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tail light sockets

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73 429torino View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 73 429torino Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: tail light sockets
    Posted: 26-June-2006 at 9:34AM
Does anybody know of a company that sells the tail light sockets for a 1973 Gran Torino Sport?  AutoKrafters and Dearborn do not offer them.   
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MontegoMan351 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MontegoMan351 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-June-2006 at 1:56PM
I ran into this same problem with my '73 Montego.  Mine were dim and the backup lights kept loosing ground.  What I did is went to the junkyard and got the sockets from a '85 or so T'bird (the ones that take 3157 Brake lights and 1156 Backup lights).  This means modifying the housing slightly, I don't know if you are willing to do this or not, and solder and shrink wrap the wires onto the original connector.  I've been running them for about 6 months or so and havent had any problems.  I tried the cheap-o replacement sockets from Autozone, they were junk and nothing but problems.  Thats what I did, they are a little brighter over stock, and nobody will know but you.  I don't know if this helps or not, but it is an alternative if you are willing to do a little modification to your housing.  If you want pictures I can take a few and upload them. Chris
Also, a can of Rustoleum flat white primer works wonders to brighten up the factory housings.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 73 429torino Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-June-2006 at 10:18PM
Thanks a lot, I think I'll try it.  I am on my 2nd set of complete housings that I have purchased to try to have original sockets.  I have noticed that both of these housings have the same sockets that go bad (middle sockets).  I don't see any reason in trying a third set. Thanks again!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Torinogts73c Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-June-2006 at 1:44AM
IF you don't mind I would like to see a couple of pictures of the modification sounds like a good mod. Seems that this is a common problem with 72-73 cars! Gary
Gary 73 Gran Torino Sport 351CJ,17 Mustang Ecoboost,15 Jeep Grand Cherokee LTD, Ford Ranger parts hauler


"Never complain Never explain" Henry Ford
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MontegoMan351 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-June-2006 at 6:32AM

I'll take pics and upload them when I get home tonight.  Like I say mine kept loosing ground to the housing and either dim really bad or be out completely.  It is good if you have extra housings like I did, I took the worst ones and modified them then sprayed with white primer.  Also, you shouldn't have to worry about the sockets loosing ground since there is a ground wire already in the harness.  The car I got them out of had the seperate round lights, I believe it was a T'bird.  Other cars I saw had sockets too long and the bulbs would touch the lens if I used them.  These sockets are fairly short and use the newer style pop-in 3157 bulb, with a little mod. they look very good.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GranTorinoSport Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-June-2006 at 10:50AM
NAPA has them also... They are new. I have them, have not put them in yet - looks like you need to fiddle with it a bit, but it is a steel socket, not plastic.
 
It's interesting that now I am looking on the webpage for NAPA I cannot find them, but I bought them only about 3 years ago or so. If I run across them in the garage tonight I will jot down the part number. It was a direct replacement socket.
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MontegoMan351 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MontegoMan351 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27-June-2006 at 12:31PM

Here's what I did...

Brake Lights...
Backup Lights...
End Result...
All lit up...
Running Lights...
With the lenses on...Running Lights
And...Brake Lights and Reverse
The brake lights are all the same brightness, it's just a bad picture.  Sorry for such a lengthy post but I tried to show them at every stage the best I could.  The best way I could find to mark the holes is to trace around a quarter tho move the holes down and enlarge them.  I used a coarse half-moon file and a handheld metal nibbler to cut the indentions out.  I tried the metal replacements and the little metal tangs kept breaking around the outside(the ones that hold the sockets in).  If you do this, cut the hole a little on the small side (you can always take metal away) I didn't and now I know.  Also, if you do this and get down the end and the sockets don't hold very tight; I just gently tapped in the center of the hole with the rounded end of a large ball pien hammer, from the backside, to bend the tangs out (hence making the holes a little on the small side) to make them fit tighter.  This may seem like too much work for some and a little dumb to others, but it has worked for me and I haven't had and problems.  I hope this helps, if it does...great, if it doesn't...oh well.  Also, it gives me a really good feeling to be able to see where I am going when I back out of the garage at night. Chris
Oh yeah... I love it when people say "hey man, you got some brake lights out...the ones next to the backup lights" Yeah its fun to explain to the morons especially the ones at Autozone... I walk in and they already have the bulb numbers pulled up, thinking that's why I'm there... morons.  Then I have to mess with them and tell them that my brakelights are 3157s.LOL    "Uh.......that's not what it says in the computer."Geek
 
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