ThunderVette Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 After searching for years I have finally obtained a NOS Road Lamp Kit for my '56. Looking at the original installation sheet, it gives the aiming diagram. My question is: how do you adjust the lamp as there is no access to the adjusting screws once the lamp is in the bumper guard. Has anyone had experience with this? Thanks, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2748 Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I installed these shortly after I bought my 56. The aiming thing is a problem. You have to install, see how they are, remove and adjust and reinstall, hoping you got it right. If not, go through the whole thing again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderVette Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks for the info. That was what I had concluded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miker98038 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Years ago, in a questionable publication, I saw a reference to these. Could you fill us in on the details? I'm sure most of us have never seen them.Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderVette Posted February 18, 2015 Author Share Posted February 18, 2015 The Road Lamp Kit is a authorized Ford option available on the '55 & '56 T-Bird. The kit included lamp buckets that mount in the front bumper guard replacing the center chrome "bullets", clear or amber sealed beam lights, wire clips, wiring, and switch knob that mounts under the dash to the right of the hood release. The hole for the switch bracket is already punched in dash. The switch knob matches the rest of the dash knobs.The installation sheet for this is included in the Electrical Manual.An interesting note is this Road Lamp Kit first appeared as an option on the '54 Mercury. The switch knob is different. Per CTCI judging, either knob is accepted.I'll post some more photos as I install this option.Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miker98038 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Thank you. I look forward to the installation pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2748 Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I have heard that the road lamp kit was required for all cars going into Canada. This was just word of mouth, I have never seen anything in writing about these. Thundervette's (i hope this is not a brandx powered TBird) explanation sounds more logical as it being just an accessory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThunderVette Posted February 18, 2015 Author Share Posted February 18, 2015 Can't say that I've heard that about the cars going into Canada...but you never know! Don't worry, my T-Bird has its original engine and I'm just about done with the restoration. My other car is a Corvette! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Yergin Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 I know this is an old thread but I have a question regarding the driving lights. I have a 1956 Thunderbird. It has the optional driving lights installed on the front bumper but it did not have an original driving light switch. I managed to find an original switch but I am not sure as to how the lights were orginally set-up. In reviewing the wiring instructions in the Electrical Equpiment Installation Manual for installing the driving lights and checking the operation of the switch, it appears that when the switch knob is pulled out to the on position, just the driving lights are turned on. When the knob is pushed in, the driving lights are off unless the the tail lights are on (parking lights on or headlights on) because of the way the tail lights are wired into the switch. There are three terminals on the switch: power; driving lights; and tail lights. In the on position the power terminal is connected to the driving lights terminal but not to the tail lights terminal. When the switch is in the off position, the power terminal is not connected to either of the other two terminals but the tail light terminal is connected to the driving lights terminal. That is why I assume, if the tail lights are on, then the the driving lights will also be on. Can anyone confirm my assumption? If that is correct, why would they be set-up so that you do not have the option of not using the driving lights if the headlights are on? Thanks. Jim Yergin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2748 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 (edited) I don't agree with your assumption that if the taillights are on the road lights need be on. The switch my be wired so there is no feedback through the switch to the road lamp wire. I'm no electrician but I know this is possible (diode?). If both wires were connected to the same terminal, then the road lights would go on when the taillights went on. You say they are on the same terminal, but there are two terminals, one for the road lights and one for the rear lights. At that time (and may still be at the present time) some states required that you not be able to use the roadlights if the headlights were not on. This is when road lights were big things on pick up trucks. So I think that the law in some states was the deciding factor on how road lights can be used. In a pick up truck I had, the headlights had to be on when the road lights were on. This was in NJ. Edited December 29, 2016 by paul2748 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Yergin Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Thanks paul2748. There is no diode and the wires are not on the same terminal. The tail light wire has its own terminal as does the driving lights wire. However, in the off position, there is continuity between the two terminals. Laws like the the one you cited in NJ would explain the set-up. Jim Yergin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2748 Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 (edited) There must be something internal in the switch to prevent feedback. Did you check continuity between the two posts (rear lights and road lamps) both ways? With my switch (an original as far as I know) there is no feedback to the road lamps when the regular lights are on. Edited December 30, 2016 by paul2748 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Yergin Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 paul2748, I did check continuity both ways. When you say "there is no feedback to the road lamps when the regular lights are on" do mean that, when the road lamp switch is off but the headlights are on, the road lamps are not on? Jim Yergin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2748 Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 (edited) On 12/30/2016 at 11:31 AM, Jim Yergin said: paul2748, I did check continuity both ways. When you say "there is no feedback to the road lamps when the regular lights are on" do mean that, when the road lamp switch is off but the headlights are on, the road lamps are not on? Jim Yergin Yes - the road lamps do not go on when the headlights are on and the road lamp switch is off. However, I am not sure where I got it power wired to. I may have it wired to the ignition switch instead of the headlight switch. Edited January 1, 2017 by paul2748 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Yergin Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Here are pictures of what I believe to be my original Ford driving lamps switch. However I am confused by the connections. When the switch is off there is continuity only between the bottom terminal in the picture and the top right hand terminal. When the switch is in the on position there is only continuiity bewteen the bottom terminal and the top left hand terminal. Given those connections, I do not understand how the connections between the power source, the driving lamps, and the tail lights (as shown in the Ford installation instructions) work. Can someone help me understand them? Is my switch actually for some other application? Thanks. Jim Yergin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul2748 Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 My switch looks almost exactly like the one pictured in the restoration manual (page 467), even down to the two "dimples" on the bottom. it seems that the terminals on yours are just a little bit different in placement. I can't really see if you have the "dimples". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Yergin Posted January 7, 2017 Share Posted January 7, 2017 Thanks paul2748. If the terminal placement is different then I guess my switch is for a different application. I will use it as a simple on/off switch until I can find a correct one. Jim Yergin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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