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1968 rear tail light panel

retroman99

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Joined
Mar 15, 2003
Messages
190
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
I am trying to drill the 4 2.75 inch holes in the rear panel and want to make sure i got the location right. would be easy if i had an old panel but i dont. So i took the fiberglass panel and mounted it and used a tail light bucket minus the sockets and tranferred the center to the panel using a 1/8 in drill as a pilot. im ready to drill the big holes but was hoping somebody had some dimensions i could run my method against. it would be reasonable to assume the holes are centered around the bulb sockets right? we are talking 1968 and iv seen lots of stanger things with this car. any help would be appreciatted
 
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retroman99

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Mar 15, 2003
Messages
190
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
i really want to drill these holes but am a bit chicken. A 1/8 pilot hole is one thing. when i measure from the inboard side of the factory standard tailight opening i measure 3-5/16 and 10 inches each side to the center of my pilot holes. and roughly 5-1/4 below the inside lip forward most edge of the tail light panel. I was hoping somebody has done this before and could give me a little more confidence that what im doing is sound. if i measured correctly the edge of a 2-3/4 hole should be 1 -15/16 from the standard tail light opening.
 

dalorzo_f

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Jan 7, 2006
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1,886
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Brisbane Australia
Give me the weekend, I'll take mine apart and take some photos and measurements... I can respray the bucket chrome and clean up the wiring while I'm at it...
 
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retroman99

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Mar 15, 2003
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190
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Redondo Beach, CA
wonderful thank you really no hurry i got plenty of other things to do. should have to take it apart you could measure from inside the trunk thats where i measured from after i drill the pilot hole from the exterior side when i tranferred the mark from the temporary installed bucket. i really think it has to be correct but would like a warm and fuzzy.
 

dalorzo_f

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Location
Brisbane Australia
I just got in from looking at it. I did as you noted after looking at it, measured inside the trunk. Great minds think alike! :wink:

HoleDimensions.jpg


(Yes, I screwed up the cut mark on the tail lamp bar... a 5 minute sketch and did not save it.... duh... but the dimensions are OK)

From side to side within "reasonable" ranges, I measured from the raised lip on the panel at the tail lamp openings where noted, so the hole edge to the tail lamp opening is about 1/16" off.

If you look at the holes the outer hole on the passenger side is noticeably off in comparison to the rest... much lower, so I don't think it was done with much of a template as the difference is a good 1/8" or more... you can see the cover barely clears at the top of the hole...

And the dimension from top edge of tail lamp opening to center of hole in the vertical is 2.900, just noticed I missed that one too...

CIMG0535Medium.jpg


CIMG0534Medium.jpg


HTH
 
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retroman99

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Mar 15, 2003
Messages
190
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
Perfect it really confirms that the method i used is accurate. what is funny is that the hole postion doesnt seem to matter much as those backing/filler plates are all over the map as it relates to the center of the holes. im good to go with the 2-3/4 hole saw no turning back now. i agree with Marty and Mike this sketch will be very helpful for others. again thank you. I should be headed to Australia later this year have work in Perth and Bankstown. usually its a quick but long trip over and back then spend a week recoverying from jet lag ha ha...... Brad
 
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retroman99

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Mar 15, 2003
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190
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Redondo Beach, CA
just noticed the side to side im spot on but the up down it appears im .250 lower that looks like it would center those backing plates in the holes. Anybody else notice how those backing plates are centered in your cut-outs?
 

dalorzo_f

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Brisbane Australia
I'd bet they sagged when installed to the bottom of the hole, on the line they probably didn't look at perfect centering, drill the hole, apply some sealant, press in place, drive a few screws.... next... 90 seconds and on to the next.

I agree the location does not look "critical"....

Anyone know if all of the screws should have the plastic caps on the inside, or just "some"...
 

dalorzo_f

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Jan 7, 2006
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Location
Brisbane Australia
New version, let me know if you want a jpg to put somewhere on the site so if the linked site goes belly up its not lost...

Enjoy! (and verify!, only based on one car!)

HoleDimensions_2.jpg


Way over dimensioned, but figured I'd give as many references as possible and the font is a bit large for the dimensioned spaces, but easier to read...
 
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retroman99

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Mar 15, 2003
Messages
190
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
I thought the holes were supposed to be 2-3/4 inches in diameter. thats what it says in Paul's book is his book incorrect? if so it would be more like a 2 7/8 hole. anybody know?
 

dalorzo_f

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Location
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I would assume the wallowing of a hole saw at 2.75 could easily rough out to the 2.900 I measured. (in multiple places) As noted, one car, one measurement.

I wouldn't worry. As the pics show there is plenty of room for the caps and the locations are not really that accurate... pretend you are on a line and you have 3 minutes to get it done... that's the reality of how these cars were built, not the navel gazing and minutae we put into it...! :wink:

In some ways I think the concours metality is becoming a detriment, as it leads to a "one way" methodology, when on a line running 24/7 with multiple people filling the spot IMHO the reality is variations and differences did occur...

(no offense, as I do try to keep them as close to original as possible but some aspects, IMHO, are just going over the top... I do respect the effort it takes)

Its 0.15"... whoopie, a 2.75" hole saw will "work"... :smile:

Go for it! (we won't tell!)

(and "the book" while good, is just one source and does have errors, as most technical docs do... keep it in the context of information, not 100% "truth". It is a great reference, I bought two.)
 

Ruppstang

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May 22, 2009
Messages
3,032
In some ways I think the concours metality is becoming a detriment, as it leads to a "one way" methodology, when on a line running 24/7 with multiple people filling the spot IMHO the reality is variations and differences did occur...

Agreed, it is very easy to over restore these cars. On the other side of it is on the show field we have to have some standard to judge by. We at the MCA try very hard to have the best judging standards possible. To that end we meet yearly to make adjustments for for newly found information. Now just think about what that means about nearly 50 years of production.
Marty MCA 38812
 
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retroman99

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Joined
Mar 15, 2003
Messages
190
Location
Redondo Beach, CA
agreed sorry for being so Anal retentive. im drilling the damn holes with the hole saw i got. this restoration biz can get to you. like you said these guys on the assembly line doing this special mod with 3 minutes to do it. Thanks Marty. I have to keep in mind what level im trying to achieve. while trying to make it technically correct.
 
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