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57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?
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Brushwolf
Posted 2011-12-13 2:45 PM (#299583)
Subject: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?


Veteran

Posts: 292
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Location: Twin Cities MN
I have a 57 Custom Royal Lancer basket case and the taillight trim (which I believe is the original) does not have the little 1-1.5 inch reflector in the upper center section of the inverted "V" trim piece at end of fin. Have seen quite a few of these advertised on Ebay, but all of them have reflectors in that area. What does presence or absence of this reflector indicate? Doubt they would have made a dinky part like that a separate option...
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Wayne C.
Posted 2011-12-23 9:42 PM (#300936 - in reply to #299583)
Subject: RE: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?



Regular

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Location: Rogersville, Tn.
That was just a stick on reflector. I removed mine to have the chrome re-plated, and that destroyed them. I went to Lowes and bought a small strip of reflector stick on tape, cut the circle and stuck it in place. Can't tell it from the original.
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Brushwolf
Posted 2011-12-28 5:06 PM (#301369 - in reply to #300936)
Subject: RE: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?


Veteran

Posts: 292
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Location: Twin Cities MN
Thanks for the reply. I see 60 people have viewed the thread and did not have an answer as to why some 57 cars have those small round reflectors on taillight top "V trim" and some don't have them. Most seem to have the reflectors - I have a set of each so can install either but wondering what it indicates about the car....). I am still a little puzzled about this though since I have two pairs of the v-shaped trim from two 57's and one has the (faded little reflectors), while but the other does not have any indication of there ever having been a reflector on top. So if the reflector indicated higher trim level, I would have thought a CRL would have that. But parts that came with car do not have reflectors. (Somebody switched them?) I will need to post a pic I guess to explain it better, but good to know how to fix the one's with reflectors if I end up using those.
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b5rt
Posted 2011-12-28 6:13 PM (#301379 - in reply to #299583)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?



Expert

Posts: 2519
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Location: central Illinois
I'm wondering if maybe it wasn't a deal like the headlights in '57. Some states weren't ready for the 4 headlights. Maybe some states mandated that there had to be reflectors? I've seen some lenses that have a reflector image as part of the design and others for the same model and year, don't reflect.
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Brushwolf
Posted 2011-12-28 6:21 PM (#301381 - in reply to #301379)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?


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Location: Twin Cities MN
That sounds like a possibility....
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Brushwolf
Posted 2012-04-02 5:58 PM (#315052 - in reply to #301381)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?


Veteran

Posts: 292
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Location: Twin Cities MN
Think I found out why all the 57 tail light housings I see on Ebay have reflectors and the one's with my car do not have reflectors. I found that the one's I got with the car are likely 58 pieces. So, that is probably why I never encountered any other 57's that had no provision for the reflector. 58's probably didn't use the reflectors, but please chime in if that's not true. Bad part of discovery is that all my upper fin stainless trim appears to be 58 as well, so have to see if I can find set of 57 fin stainless so I don't have to fill the extra holes on inner side of fin where 58 used much shorter stainless piece next to quarter glass only; whereas looks like 57 ran full length inside of fin as well as outside.. Already had picked up another set of the cast inverted V tail castings and can see stainless junctions completely different than the (apparently) 58's too.
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Lancer Mike
Posted 2012-04-02 6:18 PM (#315054 - in reply to #315052)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?



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Location: The Mile High City
I think you are on the right track. The 1958's did not have the small reflector piece - I had the impression that all 1957's did.

The inverted V pot-metal piece comes in at least three varieties for 1957 and 1958. The 1957 V's have a place on each side of the fin to attach stainless trim. One goes forward on the side of the car toward the chrome cover on the beginning of the fin. The other goes foward on the trunk side of the fin toward the rear window.

In 1958, both types of V's had a place to attach stainless on only one side (the side that goes forward on the side of the car toward the chrome cover on the beginning of the fin).

The standard Coronets and top-end Regals had an angled attachment for a thin piece of stainless trim. The optional Coronets, Royals, and Custom Royals had an attachment for the wider "check mark" piece of stainless trim.

Edited by Lancer Mike 2012-04-02 6:32 PM
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Brushwolf
Posted 2012-04-02 7:03 PM (#315059 - in reply to #315054)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?


Veteran

Posts: 292
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Location: Twin Cities MN
Yes, it becomes clearer... Sounds like your post confirms that the inverted V's I bought with reflectors on them are indeed 57 pieces with attachment points on both sides of the casting for stainless and the one's that came with my car are 58 parts that only have outside stainless attachment point, which is also wider than that same attachment point on a 57.

