken

ken1962

Forgot to add its page 69 on the 38 owners manual

Jon B

Worse comes to worse, I have a friend with a full sized 38 Hudson, could e-mail him tonight for instructions.

Geoff, are you sure these are the "factory" taillamps that are on the car you're working on?

Geoff

Yep sure are - the whole car is original.   Hasn't been on the road since 1963.   

allan

Geoff, my 38 taillight has the screw on top and comes off as instructed in the manual.

Allan

Park_W

Some Canadian Hudsons in the thirties had different taillights, so maybe those Down Under did too.

Jon B

It looks like this taillight, right?

Geoff

Yes, the tail lights are the original ones.  However I am beginning to think that somebody in  the past has bogged over the screw holes.   There is no screw in  the top of the housing.  Looking at the picture, it appears that the screw is towards the front of the housing, correct?  when I inspect the car closely it lookas like the pint  on the bulkhead is a slightly different colour to the rest of the car, so it appears that the car has been repainted at some stage, although it looks original.  who knows after all these years.  The car has been on blocks, under cover since 1963, and I am re-commissioning it.   There is no circuit to the brake lights, so I am assuming the bulbs are blown, but I can't get the cover off to inspect them.  

Geoff 

ken1962

Hi Geoff,

The 38 owners manual has no mention of a screw

"To replace tail lamp bulb, remove lamp body retaining strip and remove body. Replace bulb, place body in position and reinstall retaining strip, securing same between lamp body and base"

Maybe it's like the door handle crank on a new car - you need to slip out the retaining clip

Cheers ken

Geoff

Problem solved.  Procedure is to lie on back, scrape away 77 years of crud, dust, dirt,  run die-nut up threads of retaining studs, undo nuts, lift body off fender, invert, remove three bulb holder housing retaining screws,  remove housing from body,  replace bulb.   Cut new rubber  gasket to fit between  body and fender as old one has disintegrated in the process,    bind wires with  insulating tape to cover threadbare  insulation,  solder ground wire to bulb holder ,  re-install  bulb holder housing in body, re-install body on fender,  fix ground wire to chassis.  Only takes around three hours to do all this.  Why didn't they just put a screw in the top like they did on the front park lamps?  Probably because they didn't want to increase the wind resistance over that sleek fender!

ken1962

Hopefully the globes last thru the roadworthy inspection - then it's the owners problem !!! Good job Geoff

Trevor J

Hey don't be taking the micky out of the owner he could be watching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jon B

Geoff, I'd send a complaint to the factory!

Geoff

Jon, I'm considering a warranty claim.