The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Brake light

Recently began restoration of 53 Chevy Pickup. I've looked for the brake light switch. Either it was carried off by the animals that carried everything else off or didn't have it. I've driven this 53 before and thought it had one. The research I have looked at seems to say it was optional. Is this true? Probably a good idea to install one either way but just wondering

Is this what you are referring to?

This is mounted on the engine side of the firewall/toeboard, behind the brake pedal rod.

Yes, do you know if it was optional on those old pickups?

It was not optional.

Have you looked in the location that I tried to describe?

Yes. It's gone

"The research I have looked at seems to say it was optional."

Where did you hear/read that?

Do you see the attachment holes for the switch?
Are there any loose wires nearby? If not, someone will tell you where they run. See if you have loose wire that run from the tail/brake lamp towards the front of the truck. Trace that/those wires to their forward ends.

Before you drove the truck, was it inspected?

Do you have turn signals?
Is your truck 6v or 12v?

It was a parts list from a site I was directed to from this site. I guess it could have been a particular type of brake light?

All of the wiring was gone. I had a friend replace all of the wiring.

I'm trying to get it ready to get inspected now.

No turn signals and 12v.

Here is the original style tail/stop lamp. Does your tail/stop lamp look like that?

There was no other 1/2 ton option/accessory GM tail/stop lamp. Some people add a lamp on the other side and wire for after-market signals.

A tail/stop(brake) lamp was not optional.
A stop/brake light/lamp switch was not optional.

Thanks for the help.

It did look like that before my friend replaced it. I had thought all along it did have a brake light. I am puzzled and wondering what happened to the switch.

Someone took it off to use it in another truck?

Or, the squirrels needed it?

if you are replacing wires, it is real easy to run another wire up inside the cab for a third eye tailight. While not techinally correct, it could go a long way towards your truck not being technically crashed. Even with the bright bulbs in the tailight assembly, they aren't all that noticeable. Particularly in the right bright sun. (at least there is some vague recollection from the last time I saw the sun, oh so many years ago it seems)

After 60 years, it could have been just about anything. Who knows what some previous owner did or was thinking. Kind of makes you wish these trucks could talk!

Talk!! I'm glad mine can't!

The '62 wouldn't be so bad, but I sure wouldn't want any of my Teenage/Early 20's shannanigans in my old '63 repeated.