Hey Guys,

Well I actually just purchased my first muscle car project but have a few questions. I purchased a 1970 Cutlass Supreme that I finding is needing things here and there.the biggest thing so far is I noticed that the taillight sockets are in bad shape and need repair both with sand blasting and the sockets need to be repaired as well. I was wondering if anyone had repaired the actual sockets and has any good advice for replacing them. I found these but was unsure how and if they actually worked http://pages.ebay.com/motors/link/?n...760802&alt=web. I tried searching and didn't get the exact results I was looking for and I'm sure I missed it as well so I apologize if this is a repeat.

 

you can usually disaassemble everything and clean it up and reassemble.

if the sockets are actually bad i dont think you can replace them

i have some 70 tailight housings w good sockets and wire pigtails if you need them LMK

tail light parts

 

The sockets are swaged into the housings. You'll destroy them to get them out. You'll then need to figure out how to adapt snap-in sockets.

 

Hey Guys,

Thanks for the responses I actually think I figured out a solution without destroying the wiring or sockets,

I found company that actually sells the brass connector ends..

http://www.repairconnector.com/produ...Connector.html

So what I think I am going to try is cutting those ends off and pulling the wires through, then sending the plates out to get sand blasted and cleaned up, re-installing the wires and putting the new ends on and I think that should solve my problem. Ill keep this updated if that actually works for others that might have the same problems.

 

A common failure is the springs that go over the wires, behind the connector ends, which I don't see on their web site. As long as you're refurbishing the sockets you should look for new springs, too.

 

Fun71, its acutally interesting you mentioned about the spring aspect, I did notice that mine does not have those in their current state. I might have to do some digging to see if I can find some of those.

 

Dorman makes a bunch of those sockets and also just the wires. For my 70, I bought new metal sockets with spring loaded wires and then took out the guts and put in my old sockets to avoid having to swage the new ones in. I think I got mine at napa but google dorman wiring, sockets etc and find the part number and then ask your local advanced auto or napa to order them. A lot of them have innards you can pull out that are almost identical to original.

 

Dorman makes a bunch of those sockets and also just the wires. For my 70, I bought new metal sockets with spring loaded wires and then took out the guts and put in my old sockets to avoid having to swage the new ones in. I think I got mine at napa but google dorman wiring, sockets etc and find the part number and then ask your local advanced auto or napa to order them. A lot of them have innards you can pull out that are almost identical to original.