'67 GTO Tail Light Housing Refinishing
 

I'm wanting to clean up and restore my '67 GTO tail light assemblies. My lens' are not to bad, just need to polish them up.

I want to know how to refinish the housings. I see that Ames has the reflective chrome style paint for the inner areas. What is the finish for the outer (Trunk Side) area?

How would you clean up both the inner and outer areas? I read in some real old articles (Muscle Car Review) that you could clean up the outside with scotchbrite pads, looks quite difficult with all the small nooks and crannies on the edges. What would the finish be, some sort of gray or metallic silver?

Looking for any tips and suggestions from anyone that has experience doing these.
I had thought about glass beading, any idea on how to go with this?

Any and all help would be welcome.
Thanks

Had mine powder coated and then sprayed the chrome paint on the inside. Works good for me.

What color powder coat did you use?
How did the chrome spray paint work out?

Chrome spray works well.

There was a thread about someone using Eastwood carburetor refinishing paint to make the exterior the gold tone like they were originally and using chrome paint inside.

Tiger,
If you were to glassbead the exterior of the housings, you would have just what the originals were as installed.

Mine are painted gloss white on the inside and combined with SYLVANIA 1157R ZEVO LED they are at least twice as bright as original setup was.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1556362107

Charles

All cast housings originally looked like a carb on the outside. Here is an NOS '67 Firebird housing.

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...1&d=1544556432
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...2&d=1544556442
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...3&d=1544556456
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...4&d=1544556465
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...5&d=1544556479

Firebird may have had gold there, BUT 67 GTO DID NOT!

Ask me how I know? Or, look at my info on the right.

Or, Bloomington Gold Survior, 30,00 mile car.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1556386980

LOL Okay.

https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/60911632.jpg

Exactly how many GTOs did they build at the Norwood plant in 67?
(Hint: It was a nice even number, rhymes with hero)

The housings in my '67 look like Old Goat 67s. Mine was built June 1967 in Pontiac.

Are you the original owner? I sold a pair of NOS 1967 GTO housings in Carlisle 2 years ago that looked just like the NOS 1967 Firebird housing I posted. Remember, carburetors did not stay gold either with time.

The more you speak, the more I'm convinced you don't know anything correctly.

Thanks for all the replies, they are all very helpful.

Old Goat 67: Those look great, I was thinking the housings should be a kind of dull aluminum.

I took a some pictures today of mine. I used a flash when taking them. What do you think?

They are not "real bad" but I just wanted to clean them up and try to replicate the finish that was close to the original.

Tail lights are getting a bit dim and difficult to see especially in the bright sun. That's why I wanted to replace the chrome reflective inside the housings, of course things always snowball!

Yes this car needs work, tail panel, both trunk weather strip gutters and usual areas around the rear window all need replacing. I can't help it....I get a real blast driving this car!

The NOS ones that I sold about 5 years ago did not have a goldish tint to them.

The more you post, the more I'm convinced you are just another Corvette owner or at least a GTOAA member (or both).

:rolleyes:

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...3&d=1556410957
http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...2&d=1544556442

Yes sir, I think just glass beading the outside would work fine for you.

The inside I do have an idea you may want to try.
When I was trying to redo mine, the "chrome" spray available left something to be desired, I tried them and wound up using gloss white which gave more light out back than the chrome stuff.

Since then, Greg Reid on this board used Spaz Stix to do the chrome highlights on the dash.
https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...d.php?t=754763

If I were to take mine out again, which I will sooner or later, I believe I'd try that to make them brighter.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...3&d=1518972711

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...6&postcount=95

BTW
Chief of the 60's

Did not read your comments and never will. You are on my PERMANENT IGNORE list.

Oh, did I hit the nail on the head? Because you seem a little butthurt. That's good because you were not on the assembly line building them and therefore are not the authority on how they were made. You only go off of what "you" have, read or was told. To say an "NOS" part is "wrong" is as ludicrous as it gets. I would almost bet that I was playing with them longer than you have owned them.

Charles is correct all the way. Mine in my 66 are also white inside, and metal finish with no paint on the housings seen inside the trunk. As was my 1st 66 GTO.

Just a thought. To clean up the outside you could also try the walnut media. It might be less harmful than the glass, and keep the original texture of the metal.

Chief of the 60's, I don't know about what year Firebirds you believe the housings were gold, inside or out, but it wasn't 67, 68, 69, or 79. The only way they could be gold is overspray from some idiot doing repair work on the rear using gold paint. Or they incorrectly "thought" they should be gold. Some people are either not to bright or don't care. Maybe you should read a body service manual on what is painted what, or not, from the factory.

I am not the original owner, but I have owned the car since 1981.

Everyone, sorry about taking so long getting back to the thread.

I really appreciate all the pictures and suggestions from everyone, I will probably bead blast (or use walnut shells) the housings then do the chrome for the insides. Looks like another tool to buy! I guess I need a small blasting cabinet anyway.

Old Goat 67: Thanks again for the pictures, your trunk area look fantastic as I'm sure the entire car does. I do have some Spaz Stix, stuff works great. I plan on using it on my instrument cluster panel like Greg did.

I'm hoping to get some help on this trunk area panel replacement while I get the taillight assemblies done.

As someone said in the "Paint Jail" thread, I guess we all will have to learn how to do more and more of the repair/restoration projects ourselves.

You got my curiosity piqued. I have searched everything I can and still cannot find the thread. Maybe I'm using the wrong search words. Do you remember anything else about it?

I just want to see the whole thread and see how everything was done. Sounds interesting.

Thanks