What do you guys think I have a base 1991 red firebird, good paint, stock wheels, nice exhaust and tips, I noticed they're not the same lights as a 91 TA so would that blow it a little bit?

I wish I had a camera right now so I could upload my car but heres the taillights I was going to purchase tonight

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pts/2463554127.html

Try to have Kept it a nice original look, I have some chrome tips, nicer tires, no birds anymore got it repainted havn't gotten em yet

edit: Sorry I might have jumped the gun a little bit and posted this in the wrong forum if I did I apologize, should I have posted in the Body section?

and would it fit the stock harness?

 

Those are nice taillights, im thinking about getting a set myself for my '91 Formula

 

just make sure they are not delaminated, they look bad if they are. They will look find on your car

 

They will physically bolt in, but you will have to do some rewiring since the sockets & bulbs are different.

 

Okay so I bought em yesterday for 30 bucks, was trying to put them in all night, but immediately was faced with the fact that theyre were only 4 holes for lights, and my bird has 4 mains+ backup + turn signal seperate, so I had tucked the unneccesary for hopes of getting the other lights in, and there was no where to put the seperate turn signal, because don't the ta's have a bulb that doubles as a turn signal?
Do I just need the sockets from his TA or would I need Wiring + Sockets?
What would I have to do?

Need you guys on this one,

I really wan't these to work they look badass, i don't wan't to have to return them to the guy,

 

I told you so. :P

1st bulbs (inners) are back-up lights, single filament
2nd & 3rd bulbs (inner 2) are tail/brake/turn double filaments
4th bulbs (outers) are tail only, but can easily be swapped for a double just like 2 & 3 to do dual function too

 

lol you were right my friend,

but I think I could get everything I need from the guy,

oh wait are you saying all I would have to do is switch positions and bulbs?

oh and do any of you guys have those two little little kinda out of place light sockets that are like little single fillament Oval lights with a straight in insert for a main and a backup I think? Should I just tuck those like I did?

 

The easiest way will be to pull the tail light harness from the TA they came out of. Plugs right in right near the rear seats (iir the location of the plug correctly).

Can you get the harness off the car the lights came from?

 

YEs Going to pick up lata

And it's as simple as that?

I'm going to have to get a camera and upload some pics for you guys

 

okay....so I got the harness, then when I got home this time I was going to pull the old one off so as i'm doing this, i noticed the connectors are completely different...THIS IS KILLING ME

Now i have the harness, do I need the further up harness?

 

The original sockets wont work on the older lenses?

 

Now I feel bad....I had no idea they were different plugs!

I have no idea what is at the other end, up under the dash as far as how much wiring it is bundled/spliced in to.

I'm sorry about that. I'd post up in the Electronics section & ask about splicing them together. Are the wire colors completely different? Maybe you could find a way to splice them there by the connectors, so that it could still be plugged/unplugged, instead of just splicing & shrink wrapping the wires together.

I'm really sorry dude. I guess I assumed the plug under there was the same, just the tail light end that was different.

 

Don't feel bad bro you were helping, that's what I asked of you guys you know...lol it's all good, but yeah some are the same some dif. theres only like 5 wires on the old one and theres 7 pins , and it looks like more wires as well on my connector and it's square instead of the older one that's long and thin like and ide hard drive connector, id have to double check the colors again, but you think there is a way to splice them into the connector?

 

Can you post up a pic of both plugs together? I bet we (or somebody) can figure out which wires to splice together.

 

Will do i'm gonna go pick up a camera tomorrow, and i'll post pics

But thank you especially for taking the time out to consider my situation, I really appreciate it, wish I had a camera right now.

But will be back tomorrow with those, thks BlackenedBird, c you back here tomorrow?

 

marked

 

*

 

Sorry bro couldn't get the camera today

Tomorrow for sure though, do you think I would need the wiring diagram from both my car and the 87 T/A? I would just need to find out which wires go to which lights and maybe bond the backup-lights and find a male connector for the connector from farther up (not the 87 TA harness) and feed the appropriate wires into the new connector and just plug it into the new harness from the 87 Ta?

