Wanted: CMP cab13 blackout headlight and front sidelights

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Ford and Chev 13 cabs left the factory with one blackout headlight on the left side. The right side was not wired. The un-wired right headlamp socket had a plate over it that, early on, usually had the bridge class sign painted on it. Later the bridge class sign was moved inward to a position between the socket and the rad grille (in anticipation of the war ending and a second headlight being installed). Each front fender (wing) had a white lamp. The two rear lamp brackets, one mounted on each side, had two holes each for a total of four, however only three lamps were used. The outer holes each had a red tail lamp and the inner hole on the right hand bracket had a red stop lamp. The inner hole on the left bracket was unused. The single stop lamp could be 'isolated' (turned off) with a switch on the dash. There was a switch at the rear of the vehicle (a dimmer switch on Chev's and a toggle switch on Fords) that, when pressed, turned off the red tail lamps and turned on the white convoy lamp shining on the differential. Even the white and red lamps had blackout inserts. There were black covers that went over the red or while lenses that had either a single 1/4" diameter hole or six pin-prick holes.

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Hi Tony

Did Ford use the blackouts in pairs or singly? Or did it depend on when and where they served. My research on Chevs showed them often mounted with only one head light. Another question where they wired for both head lights? Again on the early Chev Pattern 13 one head light switch on the late there were two one for the blackout and the other for the clear.

Reason I ask is that I have mounted one blackout and one regular which gives the look of blackout but enough light to actually drive on the road.

The black out units have from time to time shown up here on MLU and on e-pay. Before I found some real ones I fabricated as set of them. If you would like I can post a picture of the fabricated ones. These where a copy of some I had seen made up for regular autos in Britain during the war simple but effective. One of the problems with the actual black out shields used on CMP is the bulbs but these are available from different sources.

Cheers Phil