Avanti Back up Lights

[plwindish]

I dropped off my 76 yesterday for a repaint at the same shop that painted it in 1989. One thing I wanted to change is turning the back up lights into auxiliary tail lights. I'm looking for complete set of back up lights to mount on either side of the rear license plate. I've seen the LED's used, but wanted to keep the back up lights period correct. Anyone have a set or a source for a set? Please PM me or email to plwindish@hotmail.com

Thanks,

Paul

[plwindish]

In talking with Myers Studebaker this morning I learned the back up lights do not have a separate housing, they consist of the plug with the bulb going in the the rear of the space molded for the back up lights in the trunk lid and a lens and bezel that are screwed into the trunk lid.

[WayneC]

So, I'm confused as to what you had, what you wanted to do, and what you decided... did you answer your own question?

[plwindish]

Yes I did. The 89 Avantis had the back up lights moved below the bumper on each side of the license plate, and used the "old" back up light location for 2 additional tail lights. There are other Avanti owners that have put back up lights down by the rear license plate to have brighter tail lights on the Avantis. I will need to use aftermarket tail light kits to accomplish this as there was not a tail light assembly on both sides on the trunk, just the plug with the bulb wired from the harness and a lens and bezel screwed in from the surface of the trunk to cover the recesses for the back up lights.

I had thought the back up lights had a separate housing like the tail light assembly.

Edited December 15, 2014 by plwindish

[Gunslinger]

Paul...

I think what is necessary is to run pigtails spliced into the brake and running light wires through the conduit in the trunk lid in place of the backup light wires. You should be able to find the red lenses to replace the backup light lenses from Myer's Studebaker or Nostalgic Motors...they're also offered on eBay somewhat regularly as well.

Once you attach new lights for backups on either side of the license plate just run the backup light wiring that was pulled out of the trunk lid behind the carpeting alongside the tag light wire and feed it through the same hole in the body as that wire. You can probably fabricate some mounts and attach them to the tag bracket for the new backup lights. If you have a copy or have access to Stan Gundry's book "What the Shop Manual Won't Tell You" gives a template on doing just that.

It's probably all sounds easier than doing. Avantis are just that way...nothing ever comes easy.