Is the correct 57 inner/trunk side stainless one long piece between the chrome cover and taillight housing, or is it two sections? Looks like it would be a tight fit where it passes by base of rear window base if all one piece, but maybe... I never have been able to find a picture taken from above on 2 door hardtop so not sure how that inner stainless piece is supposed to look. I put the 58 inner piece up there and it runs from chrome cover back to base of rear glass and ends right there. Those pieces were so small, at first I thought they might be for door panels, but none of the door pieces were missing... Know of any differences between stainless on a 57 Coronet 2 door hardtop and a 57 Custom Royal (which is what I have...)? Know if the front chrome covers differ between body styles or between 57 and 58?
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d500neil
Posted 2012-04-02 7:35 PM (#315063 - in reply to #315059)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

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ALL 1957 Dodge cars (even the complete strippers) have the end-of-fin-plate reflector assembly.

As Mike says, someone replaced the 57 fin-plates with 1958 fin plates on the subject car.

If you study car model evolutions, you'll see that the trend is always to simplify the overall design, and to save manufacturing
costs in the process.

In 1958, the rear reflectors were incorporated into the one-piece plastic brake light lenses; in 1957, the Corp needed to buy a
reflector assembly that included a chromed pot metal bezel, with the attached plastic reflector, and that assembly needed to be
attached to the fin plate.

In 1957, the trunk letters were individually drilled and attached to the trunks.

In 1958, there was a small 1-piece "Dodge" emblem that replaced all those parts and labor.

In 1957, the steering wheel horn rings have separate chromed pot metal "Power Steering", and painted-and-anodized
'shield' emblems that were attached to each other and then were attached to the 'ring.

In 1958, the words "Power Steering" were "engraved" [actually: cast-into] the ring, and there was a simpler 1-piece 'shield'
emblem that was installed on some of the horn 'rings'.

The examples go on-and-on, on every car model.

My '04 PT Cruiser has front seat overhead hand grips. Those grips were eliminated in later years.

Etcetcetcetc....





Edited by d500neil 2012-04-02 7:38 PM
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d500neil
Posted 2012-04-02 7:41 PM (#315067 - in reply to #299583)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

Posts: 19146
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Location: bishop, ca
Another example of saving money was the fact that the 1958 end-of-fin "V" caps do not have insertion tabs on their inboard
ends, because the 58's do not have that thin, long, molding that runs along the inboard edge of the fin---because the 58 paint
scheme was simpler than the 57's and that paint-demarcation molding was not necessary.



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b5rt
Posted 2012-04-02 10:43 PM (#315091 - in reply to #299583)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?



Expert

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Location: central Illinois
I've got a RH "V" cap and the short side has a small insertion tab that's maybe 1/2" long. Are you saying it's a 58?

I'd post a picture but this forum has nothing that makes it easy for me to upload pictures. I've tried emailing to myself and paint programs to resize. Tired of messing with it. Would be nice if they would just upload and you could resize on the website, like on the drydock website.

Edited by b5rt 2012-04-02 10:44 PM
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d500neil
Posted 2012-04-02 11:13 PM (#315093 - in reply to #315091)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?



Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!

Posts: 19146
5000500050002000200010025
Location: bishop, ca
That tab would be for a 1957 model, because that tab connects with the inner-side thin fin molding, which is not provided
on the 58 models.


BTW, this fin plate would be for a Coronet because it is painted black.

The Royals and CRL's got "polished" aluminum plates.

Edited by d500neil 2012-04-02 11:25 PM




(Fin end molding.JPG)



Attachments
----------------
Attachments Fin end molding.JPG (19KB - 184 downloads)
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b5rt
Posted 2012-04-03 5:24 PM (#315188 - in reply to #299583)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?



Expert

Posts: 2519
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Location: central Illinois
Thanks Neil, that makes it a 57 "V" I've been hanging onto. All I've got is the chrome with no finish plate and it has that small triangular extension like the one in the picture.
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springsweptwing
Posted 2012-04-03 6:21 PM (#315196 - in reply to #299583)
Subject: RE: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?



Elite Veteran

Posts: 1140
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Location: Blackpool, United Kingdom.
2 types on a 58 also std Coronet same as the Regals and the Royal/Custom Royal side moulding fits differently.



(coronet fin.jpg)



(royal fin.jpg)



Attachments
----------------
Attachments coronet fin.jpg (196KB - 164 downloads)
Attachments royal fin.jpg (62KB - 180 downloads)
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Powerflite
Posted 2019-01-28 11:58 AM (#577514 - in reply to #315052)
Subject: Re: 57 Dodge Small Reflectors on Upper Section of Taillight Trim?



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Location: So. Cal
Were the end plates on the Coronet painted a silver color in '58 or black like in '57? How about the upper models? Also, I assume that if I wanted to swap out the standard trim with the optional check mark trim, that I would just have to cut the fin molding a little shorter and slip it over the check mark trim? If so, how much overlap does it take?
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