The Tail Lights and Brake Lights are powered from headlight Switch with no Fuses. The Backup Lights are controlled by Neutral Switch on Steering Column if Automatic. Power from Ignition Switch goes the Neutral Switch directly so thats easy to check. Or it may have been moved to Headlight Switch for Power when wiring was changed. Should be power to switch with Ignition on run Position. the Fuse on Headlight Switch is for Interior lights only. I think your Trouble could be related to Headlight Switch because Power for the Items not working start at Headlight Switch.

  

The headlights work....

The wires going to the rear include the L&R signal light, tail light, back-up light and fuel sending signal (total 5).  None reach their intended destination...

I have read the above post several times describing the routing of these rear wires.  Not clear if he is sometimes refering to inside the cab or under the floorpan.  We are still dazed and confused....

Thanks all

What do you mean by this???  No wires to the back of the car??




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

Reading the post I quoted from Dry Lakes Racer (darn auto correct, I meant “rewired” not “retired) I think the car is close to the way my bird was wired. The harness to the rear containing the items you mentioned in inside the car on the floor pan. Clips are welded, the jute padding and carpet goes over them in the passenger compartment and they are mostly under the mat in the trunk. They’ll be pretty much exposed at the tail lights themselves.

If they aren’t there, maybe auto correct was right, maybe he “retired” in the middle of “rewired”.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

The fuse to the flasher will cause all the problems you are having It is fed from the ignition switch.(AC screw, there are four, S. AM, C, and AC) Do your self a favor and purchase for less than $20 a laminated schematic of you car from www.ClassicCarWiring.com it's 11 x 17 and in color for all the stock wiring in your car. If you buy, and you can, the replacement kits for your car done in sections with the original color coded wires you only need to remove both seats and the carpeting to do the complete job. Yes it is a pain in the ass but doable even for a guy in his 70's.

Sounds like the spots, which are not stock, were haywired into one of the circuits.

In a 56 ford there is 1 fuse on the light switch with circuit breakers. this covers all interior lighting 
1 fuse to the flasher ... this covers your directional and rear lighting
1 for the the clock
1 for the heater switch,
1 30 amp breaker for the top (you don't have)
that's it.. there is none listed for the stock radio 

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

Radio has inline Fuse. 5A for standard Radio. 7.5 A for T+C. Without a good Wiring Diagram You are flying Blind. JMO

  

For the radio, the classic wiring diagram doesn't show a fuse because it's with the radio wiring. They just show a connector the radio plugged into. That would handle it's light too. I do not know about all Ford wiring looms but this time I assume Ford had a connector ready for the radio to be added at the dealership. My radio even upgraded has a inline fuse and plugged into the original connector just up above the heater controls.

When I put my car back together from painting the fuse to the flasher caused me my biggest headache.  It checked good but didn't make real good contact causing the problem what this gentleman is having

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

If I recall correctly, the radio dial/dash light is separately connected to the dash lighting circuit so that it's adjustable along with all the other dash lights by rotation of the headlight dash-control rheostat; it's not connected through the radio fuse wiring; that's a wholly separate connection.

Regards, JLB

55 Ford Crown Victoria Steel Top

I had a parking light socket on my 57 that was shorted and none of the other lights parking or turn signal lights would work, the head light parking light switch has a resetting fuse as mentioned above. once I found that it all worked normal again

MYSTERY SOLVED!!

A while back I replaced the old column shift 3-speed with a 5 speed Mustang.  Had to cut a hole in the floor for the floor shifter.

It did occur to us that this COULD  have severed an electrical line but we inspected it carefully and could see no wires in the hole.  Well, after removing carpeting and insulation, lo and behold the WAS a wire there and it was totally cleanly cut.  We are now splicing the wires.  I think the search has lasted a month.