Wow, this thread has generated some interest. Jawdy, that truck was indeed on Ebay a few months back. I only wish I had been the one that bought it! I wonder where the truck resides now....
As far as the taillights go, I think I can visualize the problem. Looking at the tail lights in the pic "cool 58" it almost looks like the reflector portion does stick out a little bit. How far does it stick out on yours Josh? 1/2 inch? 1 inch?
I will do a mock setup on my truck soon enough and we'll what it does on mine.
And just to clarify, a rat rod is an awesome POS.
