Bizzy
SHO Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2001
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I had already converted my tail lights (red/amber) on my 91 over to the all red lens' from a 90. Since then there have been a lot of you interested in doing the same. When I did this before I didn't take pics of how I modified mine so I could offer before now were verbal instructions. I don't know about you guys, but I like pics on how to do things along with verbal instructions. So......because recently a lovely grocery store shopping cart blew into my car in a parking lot and broke one, I had another opportunity to take some pics of the how to's for all of you. Some bad things end up being good things, it just depends on how you look at it. 
The two lens covers compared. The top is one from a 91 (red/amber) and the bottom is one from a 90 (all red). You will note that all of the places where a light would go are there.....just the hole is not along with the retaining notches that hold the bulb socket in place the cover.
Now what I had done before was to make a paper template of the retainer part and then marked the area using that template. I then cut the hole with a dremel. Given that I didn't have the proper bit to do it with it was not done very well as you can see in the below pic. But it held the socket in place none-the-less. (Still a shabby job)
Now, the first thing you have to do for a good and more proper install than what I did previously is to cut the socket retaining area out of the old lens cover. Get as close to the retaining part (stay within the circle area) as you can without getting to close to the inner edge which would take away from the strength of the retainer. I still do not have the proper bit for a dremel so what I did was I used my drill press to drill holes very close to each other in a circle and then took a file and finished separating the plastic between the holes.
You then have to cut out a smaller circle in the new lens cover. It has to be large enough where you won't have the existing cover interfere with the new piece you're going to put on there, but not too large because you have to epoxy this piece in place on the new cover. In other words, you have to have something to glue it to in order for it to work so you do want some overlapping.
Once the new hole is cut, take some epoxy and put the new piece in place. The whole deal takes about 30 minutes to do and works like a charm.
The finished product ready to install.
Just as a side note, the holes could be better cut with a hole saw, but the one I have was too large so I made do with what I had. I also owe thanks to Bill Saunders (shobill) for the idea. He had already cut some out of an old lens, but I don't think he's finished his yet. So.....Thanks Bill! It works!
The two lens covers compared. The top is one from a 91 (red/amber) and the bottom is one from a 90 (all red). You will note that all of the places where a light would go are there.....just the hole is not along with the retaining notches that hold the bulb socket in place the cover.
Now what I had done before was to make a paper template of the retainer part and then marked the area using that template. I then cut the hole with a dremel. Given that I didn't have the proper bit to do it with it was not done very well as you can see in the below pic. But it held the socket in place none-the-less. (Still a shabby job)
Now, the first thing you have to do for a good and more proper install than what I did previously is to cut the socket retaining area out of the old lens cover. Get as close to the retaining part (stay within the circle area) as you can without getting to close to the inner edge which would take away from the strength of the retainer. I still do not have the proper bit for a dremel so what I did was I used my drill press to drill holes very close to each other in a circle and then took a file and finished separating the plastic between the holes.
You then have to cut out a smaller circle in the new lens cover. It has to be large enough where you won't have the existing cover interfere with the new piece you're going to put on there, but not too large because you have to epoxy this piece in place on the new cover. In other words, you have to have something to glue it to in order for it to work so you do want some overlapping.
Once the new hole is cut, take some epoxy and put the new piece in place. The whole deal takes about 30 minutes to do and works like a charm.
The finished product ready to install.
Just as a side note, the holes could be better cut with a hole saw, but the one I have was too large so I made do with what I had. I also owe thanks to Bill Saunders (shobill) for the idea. He had already cut some out of an old lens, but I don't think he's finished his yet. So.....Thanks Bill! It works!
Leave it to Bill to be thinking of a way to do that 
