Electrical: Front turn signal lights

[nearside wing]

I recently bought a '49 Champion equipped with extra-cost factory flashing turn signals but with no turn signals in front, although the rears are there and work fine. Some pictures I've seen of this year show a turn signal light at the outer end of each of the two chrome spears above each grille half but mine has no such turn signals, but as I say, the rears are there work as they should. It may be that someone has replaced the front turn signals on my car with blank spears at some point in the car's life as they both look freshly chromed but have no built-in lights. If the lights that may have come with this car were removed, the wire for each front turn signal light may have been cut off and tucked away behind the grille (or left hanging) or the car may have been built without front signals, but I couldn't imagine that. I'm willing to remove both front wheels as soon as the car gets back from being painted and look for wires that may be there somewhere, or perhaps someone in the Club may be able to shed some light on my situation. If the car was not equipped with front turn signal lights in the first place, I can find a pair of original-looking turn signals and wire them up to the power source for the rears using the car's wiring diagram or retrieve the wires that may have been wired to the original lights. Tony

[BRUCESTUDE]

Check the front parking light sockets, if they are for a double filament bulb then they probably were wired for turn signals. If they are a single socket, you’d have to change them. Rear lights had dual filament bulbs, one for taillights and the other for brakes.

[StudeRich]

On a '49 Champion, Bruce's Post # 2 good suggestion that works on a '50 to '54 Model will not work.
The tiny single contact Parking Light Bulbs in the Headlight Housing are not capable of being Dual Filament.

This car Has NO Turn Signal Housing, Lens, Socket Wiring or Bulb. It most likely was not ordered with Factory Turn Signals, and someone added the Lever and Box also a second Socket and Bulb or a dual filament Socket and Bulb and rear wiring, but never had the correct grille Bar.

[nearside wing]

Sude Rich: I tend to go with the idea that the car was ordered without turn signals. I won't know for sure until I dig into the grille and wiring and see what might be there. I do know that the tiny parking lights in the headlight bands are single filament only so nothing there. In any case, I have a pair of nice lights that would fit under the headlights and I can go from there. Tony

[StudeRich]

[QUOTE=nearside wing;n2056449]Sude Rich: I tend to go with the idea that the car was ordered without turn signals. I won't know for sure until I dig into the grille and wiring and see what might be there./Cut/

OR, you order the Production Order from the Studebaker National Museum to verify WHAT it came with.

[nearside wing]

Great idea. I'll order the Production Order for this car and see what the car came with. Tony

[Greenstude]

I think that direction signals were not a common accessory in the 1940s. I installed the correct signals in my 1947 Champion many years ago. These are identical to the 1949 model. (On my car, a former owner had crudely wired signals to the front parking lights, which are far too small ever to be noticed.)

The original horizontal chrome bar on the grille is removed. The chrome bar used with signals is actually the body of the assembly. The sheet metal behind it has cut-outs to make room for the lamp sockets at the outer ends of the bar.

When I replaced the wiring harness on my car, the wiring for the front turn signals was included.


This close-up shows how the lens is held in place by a chrome bezel which is bolted to the chrome horizontal base.

The correct wiring harness also includes wires to the bulbs for two tell-tale arrows on the speedometer background.

The direction signals use bulb 1129. The tell-tales use bulb 55.

[altair]

Wouldn't the turn signal switch assembly tell you if it was factory or not. I once owned a 53 PU truck that had an aftermarket turn signal assembly, it clamped around the steering with a roller to return the switch to neutral. It was real easy to tell. It also had the front lights mounted on the top of the fender, 100% aftermarket.

[Greenstude]

The direction signal kits for 1947 to 1949 Studebaker cars were factory accessories. The kits include all the parts needed for installation. The part number for Champions is AC-1390, and for Commanders and Land Cruisers is AC-1391. Section 0621 of the parts catalogue lists the part numbers for the individual components.

For 1950 Studebakers, the kit part numbers are AC-1881 for Champions and AC-1882 for Commanders and Land Cruisers.

When I installed the signals on my car, I was not able to find a complete kit, so purchased the parts from various vendors.

The direction signal switch is bolted to the steering column. A small plate on the column is removed so that a cam on the steering shaft can cancel the signal.

[kurtruk]

The direction signal kits for 1947 to 1949 Studebaker cars were factory accessories. The kits include all the parts needed for installation. The part number for Champions is AC-1390, and for Commanders and Land Cruisers is AC-1391. Section 0621 of the parts catalogue lists the part numbers for the individual components.

For 1950 Studebakers, the kit part numbers are AC-1881 for Champions and AC-1882 for Commanders and Land Cruisers.

When I installed the signals on my car, I was not able to find a complete kit, so purchased the parts from various vendors.

The direction signal switch is bolted to the steering column. A small plate on the column is removed so that a cam on the steering shaft can cancel the signal.

Additionally, RE: 47-49 Champion

The main chassis harness includes wiring for turn signals. The connectors are in the harness on the steering column. But the wires to the turn signal lights are part of the accessory package. The rear lenses are part of the standard taillights, so that's convenient, but the fronts are completely different assemblies and hard to find. The tell-tale indicators are also included from the factory in the gauge cluster, also a nice convenience. There is a nice fitted metal cover to hide the wires on the steering column and they are different between Champion and Commander, but I believe the Commander cover can be used on the Champion. The original flasher unit is also unique, but standard flasher units will work. The plastic knob on the end of the turn signal wand is also unique to 47-49. Shrocks finally started making them, and hopefully Rex M. offers it.

[Jeffry Cassel]

The most frequent problem would be a 'ground' fault. Paint and rust are good insulators. Check to be sure you have current to the lamp. If so ground the socket to the battery and if you get a flashing light, a ground fault is your problem. Clean things up ensuring a good ground and it should flash. The other oft encountered problem is in the socket; the contacts are bot making good contact with the base of the bulb because they are corroded or the spring is broken . The base of the socket that houses the contacts can be out of place. There should be a little tab to hold it in place so that it does not rotate in the socket housing. If that is worn or gone. the contacts won't line up . You can buy rebuild kit for about $5. If you do not have juice at the socket, check the wires to the junction bar (that bar with all the wires to headlights, turn signals, and park lights going to and from it. It is very common for the wires leading from it to the lamp to lose insulation and become corroded and non-conductive. Good Luck!