That is the factory wiring.  A lot of the TBird guys change it so the lights go on anytime it goes into reverse.

[/quote]PF Arcand (8/26/2015)

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54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

As Ian57 has pointed out, back up lights were powered from the lighting circuit, so they only come on normally at night. My 57 is also like that..


Paul

If you have the wires coming off the neutral safety switch, all you have to do is run additional wires from those wires..  One to a power source (ignition switch is probably the easiest) and the other to the back up lights.  Run the wires to the lights under the carpet.  Get the wire from  parts store

As far as the bulb sockets, measure the size of the hole and go to NAPA or your favorite parts store and see what they have.  If they don't have anything, the TBird sockets should be the same thing and they are available. 


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

there is a kit but it is for standard and over drive.  But I am not sure it would work going from memory the standard has spade terminals where the automatic uses bullets to plug into the neutral safety switch.

Atleast my other question was answered already atleast.  I looked last night and there was no wires but my wiring assembly manual shows the wiring going through the firewall.  I found bits and pieces of the wiring harness for the back up lights but not the complete harness as a reproduction and was going to ask if parts of it would be found in car.  I know scrubrolet did that in the early 60s installing the wiring for all accessories so all the dealer had to do was simply plug in if the customer wanted a accessory.  I guess Ford did not do this.


I did how ever find this

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?parta~dyndetail~Z5Z5Z50000051e~Z5Z5Z515873~P19.15~~~~S4FF1BDD3D70196816123a~Z5Z5Z5~Z5Z5Z50000051e

But no idea of the length and if that is the one from the firewall to the trunk or not.  If I can piece together the wiring I can add back up lights fairly easily as I already have everything minus the wiring and bulb sockets.


1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi

Isn't there a kit available for auto or manual cars to retrofit back up lights?

Durham Missouri

I installed backup lights on my TBird. The original wires came through the floor from the safety switch.
One wire needed to be added and sent to the rear as it was not part of the harness and I don't think they were ever part of a harness. Another wire needed to go forward to pick up power.
Originally they powered them from the lighting circuit but I connected mine to the ignition switch so they operated with the lights off as well, so others might see that I am backing not just when it is dark.
I also installed an inline fuse as close as I could to the ignition switch for safety.
I hope that's of some help.

So all neutral safety switches would be back up light capable?

I am trying to figure this out because mine doesn't have them but I am willing to alter the car from its dealership configuration just for safety to ensure people know I am backing up.

Guess its time to dig out my wiring schematic and see where it shows the wiring for the back up lamps goes.


~Update~
Well I just looked at my wiring diagram.  Didn't cover the back up lamps so I checked in my Electrical Assembly manual and it shows that there are two contacts on the neutral safety switch that you hook to for the back up lamps.  I need to double check but I thought I saw four wires already hooked up to my original neutral safety switch.  If that is the case then all I need to do is track down the trunk harness and plug it in and I am ready to go.

1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi

Back up lights were available for auto trans.  Part of the neutral safety switch if I remember correctly.  Probably the reason why there is not a number listed for it on an auto trans car..


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

I was looking at my parts and illustration guide and found no part number listed for back up lamp switches for anything other than M/T and O/D applications.  I looked in my '56 Ford car and truck accessories booklet and it says back up lamps were available for all vehicles.

I wanted to ask were they available for automatic vehicles?  I cant find part numbers in my Ford parts and illustration guide and I am inclined to believe there was no such thing as back up lamps on a automatic just a standard.

1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi