What is the story on the K backup lights??
When the new design tail light was introduced on the '52 Corsair models (tail light moved to the tip of the fender) they needed to do something with holes left where the earlier style tail lights were (they used the same inner fenders all years) so they put these "K" medallions in the holes. The problem was, these medallions were thin metal and water was sloshed up into them and it got inside them and they rusted so you see very few of them intact on the cars. KF also offered a back up light kit for the Henry J - these kits for the '52/'53 Henry Js are even more rare than the "K" medallions. Many people simply installed '51 Kaiser park lights in the holes to fill them. Another thing you see a lot is people simply installed a set of the earlier style tail lights in those holes. After market back up lights by Do-Ray and Yankee also fit right in without modifications. My bet is of all the Henry Js you see with back up lights in those holes, maybe one in ten are they hooked up and working on.
Because those "K" medallions were too far gone to use when we got it, we installed a set of Do-Ray 951 backup lights in my '53:
They looked good and I tried numerous configurations and switch types trying to get them to work but they would work for a few times then quit as the switch would bend or wobble out of place.
I told myself if I could ever find 2 of those "Ks" in decent shape I'd swap them out since that's what it had originally and I don't have to make them work!
I had one in my spare parts cache for many years but just one would not look so good! It took years but I found the second one in 2013 - found it on ebay listed as "Keystone center cap" and I got it for $5! Installed them right away and now my car is as it was originally:
