VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 Back Up Lamp

Does any body recognize this bracket? Thanks, Mike

http://gallery.me.com/n.russell#101781

I have never seen one like that.

The small chrome light just might be something made by B-L-C. The chrome light and the bracket are in no way original Chevrolet parts, unless the chrome housing is a Guide B-31. The glass lens is definitely aftermarket.

dtm

The picture clearly shows the Guide B-31 back up lamp housing { made by BLC } which was used on many Chevies in the 40's.

Although the mounts were different.... the light housings were the same on all GM vehicles in the late 40's.

The cast iron mount in the picture appears to be an Olds or Pontiac mount from the 40's .

The lens on the light housing is definitely NOT "aftermarket"... it is a GM guide lens { GM Guide part # 5933749 }.

The lens looks like the picture of the 1941 B.U. lamp in the 1941 accy. book.....should have a Guide number or name on it in that case.

The design of the glass lens is extremely similar to the 1937-1941 glass lens. The difference however is that this glass lens fits the chrome B-31 size back up light housing. The B-31 housing is bigger in diameter than the 1940 and 1941 back up light housing, therefore the glass lens is different. This back up light glass lens is NOT correct for any Chevrolet. I have seen many of these for sale over the years at swap meets. They are not that hard to find. The 1937-1941 glass lens is moulded Guide and # 922757.
Guide B-31 back-up lights were used by Chevrolets in 1947 and 1948 only. You will find Guide B-31 back-up lights also used on other GM cars in the late 1940's, but I don't know the exact years and models.

dtm

Pontiac.....

Not "Only" were they used on the '47 &'48's...
The Guide B-31 lights were also used on the 1949 & 1950 Chevy cars.
GM part # 986239.

O.K> Guys, I'm back.
I hadn't looked in for a while since I posted my original question.
Mothertrucker is correct, I removed the lens and found the number 5933749 molded on it. The lamp housing has no markings that I can find. The bracket is cast with the number 5936169 or possibly 5986169. Original gray paint is present on the bracket. I have a couple of parts books for Pontiac and Buick. I will see what I find and report back. Thanks for the response.

Mike

MYSTERY SOLVED!!!!
The back up lamp/bracket assembly is correct for '46-'48 Pontiac, according to the number cast into the bracket. It appears that the lamp itself would be the same back to 1942.
Thanks for the leads and comments that got me looking in the right place.
Since it has no Chevy applications, it is of no use to me. I will put it on ebay and hope the Indian Heads will find it. Maybe I'll make a few bucks to spend on my '36 truck.
Thanks again.

Mike

I would like to add something into this thread. The B31 Guide light was also used on Harley Davidsons during the 40's and possibly the early 50's. The distinguishing feature is having the drain hole 90 degrees to the left for one side and 90 degrees to the right on the other side. The lens used was the same as the 47 Chevrolet lens. I picked up a pair of these one time at a bargain price then about an hour later realized the drain holes we not in the correct place. After showing them to a HD Collector friend of mine I quickly was advised of my lucky find. I guess now the cat is out of the bag !!!

Howdy! Hi to all... on the scene...Joe MT has it right. I just want to add this. Maybe you all already know this. B-L-C stands for Best Lighting Company. Look them up for their 1930s GM history. Interesting enough, they also made many hubcaps (i.e., AD trucks 47-55 first say B-L-C Made in USA). They also had a near identical twin of the Guide B-31 Backup known as the B-L-C BM-4. Usually when you find these, they have different lenses. Holes on side of backup lights? Used for drainage on Harleys and also Woodies that had the accessory backup attached to the Guide 13-X Round light (as smilarly found on 47-55 first clamshell burbs---mount to sheetmetal differs, though betw. burbs and woodies). Some stores (Woolworths, etc) had backup lights that you'd swear were Guide, B-L-C, but aren't marked on the housing. They're not necessarily older, but made by these companies in a generic format (cheaper for store---kinda knock-off theory, but not). Some were chromed, some painted black. Motorbikes used both (Remember military had black out lights, too); Tractors the black; cars usually the chrome. Most lenses clear, but some are red for gov't/commercial/motorbike usage. Brackets: 1941 and 47 Cadillacs have 2 diff. style brackets---all chrome; 46-48 Chevs (mostly on 48s) have "fishtail" style---all chrome; 49 Chevs have bumper conical splashpan mount(as illus. by MT). Those were either black or chrome. Another mount was the kind directly attached to the backup light housing. Some had wire passed directly through mount; other out of lower rear section. Ad 47-55 first panels, etc even used these as an interior cargo area light. It was really an "all purpose"light you could put anywhere! Since cars, motorbikes, tractors used these, many pickuppers wanted them, too. Best way to do this was to get a Guide or B-L-C 5 3/4" 2002-A or E or whatever, Driving/Passing/Fog Light *BRACKET*, sandblast it, paint it black, and attach it to the rear of your truck bumper. Works like a charm....looks OG! Guide and B-L-C are both alive and well in business today. Hope this helps...

What a wealth of information. Thank you for taking the time to share this.......

...a bit late on the return email draw...you're all welcome. I learned this ALL from about 5-10 conversations with MotherTrucker (JM). He's the Real OG for wealths of info. MT: If you're out there, or if someone could pass this on to him, I still hope you're not ticked I auditorially memorized every word you said about GM stuff over the phone. No worries: I'm onto GMC 503 inline 6s now, thanks to your enthusiasm in this stuff! Take care to all, and enjoy!

also used on the 1949 & 1950 Chevy cars.

I have a set of 1950 back up lights (2) in the factory accessory box. They fit flush to body and are quite different form the backup light shown in your pic. You state that the 47-48s were used in 1949 and 1950, also. I'm puzzled.

Best, Charlie

The 1949 accessory back=-up lamp was a free standing light with a bracket attaching it to the rear body panel and only one lamp was used.....The 1950-52 used a flush mounting lamp and they were installed in pairs. Therefore the 1949 is very different from the 1950-52.
Disregard the post calling the 1949-52 as being the same.

Incorrect Chevy Nut ! Disregard Chevy Nut's claim.

The free standing light {GM part & 986239} is clearly indicated as the same accessory for the 1949 & 1950 model cars.







1950 may be a transitional year because there are 3 different lights listed as back up lights for the 1950-1952 cars...

The one clearly documented in the first picture {GM part # 986239} &

The flushmount lights are also indicated as correct for 1950

GM part # 986408 is listed as correct for '50-'52 {without powerglide}

GM part #986409 is listed as correct for '50-'52 {with powerglide}






There may be some grey area as to the correct 1950 light but to come straight out & claim that the '49 light is different than the '50 light is not correct.

1949-1950 Free standing light light GM Part # 986239


1950-1952 Flush mounted light GM part # 986408

My '51 was bought new with only one flush mounted back up light, not as a pair...and the chrome part is a lot thicker than the one pictured above.

The pair of accessory back-up lights that are on my '51 Chevrolet are identical to those pictured.

Mothertrucker,
My references indicate that the 1949 back up light was indeed P/N 986239 for all passenger (exc. sedan delivery and station wagons). P/N 986408 was for 1950 (exc. P.G.) and 986409 w/P.G. Beginning with the 1952 Parts books the part number and listing for the '49 light were no longer listed.

Original Chevrolet literature contains many errors. Also many times parts are listed for both earlier and later models even though they were not originally designed or intended for those applications. Later designs are commonly listed as fitting an earlier application, some even in a genuine parts box with the original part number. That does not mean that they are 100% as original. And then when excess stock is warehoused the earlier parts are also listed for later models in an attempt to sell off the parts. Also not 100% original.

Well.... it is real easy for someone 60 years later to say "The GM literature was wrong" .
If that is the case...& we go on the assumption that the GM literature is incorrect.... we all might as well throw out our master parts books & accessory listing books & we can just guess at which parts are correct.

My contention is that "At The Time" the literature was written....
It was correct.

That list was not put out by Chevrolet. I would like to see actual Chevrolet literature, etc. saying the 986239 was sold by Chevrolet and they listed it for 1950. The parts book, acessory installation manual, Dealer album and all other 1950 printed matter shows the flush lights.
As far as 1949-1950 being hand writtten on a box lable......well when I was in parts back then we wrote a llot of things on accessory boxes to get rid of the stuff at the end ot the year.
All I say isshow me some accessory list put out by Chevrolet for the proof.
We even installed some left over 1950 heaters in 1951 and the controll was mounted under the dash rather than in the speaker grill. Common to see the red plastic 1949 hood ornaments on a 1950 and the 1949 grille guards on a 1950.

My thoughts..................

I would agree with Gene... there's no telling what happened at the dealerships, especially since most options were dealer installed... which leads me to this. What light is this? My '51 was ordered with a single left side one. My Grandpa worked at the dealership (Gorries Chevrolet on Gerrard in Toronto), so now I'm wondering if it's a Buick or Caddy unit? I always assumed it was a Chevrolet part...

That is not what a US Guide back-up lamp looks like. Perhaps the Canadian lamps were different and not made by Guide - just like the horns are not Delco-Remy.
Another intresting thing is the rear body panel has an exposed seam where the quarter panel rear extensions and rear body panel is welded together. That seam was leaded on US cars. Also the lamps were mounted closer to the tail lamp and would have been to the left of the seam (with the light pictured)
Is the a brand name or part number moulded into the lens? Just off hand it does look like a Pontiac lamp.
The Buick was in the bumper guard and the Olds and Cadillac in the tail lamp.