paraic Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 Just wondering if I can swap out the US style tail lights with the Euro ones that have the reversing light in the middle of the cluster like so: http://web.archive.org/web/20030908134215/http://nsl.ie/505/misc_54.JPG Paraic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethx Posted October 27, 2012 Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 yes, they will fit but you will need to change the license plate mounting panel because european taillights have a slightly different width from the US taillights (and, thus, don't work with the US license plate panel). the european taillights mount the same way as the US ones but you will have to modify the electrical connectors. you may be able to find the parts from an 89 US model (i.e., taillights and license plate panel), that'll work also. i think that vic van tress did this with one of his cars, looks just like the euro setup. i will probably be doing this mod on my car at some point. andré Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted October 30, 2012 Report Share Posted October 30, 2012 Just to add one more thing, you will need to figure out how to cover up the gap between the bumpers and the lights as well. VVT used a filler panel like they do on the front bumper IIRC, but you might be able to collapse the bumper shocks, or simply replace them in order to get them to fit closer. It's funny how we all want what other markets got - overseas they love the USDM tail lights. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paraic Posted October 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 Just to add one more thing, you will need to figure out how to cover up the gap between the bumpers and the lights as well. VVT used a filler panel like they do on the front bumper IIRC, but you might be able to collapse the bumper shocks, or simply replace them in order to get them to fit closer. It's funny how we all want what other markets got - overseas they love the USDM tail lights. Rabin Not as straightforward as I thought. And yes when I was back in Dublin I thought the US double headlights were so much smarter than the Euro ones. However I definitely didn't think much of the bumpers nor did I like the rear tail lights. But then again I am a hybrid - a european with a US 505. Thanks for the tips guys. Paraic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bean Posted October 31, 2012 Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 I was reading the French 505 forum and many were commenting on a US spec 505 at a meet on how the sloped rear tail lights on the USDM cars were very BMW 635 CSi like - and they were right, they kinda do. I still prefer the Euro style flat tails on the 89' however, and I've already collected a sets of tails, connectors and center panel to convert my 86' over when I start working on it. I've even got some crazy ideas to chop the USDM bumpers to make them look like the early style Euro ones - be a heck of a lot cheaper to do that then to source them into Canada. Rabin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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