5-panel tail light to 6-panel tail light

[M.H. Yount]

A pretty easy project -- but perhaps something I learned will help someone else. Step one is removing the old units. Usually pretty easy -- although 30 year old gaskets/goop is always pretty. Be sure to take careful measurements. It almost always ends badly if you don't measure carefully - there are a number of interference points on the 6-panels compared to the 5-panel. Use lots of tape - if you slip it may save damage on good paint/rubber/bumper. I used a small cut-off wheel on a Dremel tool. Made short work of the sheet metal. Towels in the trunk to minimize debris in the carpet - and a shop vac handy with the brush attachment to clean up debris as you go. It's like surgery - things go better with cleanliness.





Here they are after the cut, filed edges, paint touched up.






Last - get ready to bolt them in. These replacement units came from IPD -- and I found that trimming the gaskets was helpful in terms of fitment. I trimmed around the bottom of two openings where the housing/bulbs stick through, and I also trimmed 1/8"-1/4" all the way around the outside of both gaskets. I then used a bit of Armor All to lube things up so they would slide and not bind when being compressed. All of this after carefully cleaning the openings before re-assembly.

Before with the tired - 30 year old 5-panels --



After --



One of the light bulbs in the new tails was broken upon arrival. I simply replaced it with one of the bulbs in the set I removed. Worked -- but, of course, set off the 'something's wrong with your lights idiot' idiot light. So I pulled the matching bulb out of the other original housing and put it in the same spot in the other new housing. Problem solved - as usual - replace bulbs in pairs to keep the light-safety gods at bay. I also opened up the factory plugs (on the end of the harness) and pulled each wire/clip out and squeezed the ends together so it would make fresh/tight contact when I plugged them in. A sharp dental pick makes this a piece of cake.

Light was good for a couple of new pics....

[M.H. Yount]

Oh - and I have an original, working set of 5-panels if anyone's doing a restoration. The left side has one fatigue crack (not leaking that I can tell) in the amber turn signal panel, but other than that they are probably about as good as you're gonna find -- and likely MUCH better than any you happen to come across in the bone yard. If you're interested - PM me and we'll see if we can agree on a price. Meanwhile I'll get 'em photographed and in the classifieds.

[frodosm3]

im assuming no wiring work was done since you followed a write up format and its not mentioned about any re-wiring. good thread by the way

[M.H. Yount]

The old harness plug connected to the new 6-panels without any changes.

[frodosm3]

thats awesome, makes the swap even easier

[940guy]

oh wow nice!

[Roy 940]

Nice job and nice car also!

[Bob]

Looks great. I'm going to use a fair amount of tape like this when I trim my rear quarter lips in the back.

Wish it was easier to go from 6 to 5 panels, my favorite taillights are the Euro 5-panels!

[M.H. Yount]

Yup - tape is cheap. Repairing the errant mark in nice paint with a cut-off wheel - not so much.

[530turbo]

Looks really good mike!!