Tail light housing sealant

[Rapid Transit]

After replacing partial quarters, I'm wondering how well the factor seam fit.
I recall sealant on the inboard area butting the trunk gutters.
But what about out board.
Please take a look at your cars and see if the factory used sealant on the outboard sides?
Curious.

 

[Rapid Transit]

More "stupid" questions.
It looks like
1. These weren't sealed to the housing?
2. If they weren't sealed couldn't water get into the area and are the bottoms left gapped to allow any water to drain out?
(See daylight looking down,)
No wonder rust was a problem.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Use seam sealer on them. Also use RVT around the taillight bezel. Rust is a possible culprit like you noticed water got in that area. Figured it also contributed to rusting out the trunk. They really did not seal up that area very well. Put body filler in that area and got rid of that line as well where the filler panel goes behind the rear window. Mass production and engineering did not cover stopping rust areas. As you have noticed.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Here is a picture of no lines. At quarter and filler panel and taillight buckets.

 

[V.R.D]

After replacing partial quarters, I'm wondering how well the factor seam fit.
I recall sealant on the inboard area butting the trunk gutters.
But what about out board.
Please take a look at your cars and see if the factory used sealant on the outboard sides?
Curious.

View attachment 36529

https://www.ebay.com/itm/360424582635 this is what the factory used . but Russ did it a way it will never leak these will dry out and will leak.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Had the taillight bezels chromed original ones. After market stuff is not the same. Then put the paint on from for paint one makes it in spray can. Have to order way head. Trying to find a chrome shop was a challenged. But found a good one but quite far from my home. Space coast chroming about 75 miles from me. This all went down during COVID. So had a long wait due to everyone was taking their stuff in to be chromed. They had the time and were working either on their boats or cars. So, took longer than I figured. But had all this done while doing body work and paint.

 

[Big D A12]

Below is a picture of an original paint 69 A12 RR at the tail light bezel. I hope this helps.

D

 

[69hemibeep]

They make a black gasket but I don't know that the factory used them, never saw them on the old painted cars

 

[Russ69Runner]

You can see here how I filled the gap with body filler after installing gasket and sanded also primed for paint. Filling the trunk inside seam was a pain. Outside also smooth finish. You can see the gasket in the taillight bucket.

 

[Rapid Transit]

Below is a picture of an original paint 69 A12 RR at the tail light bezel. I hope this helps.

D
View attachment 36810

That's what I remember on disassemble .
I had a gap with sealant on the inboard side.
Very close fit on the top and outboard.
Those two edges on the mating of the housing have a slight groove that I had to clean a very small amount of sealant from.
Great picture showing the factory quarter has a radius and not a sharp break over.
My Year One replacement panel skins had to be cut and welded to fit here.
I would term them "3/4" panels.
Not full quarters but not just side skins either.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Did full quarters on this car. Just too much to be done so put on the hole one. Too seam in a patch panel thought was a lot more work than in stalling full quarter. Had to replace wheel tub outer. Need the skin off and roof to get the inner frame and some structure replaced that was gone. Needed to get to all the outer frame to clean and prime as well as paint with bed liner. Wish you the best of luck on your restore. These old cars are a challenge if they are as rusted as mine was.

 

[Rapid Transit]

Did full quarters on this car. Just too much to be done so put on the hole one. Too seam in a patch panel thought was a lot more work than in stalling full quarter. Had to replace wheel tub outer. Need the skin off and roof to get the inner frame and some structure replaced that was gone. Needed to get to all the outer frame to clean and prime as well as paint with bed liner. Wish you the best of luck on your restore. These old cars are a challenge if they are as rusted as mine was.

If full quarters were available when I tore into it, I would have spent 1300 and gotten them.
AMD is still showing only one side in stock.
At the time I started Year One had both side of what I used.
I got the last two in "scratch and dent" for 150 each.
They weren't dented, just scratched.
Trunk pan, drop downs, gutters, tail panel, Dutchman were all available from AMD.
I THINK some of those may be out of stock too now.
If AMD is listening, given the geo political issues and supply chain logistic advantages, it might be a wise move manufacturing to Mexico.
(Who needs semiconductor chips? )

2 charts show how much the world depends on Taiwan for semiconductors

Taiwan's outsized role in chipmaking has come under the spotlight as a global shortage of semiconductors forced several automakers to halt production.

www.cnbc.com

 

[Russ69Runner]

That is going oh so far to outsource work. LOL.

 

[Rapid Transit]

Are you talking about Taiwan or Mexico?

 

[Russ69Runner]

Mexico!!!!! Have a buddy that does body work and painting. A two-man shop. His prices are not that bad when you figure all the hours he put into his work. We have talked and he mentioned what he charged to paint a car and what he gets to replace sheet metal. Now the material is expensive and there is nothing he can do about that but pass it on to you. My labor is free but if I added it into restoring my car would have a heart attack. So many hours went into removing sheet metal. So, I would not destroy other parts. It never seems to end with cleaning and painting right down to nuts and bolts. Lots of hours in my sand blast booth. Not to count how many bags of sand that you go through. Enough said you guys have been there and done that know just what I am saying. It is hard to say if I would send my car that far away where travel to see the work being done would cost out the yang. Was afraid of letting a shop have my car some just push it to the side to make that insurance money that is their bread and butter. This drags out the time to get the car done in a timely manner.