Tail light restoration?

[sempaipaul]

Guys,

I am disassembling my car and getting it ready for paint.

Is there anyone that restores rear taillights out there? my enclosures are slightly corroded, etc.

Look forward to hearing.

Best,
Paul

[Lake Guy]

I'm in the same boat. The assemblies are shot inside. I'm thinking of buying the LED upgrades from spoke and skipping the bulb holder wiring interface. I think a sandblast and paint will make the housings good but the reflectors and such are done. Could just by some reman'd plastic ones for about $350 but where's the adventure in that?

[timmy2]

Blast them and paint the insides bright white like the euro units.
They will work great.
I bought a used set I intend to restore some day when I have time...

[arrivederci]

Just note that if the bulb sockets have corroded and are loose you may find that your tail lights will only work intermittently. I cleaned up the original set from my '72 (new chrome paint, etc) but could never get the lights to work consistently...kind of important. Aside from buying new / less used ones, converting to LED could be the trick. But the LED conversion kits I've seen all rely on the same bulb socket being in good condition.

I bit the bullet and bought new tail lights.

[E Sully]

I wire brushed, sanded, and patched bad sections with JB Weld using tape to help keep it to shape.
After, I primed and then painted with Rustoleum Bright Coat Metallic Finish.
Make sure to tape over the electrical contacts.
I painted the exterior with cold zinc spray paint.

[gamin]

A friend did his 70 housings, and I followed on my 70, basically as follows. Removed all connections sockets and wires down to metal only. Carefully note where everything goes. Photos help. Powder coated the housing in bright silver. Reinstall all that was removed. Soldering is required. Got a tight fit on the bulbs by putting 3 dabs of solder around the bulb base and a dab on the end connection(s) and then sanding them down until you have a nice fit. I have been fighting the loose bulb thing for 45 years and now finally have reliable turn signals and brake lights. Then changed to led brake lights so that hopefully the idiots following can see the tiny brake lights on the car. Brightness does help.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by gamin

Got a tight fit on the bulbs by putting 3 dabs of solder around the bulb base and a dab on the end connection(s) and then sanding them down until you have a nice fit.

In my very best German accent "Now you tell me..."

But seriously, thanks, what a great idea. I've done things like wrapping thin copper wire around the bases, and that doesn't really work.

[Uwon]

Originally Posted by E Sully

I wire brushed, sanded, and patched bad sections with JB Weld using tape to help keep it to shape.
After, I primed and then painted with Rustoleum Bright Coat Metallic Finish.
Make sure to tape over the electrical contacts.
I painted the exterior with cold zinc spray paint.

Ed, thanks for posting. I'll be on to it myself next month.
Johan

[gamin]

Thank my friend Jim. That was his idea. I used to wrap the bulbs in alum foil. Been over a year and no loose bulbs. By the way, my friend admonished me for making the restoration sound too easy. It is not. In his case, he had to fabricate some of the reflectors. JB Weld comes in handy also. Media blasting is required for powder coating. Care is needed since the housings are pot metal.

[jrsully]

Getting ready to do my 71 housings, the metal housings are excellent, but have peeling paint on the inside as normal. Going to use ESullys method (Rustoleum Chrome paint) for the majority of the inside, but going to use some 4ml mirrored, heat resistant plastic sheeting for the 1.5' x2" section that was actually mirrored by the factory (bulb in middle) juts have to figure how to get good adhesion. Any decent resto methods for the silver trim on Lenses.?

[faverymi]

I see an untapped market for this kind of minor restorations. Hopefully someone can make money turning this around.

I had mine blasted and plated by a local Harley shop. Came back new.

[jimtweet]

My Tail light restoration thread...

[Tonger]

I am looking at the same problem with some corrosion small holes in my front turn signals that were stripped and media tumbled. I have just ordered and received some muggy weld to see if I can add some metal to the thin and perforated pot metal housing. It looks good on video (no affiliation)...

http://muggyweld.com/pot-metal-repair

I'll try to take some before and after pictures. The nice thing is that the metal that you add can be sanded and smoothed afterwards.


Tonger

[E Sully]

Muggyweld looks like plumbing solder to me.

[Tonger]

Sully,

You're right in that It is a type of solder with a similar melting point. I think that the best quality is its ability to stick to all kinds of metal. I don't know if plumbing or electronic solder will.

In any event, I like the idea of a metal patch more than jb weld or epoxy. We'll see what kind of finish it can make.


Tonger

[RichardNew]

I did my lights last year. It's the socket problem that makes us all crazy.

I did the solder trick and it worked on some of the units - not all though.

Richard Newton
What is Stewardship?

[Mitsos]

I have a wiring harness.
Part # 91161203911
Driver's side rear light harness.
I ordered the incorrect one.
$100 shipping included.
Interested?

[wjdunham]

Is there a "correct" finish for these housings. I was planning on having the cover section that screws on yellow zinc plated since that's what it appears to have been originally. The main housing appears to have been originally all chrome plated or something (1969E car for me). I'd prefer to have the housings close to the original as possible, what's the best approach here?
Thanks in advance,
Bill

[Lz7w]

Originally Posted by wjdunham

Is there a "correct" finish for these housings. I was planning on having the cover section that screws on yellow zinc plated since that's what it appears to have been originally. The main housing appears to have been originally all chrome plated or something (1969E car for me). I'd prefer to have the housings close to the original as possible, what's the best approach here?
Thanks in advance,
Bill

John Audette has lots of good details on his site: http://www.audettecollection.com/a-guide-to-lwb-turn-signals/

[911obgyn]

Without restoring, I have used aluminum tape to make the reflectors shiney again
I will get around to restoration when I paint.