1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

Should I remove any paint between the triangular bracket and the body? I'm wondering if that is recommended to insure good grounding. The tail light worked as it is attached to the bracket when I removed it 10 years ago. Advice?

Re: 1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

I believe that is what is recommended by Les Andrews and what I did before I read it. My tail lights worked after that. The bracket covers it if you do just what’s needed.

Re: 1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

I wouldn't. The mounting hardware has always provided a good ground for me.

Re: 1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

Bolt it up as-is and see if the light works.

Re: 1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

Thanks for your replies. I did remove the paint. Trying to see if it would work without isn't an option right now....no electrical connection yet. After I have everything back together, I plan to give a good coat of my trust gloss black rattle can rust-proofing paint. Not much rust here in the high desert compared to Southeast Alaska where "Bessie" lived for many years.

Re: 1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

Why not run a ground wire in the loom to the tail light and connect to tail light can and a known frame ground. Now you have good paint under the bracket and no chance of rust. You will have a good electrical connection.

Re: 1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

Thanks for that idea. Rust was the only thing holding my car together after all the wood dried out and fell apart. Sure is nice to live in a dry climate now and have a garage to work in. Love this adventure.

Re: 1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

All you need to do is to use a rattail file and remove the paint from the three holes in your mounting bracket and the two holes for the license bracket. Do the same on the two holes on the license bracket and you should be fine.

Re: 1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

In those situations, I remove the paint and prevent rust by using a little dielectric grease in there. Never a problem.

Re: 1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

I run an extra ground wire out to the frame, grind off a bit of paint, drill and tap a 10-32, and attach there. Maybe it is overkill but I run extra grounds on just about everything, including frame to body, motor to frame, etc. I use a lot of relays, a three wire alternator, and fusible links too. But I want reliability, not originality.

Re: 1929 Coupe tail light bracket grounding
 

It can make contact with cleaning around at least one of the bolt holes on the frame and the corresponding bolt hole on the mount bracket. It's a good idea to use some silicon grease on the bare metal areas to keep it from corroding. This is a common practice for bonding on aircraft structures and it will work on motor vehicles as well. If the bolt & nut hardware is unpainted at contact points, it will carry the bonding through the fastener just fine as long as the hardware is clean and secured properly.