i've been thinking about putting 89-91 taillights in my
1988 gxl, i was kindy wondering how easy it was from the guys that have already done it.
are their any mods required?

 

I've never done it, but from what I've read, you just take yer old ones off, trim a small bit of metal off, and pop the new ones in..

You have the trim (or bend) some metal so the new bulbs will fit (I think)..

This is a cosmetic mod that I want to do really bad as well =) The newer lights BY FAR look better than 86-88 lights...

 

Hey, i did it and im pretty much an amateur it's a great mod, makes your car look soo much better.



You unbolt your old lights (8 bolts), un plug em, trim a small bit of metal off the inside (you will see what I mean when you install the lights, the licence plate illumination bulb housing hits the body). I used a dremel tool, worked great. Make sure to cover it with rust inhibiting paint (just primer or somethin) to keep the exposed metal from rusting out. pop the new lights in, they plug right up.

if you have a vert, you will need the lights from a vert, they have a keyhole in the right one, and are just a bit different.

 

Just make sure you get the center piece (license holder) if not it is a pain in the butt to modify your old one to fit. But it will work but I just don’t think the pain of modifying your old one will out weight the price of picking up the extra piece. Late

 

thanks for the info it's great to final be around rx-7 owners
where I am there is only two rx-7's in my county and that me and my friends 1st gen..

 

its not a pain to modify your liscense plater holder to fit the round lights on. you just have to cut some of the plastic off so the lights will fit snug. very easy

 

Could a Mazda dealership perform this modification?

 

Good god no! first i dont think they would be willing and second unless your really (and I mean really) confident with your dealer dont ever, ever take your car to them.

 

Mazda dealers are ONLY, and I do mean ONLY, good for 3 things:

Replacement thermostats (just the part, not the labor)
Replacement Alternators (just the part, not the labor) and
Replacement Starters (just the part, not the labor.)

For anything else, go somewhere else.

Brad

 

Brad is 100% right... for all of us who have made the mistake of taking our cars to a dealorship...


mazda sales rep: "hey, don't those rx7's have some kind of different motor than other cars? I don't know... those things are weird.."

me: "ehhh, yeah, something like that.... " :disgusted:





~Jesse