> now, i have a question, and this shows my lack of complete IHC knowledge that maybe one of you can answer. The taillight
> brackets are different from the driver to passengar side. One side is elongated. Was this by design? maybe a reverse light or
> something else fit there? Or did someone swap a new part in a some point?
Originally the truck would have come with only one bracket and light on the the left side for a 'stop' light. In your pictures the one on the right looks like the original IHC light style, with red glass lens and clear curved license plate lens in the bottom side.
This is what an original bracket looks like, I got second matching bracket for the right side from one of my parts trucks, if you turn the left bracket upside down it matches fine to mount on the right. (Note that the lights in the picture are not IHC, they are Model A Ford reproductions with glass lenses. I also modified those for one of the internal sockets to take a double filament bulb so I could have signal, brake, and tail lights)