[Bob Carriere]

... the C8 has a relatively low profile...... rear over hang of the cargo box..... 13 inch wheels..... early war model..... is it possible that it NEVER had a convoy light....... purely from a practical perspective.... the rear diff. might not have been very visible EVEN if painted white......

Most CMP with the rear diff light had some from of switch on the frame....C model had what appears to be a hi-beam floor switch mounted on the driver's side rear frame..... is there any evidence of the large hole flacked by two smaller screw/bolt holes on your frame....?

I agree with you that there is enough factory evidence to support the factory installation of the light and white paint on the diff.

I have been following your progress with much interest and fasination...
One comment on the primer allowing rust to bloom right through the primer.... it has been my experience backed up by some reading that "primer" is indeed very porous and will let in oxygen and water..... primer is not meant to seal but only to prepare the surface for greater adhesion of the eventual top coat....

I have found it much better to treat bare recetnly cleaned metal with phosphoric acid..... called metal prep in body shop store..... in a weak solution diluted with water it will create an iron phosphate.... greyish chalky finish on the clean steel..... ideal micro rough texture for the top coat to adhere to. Properly phosphate metal will withstand rust better than just a primer coat. The ideal, whether you use primer of an acid solution, is to seal the surface with a good top coat ASAP........

Some steel once dry and phosphated will last for weeks..... other steel seems to get a surface rust bloom a lot quicker...... maybe the carbon content.

I have had CMP rims that were phosphated and months later the surface rust bloom was like a fine dust and easily rubbed off using a 3M pad..... and painted right over with excellent results.

I have cab 11 sheet metal that has been sadn blastedm degreased and phospated.....stored inside the barn..... been 2 or 3 years now with no rust on them..... and never painted.....

Keep showing us pictures of your progress.....

Bob C.