PFF - Pennock's Fiero Forum, PDA Edition

How did he get this Notchback taillight look? (Page 1/2)

Dennis LaGrua

JUL 08, 11:36 AM

After looking around at possible changes to the notchback taillight area, I did not find too many options.
It looks like he just painted the center area black and that provided a better focus on the taillights themselves. Anyone have any ideas on how this was done?

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blazin'

JUL 08, 11:45 AM

Maybe my eyes are bad, but that's a model car.

cvxjet

JUL 08, 11:59 AM

I don't know if it is a model, but it appears to be on a STAND, and the tail light mod is possibly photoshopped or just painted...Look at the edges of the black area and it doesn't look "Real"....

My plan for my 85 SE V6 converted to 86-88 GT rear quarters is to black out the taillight cavity, then mount two slot trailer lights per side (Copying the old Pontiac taillight look) inside the cavity and finally cover the whole opening with hex grill work with a Pontiac arrowhead in the center. Will look like the race car vented tail area without tail lights until they light up....Probably get pulled over a few times because of that.....

[This message has been edited by cvxjet (edited 07-08-2020).]

Dennis LaGrua

JUL 08, 12:34 PM

quote

Originally posted by blazin':

Maybe my eyes are bad, but that's a model car.

Found that here: Fiero Concepts

Hard to tell if that picture is of a model as it looks finely detailed. The thing that may give it away is that there is no parting line between the taillights. It may have been photoshopped from a picture but the website sells taillight decals that will achieve that look.

theogre

JUL 08, 02:35 PM

Is a model/toy car on a stand.
Besides the "mod" TL is missing reflectors in the "bumper" holes.

To do that for a real car...
You eliminate the BU lights that's illegal in some places. (Many states have same rule as Fed saying BU is Minimum 1 on a car/truck.)
then paint the OE covers or put something over them to bond/hide the gap between left and right assemblies.
That's w/o trying to make them light too.
Back lighting a "sign" there has more issues. (Logo in the GT TL assem is dim for a reason.)

Move BU to Reflector has problems too.
Fiero Rear lights don't have DOT A "Reflex Reflectors" function like most others have. All cars require to have 2 of them on back.

side note: Think Fiero rear reflector is "odd" etc. Look at others. Example: Kia Soul rear reflector is "personal pizza" size (4.25" diam) and a lot bigger then Fiero (~5.5x1"). Reflectors working areas are ~ 16sq/in vs 5.5sq/in for later notchies, IOW ~ 3x Bigger, and that just 1 reflector for each.
These reflectors are Bigger that many Taillight even for big trucks. Even then I see some adding more reflector tape etc. to them.

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[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 07-08-2020).]

fieroall

JUL 08, 02:41 PM

quote

Originally posted by theogre:

Is a model/toy car on a stand.

LOL

css9450

JUL 08, 03:16 PM

That's the 1/18th-scale diecast model made by Yat Ming about fifteen years ago...

fieroguru

JUL 08, 05:04 PM

Paul Vargas used to sell a kit to add the PONTIAC script to the notchback taillights.

Dennis LaGrua

JUL 08, 05:49 PM

quote

Originally posted by theogre:

To do that for a real car...
You eliminate the BU lights that's illegal in some places. (Many states have same rule as Fed saying BU is Minimum 1 on a car/truck.)
then paint the OE covers or put something over them to bond/hide the gap between left and right assemblies.
That's w/o trying to make them light too.
Back lighting a "sign" there has more issues. (Logo in the GT TL assem is dim for a reason.)

Move BU to Reflector has problems too.
Fiero Rear lights don't have DOT A "Reflex Reflectors" function like most others have. All cars require to have 2 of them on back.

side note: Think Fiero rear reflector is "odd" etc. Look at others. Example: Kia Soul rear reflector is "personal pizza" size (4.25" diam) and a lot bigger then Fiero (~5.5x1"). Reflectors working areas are ~ 16sq/in vs 5.5sq/in for later notchies, IOW ~ 3x Bigger, and that just 1 reflector for each.
These reflectors are Bigger that many Taillight even for big trucks. Even then I see some adding more reflector tape etc. to them.

I won't disagree with most that you've said but really now when driving at night when your taillights are on, why would you need reflectors? Only when the car is parked maybe? On my recent Corvette light install the taillight lens themselves reflect when turned off but I don't see a purpose in this either. As for my backup lights they now sit where the Fiero reflectors were. It looks like the guy who runs that web store on the link in this post sells a decal that covers the center section of the taillights to make it look just like the model.

Habanera Hal

JUL 08, 08:17 PM

As fieroguru said above, Paul Vargas used to make a kit to add "FIERO" in the middle of notchie tailights, but he no longer makes them (I checked).

For a different look, I removed the red and clear lenses inside the housings, cut some prismatic plastic to fit, then taped off the area to be red and sprayed with VHT red lens tint. I also spliced in an additional socket on each side for more light. Then I cut some honeycomb plastic mesh and put it all together to come up with: