Cleaning tail lights???

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Cleaning tail lights???

September 27, 2014, 09:02:48 AM

I am going to try remove my tail lights(87 Tbird) for cleaning. For those who have done this I need tips...What adhesive to use? Will I need to use a heat gun (low temp) etc....Any tips will be appreciated.

Cleaning tail lights???

Reply #1 – September 27, 2014, 11:36:56 PM

(six?) Metal clips hold the lens on by friction, and something like butyl rope is used between the tail light pieces. You should just have to lightly pry to get the lens and housing to separate. I've always used black silicone to seal it back up, but the silicone can also make it almost impossible to open up the lens again.

Be careful - the outside lenses are fragile at this age. I've had a couple lenses crack was just a slight amount of pressure/stress - they start to look like there are internal fractures. I'm very careful when washing or polishing my tail lights now. We really need a good source for new lenses/lights...

Cleaning tail lights???

Reply #2 – September 28, 2014, 01:04:43 AM

Yea you have to be extremely careful to not crack them
The replacement lights I bought on eBay were absolutely filthy and took me many nights to get them where I wanted them
For all scratches (including the center grill portion) I used rubbing and polishing compound, clear rtv to seal them up, and metallized film tape for the reflective portion of the tail lights
After I put the time into restoring my lights I'm pretty happy with how they look
I'll try posting a pic up tomorrow