EXT: Converting Stock Tails to Red Clear Tails

[Straight Success]

Mock up is now here!

UPDATED!

EDIT: I still have to do final cleaning, then I will seal them up with high temp clear silicon. After that it will be on to polish these up, and they will sit like they are new (which they kinda' are) until they either get sold or I throw them on the car. "Stanley housed red/clear tails!" Woo Hoo!

[Brandoncb7]

I'm working on opening a set of OEM 92-93 tails, we broke both inner(trunk) tails trying to get them open using just a heatgun. Hopefully this oven method will work better but judging by the pictures, the ebay red/clears dont come with pre-sunbaked glue that's stiff as a brick. LOL

The outters are now blackhoused and it looks amazing. You should black out one of the ebay housings and see what the red/clear look like with it, if it's anything like the change the OEM style got from doing it, you'll love it!

Good luck with opening the OEM's, let us know the difference in opening the two, if being hardened from age really has an effect on it or if using a heatgun is just a stupid idea..

You can use a heat gun. You just have to take your time and be gentle. The oven seems to work better to me though. You soften ALL of the glue at the same time doing it that way. I put them in there for like 10 minutes, take them out and pry on it a little bit, and then put them back in for maybe 5 minutes at a time while prying in between. Then again i'm poor and can't afford to replace them so I was being anal about going slow lol. Either way mine didn't ever crack or chip so I was happy.

[Raf99]

You can use a heat gun. You just have to take your time and be gentle. The oven seems to work better to me though. You soften ALL of the glue at the same time doing it that way. I put them in there for like 10 minutes, take them out and pry on it a little bit, and then put them back in for maybe 5 minutes at a time while prying in between. Then again i'm poor and can't afford to replace them so I was being anal about going slow lol. Either way mine didn't ever crack or chip so I was happy.

Mine were a pain in the asss to get apart! Even with the glue soft the inside glue was harder than the glue along the edges. I kept putting it back in the oven, which kind of worked. Then I left one in too long and it melted

[xkjnboix]

lol sorry raf99 i have to laugh at your frustration ^__^ sounds like your oems were sealed up pretty good. sux but u win some u loose some.

[illestatus]

Mine were a pain in the asss to get apart! Even with the glue soft the inside glue was harder than the glue along the edges. I kept putting it back in the oven, which kind of worked. Then I left one in too long and it melted

lol ouch

[J3wman]

Interesting.. Looking forward to see the progress of this, never thought of it

you! make a link to a MR thread i like your car and i want more pics!!!

[Raf99]

Ya, my bad. I should of used a razor blade too. Hope everyone else has better luck than I did.

[Straight Success]

Ya, my bad. I should of used a razor blade too. Hope everyone else has better luck than I did.

A razor for what? I used my flat heads to scrape all the original excess glue out. All I have to do now is seal them up with some clear silicon (I hope that provides a good seal).

[RacH22]

How easy did the OEM set you had come apart? The ones we broke are the inner tails mounted to the trunk, any troubles/tips with these??

I've been considering buying two complete sets and cutting the housing from one and the lens from the other and then merging the two, I'm just really concerned with breaking another set of inners.. Thanks in advance.

[cp[mike]]

Mine were a pain in the asss to get apart! Even with the glue soft the inside glue was harder than the glue along the edges. I kept putting it back in the oven, which kind of worked. Then I left one in too long and it melted

the solution to that problem would be lower heat, for a longer time.

[Fatman88]

A razor for what? I used my flat heads to scrape all the original excess glue out. All I have to do now is seal them up with some clear silicon (I hope that provides a good seal).

I personally use Butyl tape. I have a hook up at Nissan so I use theirs but its is just a sealant used for headlights, taillights, windows etc. The stuff is 100x better then silicone and I trust it with anything. Do it right the first time and be done with it forever. You can buy it Nissan's parts counter (pricey) or many auto parts stores. Ive seen a five foot roll for 10 bucks or so. That should do maybe 12 sets of headlights or 8 tails.

[Straight Success]

How easy did the OEM set you had come apart? The ones we broke are the inner tails mounted to the trunk, any troubles/tips with these??

I've been considering buying two complete sets and cutting the housing from one and the lens from the other and then merging the two, I'm just really concerned with breaking another set of inners.. Thanks in advance.

Not too easy, but not too hard either.

You have to be careful because the stock lenses with the amber will be fragile from old age. I got tired of being gentle with the stock lenses, so I just cracked them after the oven (they were already cracked and scratched up, so...). I just made sure I didn't damage the housing at all. I preserved the housing very well, that's all I really wanted anyway.

I only using the OEM housing and the after market lenses.

[Raf99]

the solution to that problem would be lower heat, for a longer time.

Thanks

[RacH22]

Not too easy, but not too hard either.

You have to be careful because the stock lenses with the amber will be fragile from old age. I got tired of being gentle with the stock lenses, so I just cracked them after the oven (they were already cracked and scratched up, so...). I just made sure I didn't damage the housing at all. I preserved the housing very well, that's all I really wanted anyway.

I only using the OEM housing and the after market lenses.

Kinda figured they'd be a bitch no matter what, I've opened aftermarket headlights and I knew they came apart way easier and cleaner than the oem, I guess age really takes its toll on the glue and the plastic..

I'm stuck in the water for a while so i'll have time to make up my mind on what to do..

It's lookin like I should just buy two sets and cut the opposite from each to ensure I don't destroy more than I need to.. I could keep trying to open them with heat but I could very well end up breaking them and kicking myself for not just cutting up two sets to make one good one.

Back to the OP; making your own "notshoddyebay" red/clears!

[owequitit]

Nice DIY. I am going to have to try this, because I don't like the way the red clears fit.