How did I do??...

596 Views 23 Replies 6 Participants Last post by sleepyhollowtaman, 2 mo ago

Jpar

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

I got my 95 trans am a couple weeks ago and already looking for parts...
Found a lot of stuff on hot performance but I just couldn't see myself paying $899 for a set of tail lights. My passenger side one that's a pretty significant crack around the corner of it and a couple big fat chips out of the top... I looked on eBay just for the one light on the driver side but didn't really see anything that matched... I said what the heck and started looking on Craigslist last night and found this pair of 98 to 2002 set for 200 bucks...
There's put a few scratches that I'm hoping I can buy for polish out and one of the retaining posts is broken but I'm pretty sure I could repair that....

Automotive lighting Gas Wood Art Rectangle

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ZumpTA

· #2 · 3 mo ago

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1993TransAm

· #3 · 3 mo ago

I went the same route about 13-14 years ago. I got a great deal ($150) on a pair from a 98-02 car. They look great! 😊

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Jpar

Discussion Starter · #4 · 3 mo ago

1993TransAm said:
I went the same route about 13-14 years ago. I got a great deal ($150) on a pair from a 98-02 car. They look great! 😊

Well I'm pretty sure my deal was just dumb luck. It was a little bit of a drive but not a super long one. I've went a couple hours for the parts that I wanted in the past... Sometimes a bit of a drive is a deterrent for people and then the price was so low I wasn't even sure it was true until I got there and got them...

Jpar

Discussion Starter · #5 · 2 mo ago

Well rats! It turns out my deal wasn't all that great after all..
Well they're both beautiful tail lights they're both for the right side! LOL...
Of course I called the guy just in case he gave me the wrong one but he played stupid and just said it was part of the package that he got and didn't notice it... Right.,
Hey that was a pun right LOL...
Oh well I'll survive...

ZumpTA

· #6 · 2 mo ago

Jpar said:
called the guy just in case he gave me the wrong one but he played stupid and just said it was part of the package that he got and didn't notice it... Right.

Well, let's be fair. You didn't notice. Nobody here noticed... I certainly didn't. My eyes were so drawn to all the missing reflective material, I don't think I even acknowledged the reverse lights let alone noticed I was seeing double. On the bright side, now you only have to locate one; and you have a spare to practice refurbishment on. Chances are the drivers side will need refurbished too. The '98-'02 assemblies are known for this. Simple fix, low material cost. No worries.

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1993TransAm

· #7 · 2 mo ago

You know, I thought it looked like you might have had two right hand tail light assemblies in the picture, but I thought, "Nah, the other one is just upside down. No way he bought two of the same side." 😄

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Jpar

Discussion Starter · #8 · 2 mo ago

1993TransAm said:
You know, I thought it looked like you might have had two right hand tail light assemblies in the picture, but I thought, "Nah, the other one is just upside down. No way he bought two of the same side." 😄

Just just to clarify I have three good right tail lights and one broken left one LOL...
I did order the blackout covers the night before and I was going to send those back but what I did was ordered a bunch of ultra bright LED lights for the back and I may just go ahead and use them..

1993TransAm

· #9 · 2 mo ago

I had blackout covers on my tail lights before I found the replacement 98-02 lens assemblies. They looked really cool, but at the time I was driving the car pretty much every day and I wasn't so sure they were legal or even a good idea because they darkened the illumination of the bulbs. Now that the car is a registered "historical vehicle," I have highly considered getting another set of blackout covers just for the looks. The ones I had snapped on to the lens assembly - they didn't use any Velcro or anything like that. I believe they were made by Auto Vent Shade (AVS).

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Jpar

Discussion Starter · #10 · 2 mo ago

1993TransAm said:
I had blackout covers on my tail lights before I found the replacement 98-02 lens assemblies. They looked really cool, but at the time I was driving the car pretty much every day and I wasn't so sure they were legal or even a good idea because they darkened the illumination of the bulbs. Now that the car is a registered "historical vehicle," I have highly considered getting another set of blackout covers just for the looks. The ones I had snapped on to the lens assembly - they didn't use any Velcro or anything like that. I believe they were made by Auto Vent Shade (AVS).

