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Vehicle Owner

Member ID: RedraifExtras

Location: Here, Georgia

Vehicle Info

1987 Pontiac Firebird

Bragging Rights

  • 1/4 Mile16.7 sec @ 80.1 mph
  • HP143.1
  • Weight3755 lbs

Major Upgrades

  • nitrous
  • port and polish
  • engine swap

Ratings

    • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
    • Currently 2.5/5 Stars.
    • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
    • Currently 2.5/5 Stars.
    • Currently 3/5 Stars.
    • Currently 3/5 Stars.

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Last updated: Apr 07, 2009

Hits: 49,524

REDRAIF’s Pontiac Firebird:
“RAIF'S EXTERIOR MODIFICATIONS”

  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
24 guestbook comments

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RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac FirebirdCLEAR FRONT TURN SIGNALS
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There are 2 turn signals on the front of Firebirds. One on the side of the front fender one up front next to the headlights. Well I have clear lenses for both.

The sides were easy...I just picked them up over on Procar parts. They are listed for the 3rd gen Camaro. But they are the exact some for Firebirds! Yes 82-92 are all the same regardless of how they are listed!

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

On the car...
RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac FirebirdRedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

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FRONT TURN SIGNALS
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Now on to the hard ones...You may have noticed the front turn signals are different.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

The pic does not show it very well, but I hand made clear lens.

I was at the junk yard and noticed both on a 1982 & 1986 Buick Century sedan. They had clear lenses in the front bumper. (So these lens can be found on at least the 82-86 Buick Century sedans!)

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

I snagged the cleanest lenses from the 2 cars.

I trial fitted them in place of my existing front lenses. I found it took a bit of playing with the bulb receptacle to fit in, but I filed a touch and in they went.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

You can see they are a bit to small to fit flush.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

They are also too narrow.

I also started looking at the housing on the Firebird lenses. I noticed a seam that ran around the light housing. I will show you on my old red ones the seam is easier to see.
RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac FirebirdRedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird
RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac FirebirdRedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

If I cut there the Buick light might fit in behind the Firebird lense. So...I had to cut the front housing off a set of old trashed Firebird turn signals at the seam. I did not cut the outside backside off the end of the light housing though...

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird


I believe I stopped cutting around here might have had to go further...its been a while!

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird


I test fitted the 2 together. On the final product, see how the 2 seem to mate up just like they were made for one another...
RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac FirebirdRedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird
RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac FirebirdRedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

Now the question was what to do about the amber section still part of the original housing.
RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac FirebirdRedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

Well a while back I had painted my stock housing. I had changed the shape of the opening. I decided to follow my original idea. I cut along this angled painted line for my amber cut out. It followed the natural line the hood created on the nose.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird


Then I used a Dremel to cut out the cracked amber lens from the old signals. Followed my original angled paint job... It took slow precision cutting with the cut off wheel.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird


Then I followed with a grinding stone to get that smooth edge where the wheel could not go. It was slow going to get a perfectly straight line. Here they are sanded down and ready for paint.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird


As you can see the front part of the signals are actually entirely made up of the same transparent amber as the lense! This meant I had to shoot over them in black to be sure they did not have any light leak through them.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird


I held them up to the light periodically to be sure the light would not penetrate.

They were then primed.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

Then painted red.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

I fit the clear front signals to their new fronts.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

I trimmed them ever so slightly at the reinforced points where they had their existing mounting holes.

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

They finally sat flush with the front trim piece of the old bird signals.

Once the two were together, the clear was recessed, but it still looks cool.
RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac FirebirdRedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

Here they are at night!

RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird

My red turn signals really show up now.

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Clear REAR side markers are covered here!
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RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird
HOME PAGE

Follow this link to additional information on the car not found on this site!
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RedraifExtras's 1987 Pontiac Firebird
DIRECTORY FOR RAIF'S EXTERIOR SITE
01 Site Intro
02 Red Window Tint
03 Red Window Vinyl
04 Stance
05 Bumper Insert Conversion
06 Ground Effects
07 Lower GFX Spoilers
08 SunCoast Hood
09 Shaving
10 Shaving Electronics
11 Antenna Relocation & Gas Tank Filler Neck Reroute
12 Headlight Conversion
13 Clear Turn Signals <<<
14 Exterior Underbody Neon
15 Strobes
16 Spoiler
17 4h Gen Mirror Conversion
18 Tailights
19 Primer
20 Paint
21 Emblems
22 Smoothed TA Fender Vents
23 Clear Rear Side Markers
24 Paint: Jam Touch Up

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Vehicle Owner

Member ID: RedraifExtras

Location: Here, Georgia