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85-90 Trans Am fog light mounting question...

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Old 07-01-2006, 12:55 PM
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85-90 Trans Am fog light mounting question...

I scored a set of working, good condition fog lights from an 87 GTA to replace the missing ones on my '87 TA at the junkyard today.

They are complete with a plastic mounting bracket for each side, but when I line up the bracket with the corresponding holes in the metal brace under the car, the lights don't line up with the holes in the front fascia. They are about 1.5"-2" higher than the holes for them. Is there another part of the bracket that I'm missing? The lights were laying inside the car at the junkyard, so I didn't get to pull them myself. Everything looks like it should bolt right on, but it seems ther needs to be a spacer for them to line up. Is my car's front structure "tweaked" a little, or am I missing something?

Thanks!
Old 07-01-2006, 07:24 PM
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Car: 1988 Trans Am
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this might sound dumb, but try turning the brackets and/or lights upside down. These are notorious for being a pain to get in properly and align.
Old 07-01-2006, 07:33 PM
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I will try that. I had thought that, but everything was tight on them, and the adjusters were at the top, so I figured that this was how they came off the GTA, and should be how they go onto the T/A as well. I figured it must be something more to it. I'll experiment with them tomorrow after church, or else on Monday. I'm sure I can engineer something to make the next owner cuss me later!
Old 07-02-2006, 08:04 PM
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Car: 1997 LT4 Firehawk
Engine: 350ci LT4
Transmission: MN6 6 Speed
Axle/Gears: 3.42:1
Looked a little closer this afternoon...there's no real way to turn anything over on them. Any other ideas?
Old 07-03-2006, 03:52 PM
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Got the left and right switched maybe? Worst case, take them back to the junkyard, and see if they'll let you look at how they fit the car they came out of.

Maybe, they were inside the car, because they aren't the correct ones for a GTA.
Old 07-03-2006, 04:08 PM
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Here is a picture of what I have.


Everything looks like it should bolt right up. They are morked LH and RH, but theres no real way to get 'em backwards anyhow. There is a tab molded into the front fascia that lines up with the one hole great, and the light lines up with the front end when that bolt is in there...but the other two holes that bolt to the metal brace under the car are over an inch away from it...like there needs to be a spacer in there. I guess I'll have to make a spacer to put in, but I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't something there from the factory that I could use to make it easier on me.
Old 07-03-2006, 04:22 PM
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I tried to take a pic of mine, but I can' get down on the ground very well anymore.

I was able to determine, the light edges are very close to both sides, and the bottom. The top is the only portion visible, other than the lens top adjusting screw for aiming, I'd guess it is what it is for.
Old 07-03-2006, 05:53 PM
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Car: 87 GTA
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In the pic, the right side one is marked right hand?

From your pic, it looks like the alignment tab is on the top of the right side one, which should be the right hand one.

Which I could help out, and get a better pic of mine, to verify everything.

Maybe the mounting brackets changed over the years, and the junkyard car owner got the wrong ones, and never got them mounted? Dunno.

If they are placed in, even though the holes don't line up, does it look like the lights are positioned correctly in the openings? Not too low?

If they are a bit low, then an spacer/adapter might be needed.
Old 07-03-2006, 06:06 PM
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When they are mounted to the metal piece, they sit high in the holes. They kinda hang from the metal, so I need to make a spacer to drop them down some. No big deal, like I said I just need to make a spacer to drop them...I just hope I don't find anything else screwed up with the front end. It's been wrecked, but it looks like everything was fairly straight up there...until I found this.
Old 07-03-2006, 06:11 PM
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Kinda odd from your description. They look like they should mount on top of the brackets, not hanging.

That's what mine look like, from what I can see.

Are the lenses marked "Top"? Lenses on wrong?
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