Tail lights

[mike561]

Im considering putting the newer type tailights on from the 86-90 caprices, one important question i have though is do i need to get the WHOLE peice with the side lights too (the black arrow is pointing to this peice) or just the whole strip (blue arrows)

[PeteA216]

It looks like it's all one piece.


By the way... if you do switch over, wanna sell the old ones?

[mike561]

ok so i do need both peices, yeah i was wondering what to do with the old ones, ill let you know when i get the new ones on when this weather gets better here, ill probably be heading over to the salvage yard tommorow

[PeteA216]

Cool, yeah let me know, depending on how far away you are, I'm really interested in your old tail lights. They're in great shape, and I'm sort of a Caprice parts collector. All of them around here are getting crushed as opposed to being partsed out in yards, so I'm thinking in the next few years parts liek that will become harder to come by and having an inventory would be great.

[463]

Mike: a while back when i had my 80 caprice i put my 86 beside the 80 and had a good look doing the tail light upgrade in my 80 and found that in 86 the trunk area looked like a retooling was used in the 86 to 90 b body as was used prior to to the 86 style. haveing said this it looked like a lot of fabrication to make the change over so i put the idea on the shelf. 463

[silicon212]

You have to drill two holes in the trunk but that's the only modification needed.

[mike561]

yeah was studying the two pics of the one pete posted, and mine, i would need to get different bumber fillers too, im gonna see how much they are

[PeteA216]

Bumper filler's are cheap from bone yards. I got two sets (2 rear left and 2 rear right) for my '84 for only $10.

[silicon212]

The 'bumper filler' is fiberglass on the =>1986 rear housing, it bolts to it as opposed to the bumper on earlier models. If you get the later assembly, it will more than likely have this already attached.

[mike561]

good to know

[PeteA216]

On the older models though ('80-ish to '85) the bumper filler is bolted with two nuts on threaded studs to the body, not the bumper. Theres also a metal plate behind the filler, using the same two nuts to keep the filler piece from being pushed in too far as the rest of it is just freely sitting there, I'm assuming to allow for body/chassis movement and flexing while the car is driving.

[silicon212]

You're right, I was thinking about the front bumper.

[mike561]

i actually have the metal peice on the filler still, does the trick, keeps it from being pushed in

[silicon212]

NM, I totally blew that - the piece you are talking about is on the side of the car, between the bumper and the body, correct? There are actually three studs and nuts plus that metal piece, not two. These are urethane and tend to fall apart after so long. I've replaced mine twice now.

[mike561]

not to get off topic, but what years were the internal antenna on the windsheild? my 88 caprice diddnt have that. you'd think that something like that would come in the later years, personally i like the antenna in the windsheild like i have, gives the car a cleaner look.