kramer70cutlass

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.

RetroRanger

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

joe_padavano

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.

kramer70cutlass

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.

Fun71

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.

kramer70cutlass

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.

oldsconv

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.

oldsconv

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.