The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 55-57 front parking light info

My 51 AD has some after-market square(ish) turn signals on the front, under the headlights
I'd like to replace them with the Round ones from the 55-57 trucks ....
Can anyone give me the outside diameter of these? I want to be sure they will cover the existing holes that were made for the ones on there now.
Yes, I know it's not authentic, but will look better than the ones on there now.

[img]https://www.classicchevy.com/media/catalog/product/1/2/61-156493-1.jpg[/img]

The ones I have put on mine look almost identical to those and are 2-3/4 inches in diameter at the base

There are a lot for sale cheep for two for keep you would have to check the size but they look similar

Thanks guys
I was hoping it would have been just a wee bit bigger diameter - My screw holes already in there right now are 3" apart - the old fixture was ~ 4 x 2.

Edit - I found this - I'm sure they are all the same size, but this is the only one I found where the size is actually spec'd

(also found 60's Jeep which is 3-3/4, but would require a pretty big hole to accommodate it)

When I bought my '52 GMC it came with a pair of tiny front turn signal/running lights. Really looked ugly.

I found out that the correct GMC lights were made of un-obtainium, but the 55.2-57 Chevy truck lights were just a little bigger and available from all the old truck aftermarket vendors.

I bought a set (from Classic Parts if I remember correctly) and installed them. Only problem I had to solve was that the fender is not flat in the area. I took a 10 1/2" piece of 1/8" black vacuum hose and slit it on one side from end to end and slipped it onto the edge of the chrome base of the light assembly. When I tightened the light to the fender the rubber gives and allows a good seal to the fender. Leave a small gap at the bottom center of the piece of hose to allow any water to escape. Picture below.

Center to center of the screws inside to mount the light to the fender is 1.875".
OD of the chrome base is 3.535".
OD of my rubber piece is 3.85".

Only other problem is that the screws supplied to hold the lens on are not stainless. They rust as shown.

Thank you!, Bill. Really appreciate the confirmation on those dimensions - that looks great. Your 'gasket' looks like it was meant to be - I know you can get flat rubber mounting pads too, not sure if there is any profile difference between the GMC and Chevy fenders other than just the difference for the lamp hole.

Yes, as I've been researching and as you say, it appears the GMC ones are a little smaller.
Those 55-57 should work just fine.
I will have to drill a hole (Ouch!!!!) in the fender as of course the Chevy does not normally have a light there and it needs the centre hole for the bulb housing clearance.
But I'm OK with that as the lamps will look much better than the ones that were on there.

You might check '50s Cadillac turn signals, too. They look nearly identical and may be the correct size. They're available new.
www.opgi.com/series-62/1956/lamps-lenses/parking-lamp/

www.mcveys.com

https://mcveys.com/collections/lenses/products/1955-and-1956-eldorado-back-up-lens

https://mcveys.com/collections/lenses/products/1957-series-62-75-back-up-lens

You might check out 1950 Pontiac back up lights though they may be too big. Chevy pickups from 55-66 also had bigger than park light (?) back up lights. Available many places.

All of Otto's links are to just lenses. I think (but not very well most of the time) that D'Ecosse is looking for a complete light assembly.

Oh. I thought it was the lens he needed.

Thanks again all - I've ordered the 55-57 lamps - went with clear and will put yellow LED bulbs in

On the Cadillac ones Otto (yes, needed full assy) - those have a really big concave base which would mean a huge hole in the fender; the 55-57 looks to be about 3/4" maybe (other than the mounting screws), will measure when I get them.

Will share pics once they're mounted and confirmation on the dims.