Tail lights

[mutt and jeff]

My A1 was acquired with the 24v combat tail lights, two slits on one side and one slit and cat's eye on the other. I found these two lights on the parts shelf and have read about Gamma Goat tail lights being more visable and both are brakes and turn signal lights and still 24v. So I put these in the holes and may go with them. I'll have to run a third wire to one bucket as the originals only had two wires to one side.
While researching the yellow parts stencil on the parts shelf tail light, it looks like the buckets are M151 and Bubba before me installed the Gamma Goat solid red lens.

As this MUTT might be driven on civilian roads more than my other vehicles due to horsepower and comfort, I'm leaning towards putting in the Gamma Goat lens. It's two bolts and three wires, so I can always go back to the correct face plates for a display show if necessary.

Anyone running non standard lights on their MUTT?

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gamma goat 2.JPG

gamma goat 3.JPG

[rickf]

The Gamma-Goat used the same tail lights as all the other M series vehicles. They just used the solid red lenses. I am assuming yours is a straight 151 and therefor only had the one brake light and one blackout light? If that is the case you will need to modify the whole rear harness since you will not have any brake light or turn signal for the right side. If that is yours in the picture then you have an A1 and you should have already had the correct lights and all you should have needed to do was change the lenses. Your blackout brake light goes in the empty hole above the right tail light. Ans yes, I run the gamma goat lenses in mine. Along with the truck LED headlights. Not correct but I can see and almost be seen.

[mutt and jeff]

Yes, that's mine in the third photo where I test fitted the Gamma Goat tail lights. And, yes, I can put these lenses on the original military tail lights without having to do any wiring changes. The military blackout brake light has already been removed for restoration. My first military vehicle with turn signals, so I didn't know what blinked in the rear with the original set up. So if I just change the lenses, I'll still only have one brake light? Or is the third bulb in the three bulb light bucket the convoy light? I haven't delved into the electrical yet. Some lights worked and some didn't but it could be just bulbs or grounds.

I'll look at my wiring diagram.

[rickf]

You have always had two brake lights, only the early straight 151 had only one service brake light. The turn signal and brake light use the same bulb and you have a second bulb for the tail lights then you have the separate bulbs for the blackout lights. That third tail light you removed is a blackout brake light only.

[m3a1]

Oh SURE....all you guys are completely okay with using up all the Gama Goat parts for your M151s. Then you complain that parts for your M151s are in short supply.

I see how you are!

[Redlight]

I am a firm believer on being seen in my Mutt, both in the display area and on the highway. When I travel on the highway I have at least one yellow strobe light on a rear antenna mount flashing away. I also have replaced my tail light lens with the Gama Goat lens on both my Mutt and my 416 trailer. The service even replaced the whole light assembly with "NATO" lights for travel in Europe. They made and I have a set to be installed of adapters to retrofit the lights to the early Mutt's.
I do not think we are using up the Goat's supply of lens as the price for pairs have gone down in recent years. But then again the number of Goats has also be reduced. At least in New England, the biggest Goat has move south and is starting with a new team. ( Tom Brady former N.E. Patriot if you do not get the joke).

[Mutt Hunter]

I'm with RedLight on the "being seen" thing. I did exactly the same thing. I picked up a 24V strobe a few months back. I know its not "stock", but it looks like the ones I've seen the MPs use on their HMMWVs on the MSRs in Iraq and Afghanistan and its safe with all the crazy drivers here in Tampa. Anybody putting a MUTT on one of Tampa's interstates is an idiot in the first place, so i'll never do that, but even the "secondary roads" are like the Indy 500 in a few places. Who wants to get run over on the way home from the VFW while sitting atop their gas tank? Not me...

As a long-suffering Bucs fan, i liked the GOAT reference--i hope we can do something meaningful with him in charge in the few years he has left.

[m3a1]

Yeah, I've toyed with the idea of the strobe but frankly, I just never could bring myself to do all the wiring. But the idea of having a battery operated light...well, that wouldn't be too hard at all, would it? Swapping out batteries from time to time is far easier than fiddling with all the wiring.

Cheers,
TJ

[Mutt Hunter]

I wired mine up directly to the battery and have a switch on my dash. My jeep had a couple things installed on the dash that were no longer there--I'm assuming lights of some sort--and i just used those old holes in the dash for the installation. I changed out the SPST switch and wired the strobe directly to the battery...that way if i break down someplace I've still got a marker light in the back keeping me visible. Very simple install, really...hardest part was snaking the wiring behind the dash and heater. I used the best tool I've bought in years for that task--the $10 wire snake i got from home depot. The wire from battery box to strobe is in a small plastic conduit that i'm using for my radio power as well, and because its routed with the radio power and later the antenna cable, its invisible to all but the most trained observers.

[Horst]

I did the same thing, strobe light when driving on bigger roads or the Autobahn. Illegal over here but better than run over.

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