I was wondering if the tail lights off my '86 Trans Am would be a direct fit on to my '91 Firebird? Maybe with the center piece swap as well? I like the dark almost tinted look of the '86 tail lights but I want them on my '91 instead of the TA. Does anyone know if this is possible?

TIA!

 

Yes indeed. A few people have done it, myself included. You need a harness though, or to do your own wiring, cause the bird lenses have the small sockets for the running lights and the TA lights have just 3 dual filament sockets that have running and brake/turn lights. They look good though.

 

Awesome! Good to know that it can be done. Do you have to change any of the relays and such? Can I just cut the existing harness and splice in the sockets from the TA or is there alot more to it?

Also, the center piece has to be changed as well I'm assuming?? Do you know if there is anywhere that I can get a replacement bird emblem for my center section? The original one fell off back when I got the TA.

 

Rear center section works with both sets of lights, but just doesn't match since the base friebird one doesn't have the reflector.
If you use your stock harness, you will have to change the turn signal socket since it is too long (this is what I would recommend since it is the easiest).

I used the outermost section for the turn signal in my setup and used one of the smaller running light wires with a new socket and drilled into the housing to add the parking light to the outermost sections.

Mine lit up like this:
Drivers side tail light from left: Signal : Brake : Brake : Reverse

This is what it looked like before I added the parking light to the outer corners:

Parking lights


Left Turn signal

 

So you now have a parking light socket and a turn signal socket both plugged in to the outermost section? So when you have just your parking lights on all 3 sections are lit up on each side and then when you have your brake lights on only the middle 2 sections on each side light up? And if your setup is setup as I think it is (with the turn signal and parking light in the outermost section) can you see the blinker blink quite well??

Do you have a picture of what it looks like now with the parking light in the outer corner as well??

 

I figured out which wires provided power and ground for everything, and made my own setup using sockets from the parts store.
As for the center bird, if not a junkyard, check hawks on the sponsors list. 35 bucks.
Firebird 82-92 Rear Filler Panel Bird Emblem, Select Color

And as far as my lights go, they sound like Zephers. All 3 light up as running, inner 2 brakes, outer 1 turn.

 

The blinker was the brightness of the brake lights so yes you could see the blinker quite well.
I never took pictures or video of my formula with the T/A Lights fully modded and I've got the 91-92 GTA lights on my car now, which I think are the best looking of the 3rd gen light setups.

 

Did you use the same exact bulb for all of the lights? Also, what did you use to hold in the parking light that you drilled the hole for.... some type of gasket sealer or a different method?

Was there any other reason that you ended up with the 91-92 GTA lights or was it only because you like them better?

 

I use a single element bulb for the turn signal.

I found 2 sockets at the junkyard from some car, can't remember what car, and it was a type that would just pop into a hole and stay, had little tabs on it.

I ended up with teh 91-92 lights since I have always wanted them since I first saw them in 2000 on a buddy's 91 GTA. they are just so hard to find at a good price and when I found a set for $230, I bought them.

 

One more question.... for the extra parking light that you wired in did you use a dual filament and make that a parking/brake light or did you just use the single filament and make it a parking light only? Also, you said that the turn signal was as bright as the brakes but you only used a single filament bulb???? I guess most turn signal lights are pretty bright now that I think about it.

Don't the '91-'92 TransAms have those lights that you're using now or was it just the GTA?

 

Ya, the lights are GTA/Trans Am for the 91-92 years. most people just refer to them as the 91-92 GTA lights.

For the parking light, it was only a single filament, and was only wired to the parking lights.

 

I'm curious if you could just cut the connector off the blinker and splice the wires into the parking light wires and make it 1 parking light/blinker rather than drill the extra hole in the housing.

I'll have to play with that idea and see what I can come up with.

 

You could probably wire in a 2 filament bulb socket like is used on the brake/parking lights.
I just did it the way I did for ease of install at the time.

 

Well, my '91 has 4 bulbs... 2 brake (dual filament I'm assuming) and 2 parking light (single filament I'm assuming).... the '86 TA only has 3 bulbs so I'm thinking I can plug in the 2 brake lights, cut the connector off one of the parking lights, wire in a dual filament connector off of the other 2 brake lights, and then cut the connector off the turn signal and splice it into that one. Or I may just leave the 2 parking light bulbs/wires intact (in case I want to go back or someday sell the car) and just splice new wires off one of the 2 brake lights, install a new dual filament connector, and then splice in the turn signal wires. I should probably take a look at what I'm dealing with before I make all of these assumptions but brainstorming isn't bad I guess.

I've been looking at the wiring diagrams for the tail lights on the '86 TA, '91 Base, and '91 TA and I'm thinking this will work. I just need to figure out exactly where to splice the wires in. Shouldn't be too much trouble I think.