75 911 Tail light assembly issue? Ideas?

[75Carrera]

My 75 Carrera Coupe has tail lights that seem to be loosing their grip. My brake lights seem to be going out regularly due to some sort of connection problem. I've gone in from behind and tried to clean off and give life to the contacts but they keep failing after a short time. Any neat tricks any of you might know to fit this or do I need new housings? UGH!

[Wyvern]

I put in the "el cheepo" local car store LED bulbs.
Now never failed me once ???

[kentSC]

This is a common problem. I have used two cable ties to provide temporary fix to hold the backing piece in place which becomes loose and loses contact, but I am alos keen for more permanent solution. The cheapo LED sounds like a good idea.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

By popular demand - tail light rebuild/LED conversion

[75Carrera]

Jeff,

Thanks man. That's exactly what I needed to see and hear! Once again, PELICAN RULES!!!
Very cool...

[75Carrera]

Just ordered a set of clean original housing assemblies from 20th Street Auto in Phoenix. $140 delivered in a day. Think I may take my old ones and see how well I do at rebuilding them with LEDs. Jeff's clean re-do is pretty darned cool me thinks.

[75Carrera]

Yikes! My plan was to install the two tail light assemblies I got from 20th Street and then rebuild my originals like Jeff shows above. It looked like a fun, good thing to do until I stopped at NAPA this morning and found out the replacement LED lights that fit into the stock receptacles cost over $50 each! With three lights required per side, I don't think I'll be doing the LED conversion. I love the idea but it gets downright impractical at that cost. Plus the sockets and contact connections (that are actually the issue I believe) would still be the same. Hard to see that being very smart.
What do you think? Is there a better (cheaper way?)

[Zeke]

Don't buy them at NAPA or get their best discount. They don't seem to treat walk-ins very well. I found out a little trick from one of the counter guys. He told me to tell him that I worked for the city and was paying cash instead of on account. I got the city's discount, like 40% off.

Or, shop the LED's online.

[75Carrera]

Originally Posted by milt

Don't buy them at NAPA or get their best discount. They don't seem to treat walk-ins very well. I found out a little trick from one of the counter guys. He told me to tell him that I worked for the city and was paying cash instead of on account. I got the city's discount, like 40% off.

Or, shop the LED's online.

Thanks Milt! I really wanted to try the conversion but that price set me back. I'll look on line first. This would be an excellent item for someone to do and sell as replacements taking the cores for the next set. Probably not something I'd try to do but I know some wrenches who are always looking for special projects to market. I got my hand made strut bar for $100 from my guy a few years ago. He's sold quite a few of them.