Flush tailights DIY
10-10-2005, 09:01 PM
#21
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I just did this mod today and it looks awesome! Very subtle, but really transforms the back-end. Aside from the excellent directions provided by laketullochvette I'd like to add a few tips from my own install:
-I grabbed the gray colored foam gasket material because I didn't realize the foam would be visible...had to go back to the store for black
-Completely remove the lenses and either clean them with rubbing alcohol or dish detergent. Once clean, the gasket material sticks MUCH better than simply wiping them down. Actually if properly clean, its actually kinda hard to pull the stuff off
-When you run the foam gasket around the perimeter of the light housing, make sure the seam is on top of the lense. I started thinking the bottom would not show as much, but the tail-light hole/housing interface at the bottom is much wider than the top and will show seam gaps in the foam gasket. The top of the lenses compresses the foam to about 1/4 of its thickness so I would imagine that small gaps would close up better than the bottom.
-At the screw hole loactions, trim straight down the foam gasket in the same plane the screw would follow. The curvature of the lense makes the foam curve towards the center of the housing and it will push the spacers inward as well...makes aligning the holes more difficult. The slit relieves the curve and the spacers will stand up straight
-Take some double-sided tape and stick the 1/4" and 1/2" spacer together. Before I stuck them together, I dropped one of the 1/4" spacers into the void between the trunk and bumper cover...thankfully I found it, but could have been avoided if they were "one piece"
-Before you try to cram the housing now surrounded by the foam gasket into the hole, spray the interior of the tail-light hole with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol will provide the needed lubrication for the install but will evaporate pretty quickly. I had trouble with my gasket "curling" when I pushed the lense into the hole dry (I feel dirty just typing that), but after I applied the alcohol, it actually "popped" into place
-Use a craft popsicle stick...or similar flat, soft object (about 1/16" thick) to push the gasket into place to relieve any "curling". The craft stick really made it MUCH easier to set a uniform depth around the circumference
Overall I think it looks good. If you get within inches of it, it looks a *little* ghetto, but from about 2-3 feet you can't even see the gasket material...which kinda looks like neoprene gasket when the foam is compressed. If anyone can host, I can send some "after pics"
R/
Dustin
-I grabbed the gray colored foam gasket material because I didn't realize the foam would be visible...had to go back to the store for black
-Completely remove the lenses and either clean them with rubbing alcohol or dish detergent. Once clean, the gasket material sticks MUCH better than simply wiping them down. Actually if properly clean, its actually kinda hard to pull the stuff off
-When you run the foam gasket around the perimeter of the light housing, make sure the seam is on top of the lense. I started thinking the bottom would not show as much, but the tail-light hole/housing interface at the bottom is much wider than the top and will show seam gaps in the foam gasket. The top of the lenses compresses the foam to about 1/4 of its thickness so I would imagine that small gaps would close up better than the bottom.
-At the screw hole loactions, trim straight down the foam gasket in the same plane the screw would follow. The curvature of the lense makes the foam curve towards the center of the housing and it will push the spacers inward as well...makes aligning the holes more difficult. The slit relieves the curve and the spacers will stand up straight
-Take some double-sided tape and stick the 1/4" and 1/2" spacer together. Before I stuck them together, I dropped one of the 1/4" spacers into the void between the trunk and bumper cover...thankfully I found it, but could have been avoided if they were "one piece"
-Before you try to cram the housing now surrounded by the foam gasket into the hole, spray the interior of the tail-light hole with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol will provide the needed lubrication for the install but will evaporate pretty quickly. I had trouble with my gasket "curling" when I pushed the lense into the hole dry (I feel dirty just typing that), but after I applied the alcohol, it actually "popped" into place
-Use a craft popsicle stick...or similar flat, soft object (about 1/16" thick) to push the gasket into place to relieve any "curling". The craft stick really made it MUCH easier to set a uniform depth around the circumference
Overall I think it looks good. If you get within inches of it, it looks a *little* ghetto, but from about 2-3 feet you can't even see the gasket material...which kinda looks like neoprene gasket when the foam is compressed. If anyone can host, I can send some "after pics"
R/
Dustin
Last edited by konish; 10-10-2005 at 09:09 PM. Reason: clarification
11-11-2005, 08:42 AM
#23
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Thanks for the writeup. 
11-12-2005, 03:53 AM
#26
Burning Brakes
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I've seen someone else do this via the DIY method. I just hadn't thought past the catalog description to "hey, I could do that myself". I'm sure you saved over th $40 I paid for mine. Regardless, it does have a cool look! 
11-12-2005, 06:39 AM
#27
Safety Car
Almost impossible to get nylon spacers at Home Depot here. If you go to a smaller mom and pop type hardware store they seem to have a large selection of them. They have a drawer full of spacers at Ace harware and True Value here in FL.
11-19-2005, 06:04 PM
#31
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just did mine today on my 99 coupe. used 1" spacers on inside and cut them down to 3/4" on the two outside. looks smooth but the top of the tail light sticks out just a bit. if you don't look for it you'll never see it but i know it's there. very, very clean though. i got all my stuff a lowe's. screws, nylon bushings, rubber and foam weatherstrip, silicone sealant, black spray paint. will post pics tommorrow.
11-20-2005, 09:24 PM
#32
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ok, here is what I did w/ pics. I coudn't ever get the gasket to lay down right around the tailight so I used a marine gasket and applied in the tallight whole. I used the same spacers but It was easier for me to secure them to the taillights prior to install
11-27-2005, 04:23 PM
#36
Safety Car
Originally Posted by Ebbsnflows
I've managed to locate all of the parts EXCEPT those damned spacers. I've gone to 2 different Home D's and 2 different Lowe's and all 4 are completely out of the .194 dia spacers. 
I'm totally dead in the water without them. (and I refuse to pay the outrageous price for the "kits" from the various vendors)
I'm totally dead in the water without them. (and I refuse to pay the outrageous price for the "kits" from the various vendors)
11-27-2005, 04:28 PM
#37
Safety Car
Originally Posted by BigJoe
This is where I get messed up. I tried to stick the gasket as you said but it either wasn't sticky enough or there is not enough flat area to stick it too as it kept coming off when I tried to fit it into the opening. Then it got all distorted and looked like c**p. I would really like to see a pic of exactly where the gasket is supposed to fit.
I agree that the 1 inch spacers may be a bit too long. Unless you tilt the top of the lights back more than they are in the stock fitting. But I bet that would mess up the light pattern for folks following you. Hmmm. Maybe I can cut off the bushings I have and give it another try...
I agree that the 1 inch spacers may be a bit too long. Unless you tilt the top of the lights back more than they are in the stock fitting. But I bet that would mess up the light pattern for folks following you. Hmmm. Maybe I can cut off the bushings I have and give it another try...
07-05-2010, 12:56 PM
#38
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I just completed this, thanks to laketullochvette, but I didn't use the gasket material.
Not sure what this adds. Yes, water can leak through, but it will just drain off inside the rear bumper. The OE setup had no gasket, so what's the big deal?
Somehow I lost one of the (6) 1/4" spacers. Rather than another trip to the hardware store, I used a nut and washer which came within 1/32
Why did I wait so long to do this?
Not sure what this adds. Yes, water can leak through, but it will just drain off inside the rear bumper. The OE setup had no gasket, so what's the big deal?
Somehow I lost one of the (6) 1/4" spacers. Rather than another trip to the hardware store, I used a nut and washer which came within 1/32
Why did I wait so long to do this?
