Don't you just love it when a plan comes together.
Yesterday I dropped off a bed side and the rusted off bed front at my friend's sheet metal shop. Once he has the bed sides and front panel made, I will take the cross sills and stake pockets there for assembly. Possibly before New Years.
Also yesterday, the 1973-79 F100 tail lamp assemblies (that I had ordered Monday evening) arrived. The aftermarket pair was only $28 and free shipping. They did not include bulb sockets.
I was concerned about the depth of the light assemblies plus the Ford OEM style bulb sockets would be over 5 inches...and I don't have that much depth between the back of the truck and the stake pocket position. Remember, the goal here is to maintain the lines of the original bed and incorporate the tail light so it appears it is meant to be there.
At the local auto parts store this morning, I happily discovered that the 1989-96 GM Turn and Stop Socket (that has the wires coming out the back at a right angle) will twist and lock into the Ford housings. Two sockets for each housing (one for the stop/turn and the other for the backup light) They were $7 each and use a common 3157 bulb.
Now the total depth of the assembly, with sockets installed, is only 2.25 inches...which is very very close to the depth that will be available for them...won't know for sure until the new bed is assembled, but it looks like a perfect fit at this point.
My thinking is that the repurposed old front stake pockets, after the bed flanges are cut away, will be turned upside down (so they curve in at the bottom, rather than curve out) and welded in behind the rear stake pockets to be the enclosures for the new tail light housings. The contour of the Ford tail lights will then compliment the lines of the upside down stake pockets...and the curves and style will all match the truck.
That's the plan anyway...
