By Tony K
If there is one great vulnerability to a wagon it is the propensity of the tail lights and rear quarters to find obstacles. I can’t say how many times I have had to replace a lens or pound out body damage just so a new lens would even fit. But even with this problem I am not about to start wheeling something else.
You could always add exterior armor but I haven’t yet seen a way I liked that would both protect the tail light as well as not form a point that would hang up on other obstacles. No reason to install a cure that is worse than the disease. Or you could install a less vulnerable style of tail light but I just like the distinctive look of the tail lights on a 60 so I am not going to change mine.
The Distinctive Crunch
Just about every time I have crunched a tail light there is no mistaking the sound. Sort of sounds like crushing a cereal box only worse. But the one piece of advice I can offer after it happens is to always pick up the broken pieces. Not only to be a good non littering wheeler, but also because those pieces may come in handy for the drive home. But only if you also packed your duct tape (which I always carry).
And even if you only save the pieces they may be useful for a much later or worse crunch that renders the pieces too small to use. And don’t be afraid to think inside the wagon, what you may not have noticed in the picture that leads off this little tale is that the yellow part of the light is actually a chunk from a right side lens turned over and put to good use on the left side to make me street legal til the new tail light assembly arrives, yes this time I did it good. I have to replace the whole assembly.
I have since resorted to keeping a spare set of tail light lenses on the shelf at home. On long trips I may even take them with me but for now they will live at home. Come to think of it I should probably buy stock in the lens company, probably be a good investment if I wasn’t the biggest customer….
