anyone ever tried ANY way to get the bird and pontiac lettering to light up in the middle of their '86-89(?) bird tailights?
Member
Not sure about other models, but, on the TA/GTA that piece is black ABS plastic with an emblem which is adhered in the recess.
It could be done. If a substitute tranparent emblem was fashioned, and a hole cut in the recess, leaving only a lip. Put a 194 bulb holder behind it.
If you had a vinyl sign shop, create a stencil for you, you could paint the back side of (whatever thickness acrylic or lexan), black. Red acrylic can be had at some plastic suppliers (even the sign shop may have it or recommend a source). Scribe an outline of the existing emblem onto the work piece, and cut out with ascroll saw or router. Sand, polish edges, and stick it on.
That's one way.
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Ryan MacEwen Pruyn
MacEwen Motorsports
1987 GTA 350 6spd, White OEM instruments, 17" Borbet Type A's, 275/40ZR17's, 255/45ZR17's, Koni Sport Adjustables, Eichbach Sport Springs, Poly U, everywhere, Guldstrand Engineering Panhard rod, LCA's
It could be done. If a substitute tranparent emblem was fashioned, and a hole cut in the recess, leaving only a lip. Put a 194 bulb holder behind it.
If you had a vinyl sign shop, create a stencil for you, you could paint the back side of (whatever thickness acrylic or lexan), black. Red acrylic can be had at some plastic suppliers (even the sign shop may have it or recommend a source). Scribe an outline of the existing emblem onto the work piece, and cut out with ascroll saw or router. Sand, polish edges, and stick it on.
That's one way.
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Ryan MacEwen Pruyn
MacEwen Motorsports
1987 GTA 350 6spd, White OEM instruments, 17" Borbet Type A's, 275/40ZR17's, 255/45ZR17's, Koni Sport Adjustables, Eichbach Sport Springs, Poly U, everywhere, Guldstrand Engineering Panhard rod, LCA's
Thanks for the feedback guys. I get what you mean for the TA centerpiece, Ryan, though i'm trying to work w/ the 'standard' tailights from around those years. A yard i hit up on saturday had a center filler panel shredded exactly in half by an accident. I'm going to pick it up tommorrow and start expirementing. I'll keep anyone who wants to know posted on the progress. I've always thought that if this could be made to work it will look great.
Junior Member
I am suprised that more people haven't done it. I have done it and it looks great. It looks factory during the day but glows at night. I'm not sure about all cars but mine is not black ABS plastic, it is in fact clear ABS plasic that is painted black on the back side with the emblems painted on first. I don't want to give my secrets away, but I will give a hint. What is painted on can be sanded off and repainted the way you want. Keep in mind that plasic is hard to get sand scratches out of, but it can be done.
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92 Formula 5.7 T-tops
Flowmaster 80
Other secret mods.
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92 Formula 5.7 T-tops
Flowmaster 80
Other secret mods.
Supreme Member
OI WHAT A ****!
im werkin on it right now, and its a pita, lotsa time conserving, use a strainght edge for the letters if you have the paint on the back type
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91 FireBird 305 V-8
no true mods,
ghetto rigged cold air intake,
People dont have a soul, its just something parents made up to frighten little children, like the boogie man, or micheal jackson..."
im werkin on it right now, and its a pita, lotsa time conserving, use a strainght edge for the letters if you have the paint on the back type
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91 FireBird 305 V-8
no true mods,
ghetto rigged cold air intake,
People dont have a soul, its just something parents made up to frighten little children, like the boogie man, or micheal jackson..."
Member
Hey, '92 formula, are your lights the same as the '91-'92 TransAM lighs with the grid? Mine has no centerpiece but instead has PONTIAC written on a section of each of the side pieces. You think a glow-lettering modification would be possible? You have any pics of your bird.. that wouldn't reveal "your secrets"?
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Brian P.
'91 TransAM: 305TPI -=flowed=-
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Brian P.
'91 TransAM: 305TPI -=flowed=-
TGO Supporter
Jim85IROC
TGO Supporter
close
I think ryan's idea could be easily adapted to the regular firebird too. That whole centerpiece between the tail lights is removable and is just plain old plastic. I'm sure that if you could get a place to make a smoked plexi one, you could then stencil the firebird and paint the rest of the backside. It'll just look like a black-out until you turn the lights on, then BAM! Firebird logo. If you can't get the whole piece made, you can get smoked plexi easily enough, and you can bend it up to the same radius as the stock piece. Cut out the center of the stock piece and glue this up right over it. Damn. Now I wish I still had a firebird 
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------------------
The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah