240 Taillight Disassembly?

[TABrinn]

I'm getting my '71 240Z out of the paint shop soon and I haven't been able to find new taillights for it. Shiney new paint, re-chromed bumpers, polished mags, with old and crusty taillight chrome!!! :evil:I just got out bid on ebay for a decent used set that went for $430! It is a pretty rediculous price for a stupid light housing. MSA lists them for over $300 per side and don't even have my year available. OK enough ranting, on to the question.

 

I've decided to take them apart and send the strips out for rechrome. It will cost me but still be cheaper than any that I've seen so far. In order to dismantel them I need to remove the push nut that hold the halves together. It looks like a really thin, flimsy washer that is jammed down over a "christmas tree" stud located on the back center of the light. It is too tight to get my fingers in there and I'm a little hesitant to use some needle nose pliers. What is the best way to remove these things?!?

[warrenHLS3083301]

the chrome strip is held on by three plastic "christmas trees" but only the center one goes through the both the lens and the housing. When I restored my taillights I decided to break the retainers off and glue the strip back on with epoxy, that way i would not have to separate the lens from housing.

[TABrinn]

That is one possible solution but kind of a last resort for me. I'd prefer to be able to take it apart again if the need should arise. Besides, a good set of 240Z taillights sells for nearly as much as the entire car does now. There is a set of "Euro" taillights on ebay right now going for $1200!!!

[Bartman]

Break the push nuts and then you can reinstall with new ones. You can get them from Home Depot type stores. I broke the push nuts with a little cutting wheel on my Dremmel. Getting them rechromed will be difficult as they are plastic, but let us know if it works out and how much it cost.

[texis30O]

there is a company out of TENN that will chrome plastic....Let me think for a while and I will be able to tell you who it is......

[TABrinn]

I found a company out of Westminster, CA that specializes in plastic metalizing. I called them and the guy said it would run around $75 each. That is a very loose figure since he would need to see the part to get an accurate quote. If there is interest enough, I could see if we could do a group deal to get the strips chromed, and reflectors refinished, the whole nine yards.

[Poindexter]

I found a company out of Westminster, CA that specializes in plastic metalizing. I called them and the guy said it would run around $75 each. That is a very loose figure since he would need to see the part to get an accurate quote. If there is interest enough, I could see if we could do a group deal to get the strips chromed, and reflectors refinished, the whole nine yards.

How about creating a package deal for a bunch of HybridZ'ers, to include the infamous inner door decorative strips- the "usually blue" ones, the circular and flat air vents, all of the badges and emblems, and a bunch of other plastic parts too? I'd like to replate almost *all* of my plastic-chrome, and I bet a lot of others would too! I've found around 5 different vendors that do this service, and if there is any interest, and since I have more time than is good for me (!) I would also volunteer to make the calls- but there would have to be significant interest.

 

Anybody??