Yes they say AVS on them... I ordered $60 in LED light bulbs and if I'm not convinced that they are bright enough the next step would be some strategically placed holes in the covers..
Why they haven't came up with a set with small Firebirds laser cut into them I have no idea. I've seen Dodge ones with rams lasered into them..

roorancher

· #11 · 2 mo ago

Jpar said:
Why they haven't came up with a set with small Firebirds laser cut into them I have no idea. I've seen Dodge ones with rams lasered into them..

Maybe because it's tacky, and we Firebird owners are better than that, and don't want to go all ghetto.

sleepyhollowtaman

· #12 · 2 mo ago

Jpar said:
I got my 95 trans am a couple weeks ago and already looking for parts...
Found a lot of stuff on hot performance but I just couldn't see myself paying $899 for a set of tail lights. My passenger side one that's a pretty significant crack around the corner of it and a couple big fat chips out of the top... I looked on eBay just for the one light on the driver side but didn't really see anything that matched... I said what the heck and started looking on Craigslist last night and found this pair of 98 to 2002 set for 200 bucks...
There's put a few scratches that I'm hoping I can buy for polish out and one of the retaining posts is broken but I'm pretty sure I could repair that....
View attachment 233106

Mcguires selss a plastic polish. That will take the scratches out. You can also use their headlight kit to clean fogged up headlight lenses.

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roorancher

· #13 · 2 mo ago (Edited)

2

sleepyhollowtaman said:
Mcguires selss a plastic polish. That will take the scratches out. You can also use their headlight kit to clean fogged up headlight lenses.

The Meguiar's likely won't remove them all. I had some light scratching, (but no fading,) on this filler, but it also had the "firebird decal" and the word "trans am" that was almost faded to black from red, and was baked into the plastic from being on there for 28 years. I started with 320 dry sandpaper, then 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 3000, 5000 and 7000, all wet sandpaper, then finish polished with white polishing compound and ended up with the final product pictured.
I've now decided it looks so good, I'm not reinstalling the $45 decal.
Amazon sells the sandpaper in kits.

Rectangle Sleeve Grey Bag Street light

Automotive parking light Car Tire Vehicle registration plate Land vehicle

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Jpar

Discussion Starter · #14 · 2 mo ago (Edited)

I know for me I'm not opposed to buffing them and I did buy some buffing compound for those two right hand 98 to 2002 lights..
They look pretty good...
My problem is my left one was broke in half like the far left side of the left tail end was broken off and a rotten job of glowing it back on was done. And at the top there's these two and a half inch long half Moon chips that look like they may have been glued back on.
So what I did today was installed all new LED lights and put the darker covers on which pretty much equalized everything. When I had one light with old bulbs and no cover it was the same brightness as LEDs with covers...

Injuneer

· #15 · 2 mo ago

After 27-1/2 years (bought it new) and with nothing more than an occasional touch up with the Meguiar's #17 clear plastic cleaner, followed by their #10 clear plastic polish. Better than new.

The linear theme really seems to complement the lines of the spoiler and bumper. Never even considered the honeycombs. The Formula didn’t get a decal on the center filler piece.

Automotive parking light Car Vehicle registration plate Vehicle Automotive tail & brake light

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Jpar

Discussion Starter · #16 · 2 mo ago

Injuneer said:
After 27-1/2 years (bought it new) and with nothing more than an occasional touch up with the Meguiar's #17 clear plastic cleaner, followed by their #10 clear plastic polish. Better than new.

The linear theme really seems to complement the lines of the spoiler and bumper. Never even considered the honeycombs. The Formula didn’t get a decal on the center filler piece.

View attachment 233162

Those look really nice!..
I just inherited what I inherited so I'm going to have to work with what I have for the moment. After 9k on the car and another one and a half to get registered and all the small parts and service work poking out another $900 for tail lenses just staying in the cards..
I'll just keep my eyes open...

1993TransAm

· #17 · 2 mo ago

I did love the grid design of the 93-97 tail light assemblies, but mine were badly delaminating and leaking water. I even tried to fix them to no avail.

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Jpar

Discussion Starter · #18 · 2 mo ago

This is what I ended up with...

Tire Wheel Car Vehicle Vehicle registration plate

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ZumpTA

· #19 · 2 mo ago

Looks good!

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1993TransAm

· #20 · 2 mo ago

Makes me miss the set I had...

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