I don't know if this has been a topic before but I was wondering if anyone has or know of a kit to up grade the tail light bulbs from a 1157 to a 3157. I'm just thinking the 3157 with the "spade" type plug would be a lot better to get into in those tight spaces.

 

Why re-invent the wheel? The 1157 bulb is not hard to work with.

 

Well, you could research the socket seating dimensions from technical drawings, and compare them. Or, buy a 3157 socket and try it in the hole. It can tell you that it's not worth the effort on a 67 Cutlass. However, I did convert mine to LED, and made my own plugs with MetriPak connectors.

 

Probably little to be gained from that mod IMO. Cutting wires adds potential problem points/connections and I doubt the new sockets would fit the housings without mods.

A tip about changing any glass bulb, put a piece of hose over the bulb to remove it so if the glass breaks it goes into the hose vs. your fingers.

 

I see where you're going with that, but all the 3157 sockets I can find are the twist lock type like in the pic below. You will need a spring lock type for the 67 that grounds through the socket, also seen below. I think fleming442 is on the right path with the LED conversion.

3157 socket


1967 Cutlass tail light socket...

 

Many years ago when I was a broke teenager, I carefully opened up the holes in the turn signal housings on my 69 to accept the newer style bulbs. I did this because the original sockets were hopelessly corroded, I had access to free sockets (I was working in a Buick dealership at the time, lots of cars from the body shop with collision damage) and I had more time than money.

Basically, I carefully trimmed the housing to get a snug fit, then used 2 part epoxy to permanently glue the socket in place. You will need to run a new ground wire since the original cockers grounded thru the housing, the new sockets have a seperate ground wire. I used a 3 cavity weather pack connector body for the new wiring and ground connection. You can still access the bulbs from the front when a bulb replacement is needed.

I did this modification probably 30 years ago, it worked well. Years later I did the exact same thing on the rear lights. I use to race this car, I was constantly knocking the sockets out of the housing tossing the slicks in the trunk. I used the lower profile sockets with the wires that exit at 90* instead of coming straight out the back.