Generally speaking, across the years and brands I have experience with, the bulb closest to the lens/opening to the tag is the tail light. That way the tag gets "full" illumination without the other bulb getting in the way. This is assuming the wiring is correct, hasn't been messed with. I say "generally" because there are always exceptions to any rule. This can be determined pretty easily with a multi-meter.

That is not how mine is wired, but I agree, that makes the most sense.

Ken

Are the tail light bulb and the brake light bulb the same number?

Yes, #63 - 3 candle power. One bulb lit with the lights on, two with lights and brakes applied. You can replace the #63 with #81 which are 6 candle power. Paint the inside of the housing gloss white. Gene used to say plastic lenses let more light through than glass.

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@bowtiefan Ken, If you plan to do any night driving, I would urge you to convert your tail lamps to led. I did this to my '35 Standard coupe and my 1936 Truck. The tails are visible from a long distance and the stops are a significant change when the brake is applied. The arrangement to illuminate the license plat is a bit hokey but livable. The kits from The Filling Station are a bit pricey but much less that the price tag of being hit from the rear on a dark night.

Mike

Mike, I was just about to ask about LED lights.  What did you do for the license plate light?  How about the LED headlights?  The stock ones are not much better than a flashlight.

Ken

Just so we are comparing apples to apples. Below is a photo of my 6v 38's tail light with a #81 bulb & the housing inside painted gloss white next to my modern 12v pickup.

@bowtiefan Ken, The license light is a bit of a problem with the conversion I bought from TFS. Not so much the amount of light as making it look original. The lamps on your 36 have their own lens, so I think that solves the problem.

The arrangement of lighting the license on my '35 Standard and my '36 truck was a bit hokey from the factory and did not lend itself to being easily replicated by the led kits.

Mike