Ever Pulled Your Taillight Apart??
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 14
From: Vinton, Louisiana
Ever Pulled Your Taillight Apart?? Just curious if anyone has?? I know you can't just bake and pull them, is there any other some what easy way to get them apart short of cutting them??
THANKS!
THANKS!
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 14
From: Vinton, Louisiana
I'm doing it to convert the last of my incadecent bulbs to custom LED boards....so I have no choice 
I'm honestly not worried about them fogging, I've done bike taillights and headlights and never had a problem, just gotta double and triple check your sealing before re-installing them. Come to find out the stock lights aren't actually sealed anyways (nor are bike headlights), they have vent holes at the bottom of them...never knew this until I examined the cracked one I have now to play with.
I'm honestly not worried about them fogging, I've done bike taillights and headlights and never had a problem, just gotta double and triple check your sealing before re-installing them. Come to find out the stock lights aren't actually sealed anyways (nor are bike headlights), they have vent holes at the bottom of them...never knew this until I examined the cracked one I have now to play with.
Originally Posted by InfiniteReality
I'm doing it to convert the last of my incadecent bulbs to custom LED boards....so I have no choice I'm honestly not worried about them fogging, I've done bike taillights and headlights and never had a problem, just gotta double and triple check your sealing before re-installing them. Come to find out the stock lights aren't actually sealed anyways (nor are bike headlights), they have vent holes at the bottom of them...never knew this until I examined the cracked one I have now to play with.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...t/SNC11583.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...t/SNC11590.jpg
I'm honestly not worried about them fogging, I've done bike taillights and headlights and never had a problem, just gotta double and triple check your sealing before re-installing them. Come to find out the stock lights aren't actually sealed anyways (nor are bike headlights), they have vent holes at the bottom of them...never knew this until I examined the cracked one I have now to play with. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...t/SNC11583.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...t/SNC11590.jpg
I did kind of fixed my passenger side taillight, you got to heat it and the back chrome housing will come apart from the lenses(red reflector) I did it with a heat gun and separated the lamp in two pieces. What makes the lamps look faded or darker is the loss of reflecting chrome material in the housing due to moisture finding its way inside, add to that heat produced from the bulbs and that makes the chrome part come off the housings with time. Mine became a hazzard since it couldn't be seen during daylight. I had many people tell me that my passenger light wasn't working. I painted the housings 3 coats of duplicolor chrome paint and glued it back together, it will not look like a brand new lamp, but it will light up much better and most important, it will be seen during the daylight! I do not recommend using clear coat over the paint, since it changes from "kind of chrome" to just "plain silver" paint, with less reflective properties. I still bought a new taillight since the lamp had been opened before by previous owner and wasn't aligned well, even thought it did light up great, it showed a gap between the back of lamp and body of car. It is a good fix, I am sorry for getting carried away and off topic, and since you plan to do an LED conversion there, separating the lenses from the housings can be done. I have seen all the work you have done to your firehawk and let me say that everything looks fantastic! Good luck with taillights LED conversion. I know it will look cool. 
I still bought a new taillight since the lamp had been opened before by previous owner and wasn't aligned well, even thought it did light up great, it showed a gap between the back of lamp and body of car. It is a good fix, I am sorry for getting carried away and off topic, and since you plan to do an LED conversion there, separating the lenses from the housings can be done. I have seen all the work you have done to your firehawk and let me say that everything looks fantastic! Good luck with taillights LED conversion. I know it will look cool. Last edited by transam5.7lt1; Sep 19, 2007 at 09:21 PM.
By the way, I once did separate a fog light from a Linciln Navigator with a Dremel! It did not have a round and aerodynamic shape as our birds taillights, but Dremel did the trick on those foglamps! Forgot to clarify that I bought a new taillight because it didn't fit that well, but the fix worked! Plus I have sequential taillights, it did not look that well, you could tell the difference at night, unless you do both sides, it will work and look good. Good luck with your project!
Good luck with your project! Trending Topics
Originally Posted by transam5.7lt1
By the way, I once did separate a fog light from a Linciln Navigator with a Dremel! It did not have a round and aerodynamic shape as our birds taillights, but Dremel did the trick on those foglamps! Forgot to clarify that I bought a new taillight because it didn't fit that well, but the fix worked! Plus I have sequential taillights, it did not look that well, you could tell the difference at night, unless you do both sides, it will work and look good. Good luck with your project!
Good luck with your project!
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 14
From: Vinton, Louisiana
AWESOME!! Thanks for the info! I'd never have thought of using a dremel to get it apart. This weekend I'm off to the store to find the right dremel bit to get the job done. I have a spare cracked lense taillight I bought off a board member here, so I have something play with before I actually attack my own. I hope after getting it apart, I can pre-make my boards so when I do mine, it'll be 1/2 a days work with most of that time just drying.
I think, like TransAm said above that moisture does get it and ruins the inside reflector housing. I also think it's possible that they could be leaking from the top when it rains and gets in there that way too as well as the vent holes being plugged doesn't allow the moisture to evaporate.
Time to get crackin'!
I think, like TransAm said above that moisture does get it and ruins the inside reflector housing. I also think it's possible that they could be leaking from the top when it rains and gets in there that way too as well as the vent holes being plugged doesn't allow the moisture to evaporate.
Time to get crackin'!
You're doing what I've been planning for years. As this is my DD, I can't really afford the down time if the project runs long. I bet it would be sweet with a sequential module. Good luck and keep us posted!
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 14
From: Vinton, Louisiana
Same here, been wanting to for years since I started playing with LEDs but never took the time to start it. Mine's a DD too, but with a spare taillight I can get it all done before hand only been down for a day... I have sequentials too, so should be pretty cool though not sure how cool they'll look with LEDs... We'll see!