I just noticed a variation in the 85-90 T/A tail light center sections that I'd never recognized before. Here is a picture of a set that's for sale right now in the classifieds:


there are actually 2 of them pictured in the same thread. Below is a picture of one that I've had lying around for a while now:



The feature I'm referring to is the raised "PONTIAC" lettering on my center section. I don't know the exact year of the vehicle my center section is from. Was this a change from one model year to another? Does anyone know the history behind this change? I know that the original tail lights to my 1984 T/A (with the louvered look) have the raised lettering. So if I had to guess, I'd say that the raised letters continued into the new smoother taillight design in 1985 and at some point before 1990 they were removed. I suppose it's possible that someone took the reflector section from an 82-84 set and swapped it onto my center section before I got it, but I doubt that's the case.

 

The center section with the PONTIAC letters was a 82-84 piece. I have one on my 87 & it took me over a year to find out WHERE it came from.

I kinda want a correct one, since my car now says PONTIAC in 2 places on the rear. That red reflective strip & the embedded letters in the bumper cover. Kinda pointless to have it lettered twice, huh?

Just easier for me to swap out the center section, than fill & repaint the embedded lettering.

 

That center piece is off of a 1985 or 1986 Firebird S/E.

 

It looks like the reflective piece with the lettering only has 2 tabs that hold it on, one on each end. Since mine is an 84 and I'm just going with the newer taillights I actually like having the Pontiac lettering there.

82 Firebird TA, did the 85 and 86 S/E cars have the same grid style tail lights as the Trans Ams did?

 

Yeah...You'd think it would be that easy, huh? Well, on mine at least...The reflective panels won't BUDGE. Whether or not GM GLUED it on before snapping them into place, or a previous owner did, I dunno. But I can't change mine out, for the "plain" red piece I have. The whole thing isn't usable, so I thought I could just salvage the red reflective piece off. Neither one will come off.

 

Yes. The only difference is the reflector which has the Pontiac logo because the bumper on the S/E did not have it.