Hard to say without seeing it, but I'd agree with George and try to shim it up off the floor some if I understand the problem correctly.

About the dash lights / brake issue...I remeber once having a filiment go bad on one of my rear lights that was a combination tail/brake (1157 bulb).
Turns out that one filiment broke (don't know which one) and came to rest on the other filiment. Stepping on the brake would energize the running light circut including the dash lights through the broken filiment. Are both rear lights working and the same brightness? Get your assistant out there to check running, brake, and running + brake with you.

About Meatloaf, I used to work with a guy who was a Meatloaf "roadie" for many years. He spent a lot of time in Europe with him after his popularity wained here in the '80s. Don't think he had new material, but maybe people there couldn't understand him anyway! Actually I kind of like Meatloaf - the singer and the supper.

Good luck with the lights.

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'60 544, '68 220S, '70 145S, '72 144E, '86 745T