Perkchiro
02/25/2006, 03:37 PM
Tail Light Repairs
Thought I would pass along my experience in tail light restoration. Upon inspection of my tail light sockets, I found A LOT of rust and corrosion. In short, the light sockets were shot and in need of new springs and contacts. The correct 1157 bulbs would not "seat" in their respective receptacle holders. I did an internet search and found a website that sells new original type Ford sockets that fit into the tail panel perfectly. These new sockets were prewired with the correct internal contacts and just had to be spliced into the harness There are a variety of other electrical items at this website: www.oemsurplus911.com (http://www.oemsurplus911.com). Keep in mind that each socket requires a good ground in order to work properly. Inspect your wiring harness for cracks in the insulation and repair with solder and shrink wrap tubing for a lasting repair. Remember also that the chrome tail light "doors" if purchased new,are often sold with a flat back perimeter and this must be removed with Laquer thinner and be all chrome to be correct for the GT/CS. I also lightly sanded the tail lamp receptacle units and repainted them with reflective paint. These are often faded or darkened after years of use, and will not allow the tail lamps to reflect well when braking or driving at night. I used Rustoleum, Bright clear metallic finish Chrome #7718 and this turned out well. In addition, my tail light lenses were scratched and broken. I purchased a good used original set from E-Bay. I understand that you can also restore old lenses with restoration kits from Eastwood. New reproduction lenses are also available from most mustang supply houses. Here is a picture of my completed tail panel, minus the lenses and chrome doors. Good luck with your tail light restoration!
Steve
Thought I would pass along my experience in tail light restoration. Upon inspection of my tail light sockets, I found A LOT of rust and corrosion. In short, the light sockets were shot and in need of new springs and contacts. The correct 1157 bulbs would not "seat" in their respective receptacle holders. I did an internet search and found a website that sells new original type Ford sockets that fit into the tail panel perfectly. These new sockets were prewired with the correct internal contacts and just had to be spliced into the harness There are a variety of other electrical items at this website: www.oemsurplus911.com (http://www.oemsurplus911.com). Keep in mind that each socket requires a good ground in order to work properly. Inspect your wiring harness for cracks in the insulation and repair with solder and shrink wrap tubing for a lasting repair. Remember also that the chrome tail light "doors" if purchased new,are often sold with a flat back perimeter and this must be removed with Laquer thinner and be all chrome to be correct for the GT/CS. I also lightly sanded the tail lamp receptacle units and repainted them with reflective paint. These are often faded or darkened after years of use, and will not allow the tail lamps to reflect well when braking or driving at night. I used Rustoleum, Bright clear metallic finish Chrome #7718 and this turned out well. In addition, my tail light lenses were scratched and broken. I purchased a good used original set from E-Bay. I understand that you can also restore old lenses with restoration kits from Eastwood. New reproduction lenses are also available from most mustang supply houses. Here is a picture of my completed tail panel, minus the lenses and chrome doors. Good luck with your tail light restoration!
Steve