restoring tail light housings

[AmadeusCharger500]

Im pretty sure its not possible to find new ones!

Couple questions

-How to remove bulbs that are rusted in place
-cleaning the bulb housings once the bulbs are out
-painting the housings
-re-wrapping the wire harness, is it worth it.

Also are they inter changeable 71 to 74?

Any suggestions, tips, how to's, greatly appreciated.

[Nacho-RT74]

unfortunatelly no new tail lights available new for any 3rd gen year. Just lenses ( except 72 standard and SE )

This becomes critical on plastic housings like 73/74 which don't age nice.

73/74 SE are the worst because they get a chromed finish outside. So any home fix will become those on a regular tail lights argent finish, or any color you want for custom finish.

Is not true the Chromed spray cans are really Chromed LOL, just a brighter silver. Sometimes with a clearcoat finish ( don't ask how I know it LOL )

This procedure doesn't have any magic or misterious step but pretty much instinctive and straight up:

Stuck bulbs? Break them and pull the bulb base out twisting it with a plyer

Clean the sockets inside with a dremmel wire brush. Check the spring loaded center contacts plate are still free to the pressure. Apply a LIGHT coat of dielectric grease around for rust protection. The wire brush will eliminate the gold plated finish sockets had which helps on rust prevention ( acually just delays the rust appearence LOL ), but there is no other way to do it. ( I actually used a 600 grit sand paper, because I didn't have the dremmel brush bit )

For paint, just sandpaper all around with 400 or 600 grit then just spray out argent color can. No need for primer, that kind of plastic takes the paint easily.

You can cover up the sockets with masking tape or even a paper ball plug inserted into them. You could use some wine bottle cork too if you have around.

Rewraping the harness, no big science there. Some tail lights I have find got cloth tape for that, some are non stick vinyl wrap ( just like the rest of car )... both are available around

Been there done that in all those same stages LOL

Yes all 71/74 tail lights interchanges, but the bottom bracket for license plate changes too with the tail lights. 71/72 uses a short one and 73/74 uses a bit longer one. This is because the 71/72 tail lights inner sides ends closer to the license plate than 73/74 and this bottom bracket gets a wedge to help on hold the tail light in place

Pot metal 71/72 housings don't get a ground wire on harness because they are chassis grounded, so you won't find a wire coming from them to attach into the trunk provision for that like plastic housings got.

[AmadeusCharger500]

Nacho, what can I say.
Fantastic info.
Great explanation.

I actually have 2 sets for the project im working on. One is slightly nicer in the sockets as someone tried replace some sockets and cracked the housing. Anyway I get the sense these things are worth holding onto.
Thank you so much!

[Nacho-RT74]

The only way to replace the sockets is prying up the lips in front to be pulled out from back, with care because will need to be reused. BTDT on that too. I had to replace the reverse socket from my passenger side tail light and got a broken tail light donor for that. Of course reinstalling had to bend back the lip to reinstall that on my tail light housing. It doesn't look pretty when you remove the lense but fit nice and works. Saved also the housing from been broken.

I didn't masked up completelly the sockets, but used a paper ball plug to paint them to just protects the inners of the sockets. Sure the socket outer lips got some painted, but I wasn't picky on that.

[AmadeusCharger500]

Painted and all the lights Work!

[AmadeusCharger500]

Is this correct light bracket for this license plate holder

[Nacho-RT74]

Yes but it got missed the lense. Is available new repro thought. And I think the full asssembly it is too.

This is a NOS one I have what I found locally in Vzla.

[Nacho-RT74]

BTW, you could have fixed the chip on right tail light at bottom inner corner with bondo, fiberglass, or even filling it up with  some epoxy glue.. even the clay kind! I have been there and fixed it on that way