But i'll work on pics asap

 

You can make everything work as you want but as the 91 had separate turn signals when it is adapted to having turn and brake together you will need to do a simple wire splice under the dash or things will short out. See the sequential turn signal thread. There is one in wanted and another relatively recent one. I am not using those taillights but have the same issues on my 91. I am modding my original harness.

 

91-91 TA turn signals are the most outter part of the lens, thats why their taol lights are orange at the ends. They should reach, if not just extend the wires. As for brake lights they are the same, the 2 middle reds are brake lights & the inner is the reverse light. Hope that helps.

 

sorry guys had a little bit of an internet/ computer fiasco, am getting a digital camera today

Karl: So the outer turn signal does not double as a third brake light when not a turn signal? Just the two middles are brakes, outer signal, inner backup light?

It might be simple if that's the way it is...

 

Yes sir, thats how they are on the 91-92 GTAs. If you look at the bulbs, the dual filiment is brake lights & tail lights. Your blinker should be a single filiment bulb.

 

I did this exact swap about a year ago, my 91 base bird, with 87 GTA tail lights. I just did some quick modifications to my stock harness. The way I did it only the two inner most bulbs are the running lights/brake lights, and the corners are just turn signals, not exactly the stock configuration, but it works and is different, and I think it looks fine. I may be able to remove my lenses and take some photos of my wiring mods if you want to make it work the same way. IIRC i had to splice in one bulb socket on each side from the 87's harness. The way I did it is easily reversible too, if you ever decide to go back to stock.

 

I'm def. all game for that, that seems to be the least stressful way to go,

If you could show me what you did it would be greatly appreciated

 

x2 considering this swap as well.

 

Sorry guys, havn't gotten around to taking those pics yet, but I have off tomarrow so I should be able to get some detailed photos of my taillight wiring for you and post them up by tomarow evening.

 

As promised I took my tailights out today and snapped some photos and looked over how I modified my wiring harness. Actually it was even more simple than I had remembered. What I did was splice in one connector per side from the doner wiring harness off the 87 GTA. Once that connector is spliced in, it will be your turn signal bulb. That bulb is then the corner light. the first three bulb per lense is switched out to a dual filament bulb (may alredy be, I can't remember the stock orientation anymore), and the inner most bulb per lense is a single filament and is your reverse light. The two smaller bulbs per side are essentially deleted, if you think you may one day switch back to your base model lenses then just seal them off from moisture and tuck them away like I did, if this swap will be permenant you can cut them off and just cap off the wires.

On the drivers side remove the socket that has the yellow wire, the black along side that wire running to the socket is the ground obviously. Once that socket is removed splice in a new one (that is identical to the remaining sockets) from the doner harness. The original socket from the 91 won't fit in the T/A lense. Once that is spliced in its now your driver side turn signal.

On the passanger side do the same, but this time the socket you will be looking for is on the teal and black wires. Again splice in a socket from the doner harness that matches the others already on your harness. Once that is done it is now your passanger side turn signal. The turns signals are now the outer most bulbs per lense.

From there on out just install the new lenses and check to make sure your corner lights blink and the two bulbs in from the corner are your brake lights/running lights, and of course the center most are your reverse lights.

In the case that your wiring colors are different, then just swap the new socket onto the wires of the socket that blinks when your turn signal is on, and there you have it.

My rambling may be confusing, so In a few minutes I'll post up my pics so you can see whats what.

 

And here are the photos, should be nice and big so you can see what ever you need to look at, and I highlighted the bulbs I spliced in, they just aren't layed out in order, like I said, they will be the corner lights when you install the lense. In these pics you will see the butt connectors where I did the splices, but I would suggest soldering the wires and using the heat shrink isulation instead, I did the swap about a year ago when I was new to wiring, I'll probably go back soon and re-do my tail light splices that way, its the best way.

 

Thanks for posting this up. I might go ahead and try this.

 

Thanks GerryCat i'm pretty new to wiring at the current moment, but have more studying to do but it seems simple enough definitely

I really appreciate the help with this gonna do 4 sure

 

got em on there and working according to your instructions and they look pretty nice, and I could switch back whenever, beautiful...now to see what they look like at night thanks again

and as soon as i get a damn camera ill post some pics lol