Removing rear lenses

[danaspider]

I am trying to take the rear taillight assembly apart, specifically try to get the lens off od the black housing, so I can repair a couple of the broken off bolts. Anyone know how to get the lenses off?

Thanks

[4uall]

this might help http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAIohDEEEGM

[danaspider]

Thanks but that is for the pre 79 tail light. The 79 on has the horizintal lens and it is part of the main housing.

Anyone else have ideas?

[vandor]

They do not come apart. They are glued together for life during manufacture.

[RRoller123]

The designers were hitting the Chianti bottle again when they did this. Imagine a tail light lense cover that you can't replace. LOL. But we love these quirky cars anyway.

[vandor]

The designers were hitting the Chianti bottle again when they did this. Imagine a tail light lense cover that you can't replace. LOL. But we love these quirky cars anyway.

Most cars since the 80s have taillights like that. Inexpensive manufacture and fewer parts are more important than serviceability.
bye

[RRoller123]

I guess I am used to my old Volvos, where I just would unscrew the cracked one and screw on a replacement. Makes so much sense, especially for items that sit at the corners, wher ethey get biffed all the time. It's one of those "Doh!" moments.

[vandor]

Volvo went to the glued together taillights in 1981. All my 240s had the one piece taillights. Sometimes if one had 2 taillights with different lenses broken, one could use a Dremel tool to remove a good lens from a broken taillight and glue it onto another.

[danaspider]

Well, the real issue was that the reflector in the turn signal area had rusted out and was bouncing around in the housing. So what I did was to cut our a rectangular section on the inside of the plastic housing. Through this opening I was able to remove the rusted reflector. I then mad a new relector piece, which I pop riveted to the cutout piece of the plastic. The relfector that I made I painted with chrome paint and then covered it with aluminum ducting tape. Actually makes a very good reflector. I thne glued the piece of plastic that had been cut out back in. Problem solved. Much cheaper than buying a new lens assembly.

Only took a few hours. Worht considering.

More on LED add ons for taillight in another post.

[danaspider]

Well, the real issue was that the reflector in the turn signal area had rusted out and was bouncing around in the housing. So what I did was to cut our a rectangular section on the inside of the plastic housing. Through this opening I was able to remove the rusted reflector. I then mad a new relector piece, which I pop riveted to the cutout piece of the plastic. The relfector that I made I painted with chrome paint and then covered it with aluminum ducting tape. Actually makes a very good reflector. I thne glued the piece of plastic that had been cut out back in. Problem solved. Much cheaper than buying a new lens assembly.

Only took a few hours. Worht considering.

More on LED add ons for taillight in another post.