Salvage retention: how to pass break and lamp inspection with cracked cover

My 1989 Mazda 929 was totaled and I decided to retain the car as it still works fine. It was rear-ended and one of the break lights got a cracked cover. I just took it for a break and light inspection and the guy said he wouldn't pass it because of the crack in the cover (the light works, but a piece of the plastic cover is missing and you can see the bulb behind it. He said some inspectors would pass it if I covered the whole with red tape, but that he wouldn't. I wanted to ask what is the best type of tape to use for this, and what are the chances of passing the inspection? Because it's an old car Mazda no longer sells a replacement for this part, so I don't see how else I can keep the car and get it registered. Thanks for any tips