How To: '65-'66 Taillight Panel Replacement

Our KSR taillight panel arrived with the rest of our metal order, but it had to wait patiently for its turn with Classic Creations of Central Florida's metal wizards.

When we wrote about our Project '66 in the Feb. '01 issue of Mustang Monthly, we discussed the pros and cons of repairing the rusty flanks of our project with patches, quarter skins, and full quarter-panels. Once our quarter-panels were replaced (along with the outer wheelhouses), all that was left in our once large pile of new sheetmetal parts were cowl patches and the taillight panel. We replaced the cowl patches in the Mar. '01 issue, and now in this issue we will finalize our metal repairs with the replacement of the taillight panel.

Since we've tied our taillight panel replacement into our quarter-panel replacement, you do not need to replace one panel in order to replace the other. If your taillight panel is damaged but your quarter-panels are in good shape, you can still replace only the taillight panel. Replacing the panel requires some basic welding and body skills but is actually a rather easy part of the Mustang body to replace.

As always, inspect your Mustang thoroughly to determine if you need other metal pieces in the surrounding areas. Trunk corner fillers, the rear crossmember, or the rear valance panel are all neighboring items you should inspect closely before picking up the phone and ordering your sheetmetal. Speaking of ordering, we picked up our taillight panel directly from KS Reproduction. You can call KSR toll-free (see the source box at the end of this article) to locate the KSR dealer closest to you.

1 Using a reinforced wire wheel, all areas where spot welds will need to be drilled through are cleaned of all paint, sealer, and primer.	2 When hunting for spot welds, make sure you find all of them to prevent struggling with the taillight panel later. Several spot welds are found where the trunk latch support is mounted and at the bumper supports.	3 Once you've located all the spot welds, you can begin drilling them out to separate the metal panels. While Danny Gaydos of Classic Creations of Central Florida prefers the feel of a large drill bit just cutting through the top layer, you can also use a spot-weld cutter.
4 When drilling out the spot weld, make sure you drill far enough only to separate the two metal panels. If you drill completely through both panels, you will have little area for the new panel to be welded to.	5 Use a chisel to separate the taillight panel from the end of the quarter-panel on each side. If you find a missed spot weld, drill it out; don't try to chisel through it.	6 The top lip of the taillight panel overlaps the end of the trunk corners. Using a pair of locking pliers, pry the top lip away from the trunk corner to separate the welds located there.