73 Duster tail panel and tail light fitment

[JAG_mopar]

Experience Opinion requested. The car has been apart for several years. I replaced the tail panel AMD and fit the tail lights at the time with old bezels and old gaskets. I AM HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE LIGHTS NOW. I used the Detroit muscle gaskets on the lights and NOS bezels. Not sure of which direction to go with hacking up something I don’t want to.

So the lights fit the bezel into the panel. Is the gaskets too dense? I can’t get the lights and bezel to compress enough to catch the nuts.

I also do not remember where the gasket seats on the quarter panel edge. Are Detroit gaskets too dense? Are the lighs supposed to overlap the hole? Was the AMD light hole too wide for the lamp to sit flush?

Maybe I should trim the gasket a little on the inner edge to allow it to sit without catching the lip of the panel?

I Added a picture of the line me where the hole meets the gasket.

Maybe you can see in the pictures?

I am trying the trim inside of the gasket trick.

 

[17remfan]

Experience Opinion requested. The car has been apart for several years. I replaced the tail panel AMD and fit the tail lights at the time with old bezels and old gaskets. I AM HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE LIGHTS NOW. I used the Detroit muscle gaskets on the lights and NOS bezels. Not sure of which direction to go with hacking up something I don’t want to.

So the lights fit the bezel into the panel. Is the gaskets too dense? I can’t get the lights and bezel to compress enough to catch the nuts.

I also do not remember where the gasket seats on the quarter panel edge. Are Detroit gaskets too dense? Are the lighs supposed to overlap the hole? Was the AMD light hole too wide for the lamp to sit flush?

Maybe I should trim the gasket a little on the inner edge to allow it to sit without catching the lip of the panel?

I Added a picture of the line me where the hole meets the gasket.

Maybe you can see in the pictures?

I am trying the trim inside of the gasket trick.

View attachment 1716572972

View attachment 1716572973

View attachment 1716572974

View attachment 1716572975

View attachment 1716572976

View attachment 1716572995

Hello, silly qestion but have you removed the olg gasket before installing the new one.

 

[JAG_mopar]

Hello, silly qestion but have you removed the olg gasket before installing the new one.

Of course

 

[niceolddart]

I'm thinking the AMD tail panels may be the culprit & could be why they don't offer them anymore. I tried to get one for my 73 but were out of production & not easy to find in decent shape on an original car. AMD does make pretty good parts but that particular year tail panel, 73-76 Duster, may have been a problem. My 73 also had rubber gaskets that fit against the lenses to seal them to the tail panel & they were original gaskets.

 

[JAG_mopar]

I'm thinking the AMD tail panels may be the culprit & could be why they don't offer them anymore. I tried to get one for my 73 but were out of production & not easy to find in decent shape on an original car. AMD does make pretty good parts but that particular year tail panel, 73-76 Duster, may have been a problem. My 73 also had rubber gaskets that fit against the lenses to seal them to the tail panel & they were original gaskets.

I am really surprised that I did not receive more feedback from others that have used this part. If course I had to massage the part a little during installation and I also did not weld it in, but used the body glue and 50 clamps, sot it did not warp going in. I am sure it is the density of the gaskets in use these days. I know there are problems with the door seals that I used on other projects. They are just to dense and don't fit well against the glass nor inserting un the frame. I am going to trim up the gasket a little more to allow the lip around the hole to seat better around the gasket. (note on one of the pictures, trim the marker line on the gasket.)

 

[JAG_mopar]

PS, I would love to see a picture of someone's original tail light fitment into the panel from the outside without the bezel.

 

[17remfan]

Hello again. Im interested in your post because i just changed mine out on my 73 duster. Other owner installed smoked lenses. I wanted originals . Most used stuf is junk.

 

[17remfan]

The gaskets seem thicker than they need to be. Why not trim gasket to half thickness to see if that brings everything where it needs to be.

 

[17remfan]

Just for a visual check, hows the fit with no gasket in place ??

 

[JAG_mopar]

Hello again. Im interested in your post because i just changed mine out on my 73 duster. Other owner installed smoked lenses. I wanted originals . Most used stuf is junk.

I have looked at pictures of used lights on the marketplace and it seemed that the lip does cut through gasket on the outer sides. The gaskets are pretty firm, so I am planing on carving a groove into the gasket on the sides and opening the inside edge a little to make it fitaround the lip. that should allow it to seat deeper to allow the grip of the nut. I also will be using some buytl to seal around the gasket since there is layered metal where the quarter meets the tail panel. hopefully by the weekend.

 

[JAG_mopar]

The gaskets seem thicker than they need to be. Why not trim gasket to half thickness to see if that brings everything where it needs to be.

thicker? do you mean wider? I will be trimming the inside edge so it will go around the bent lip of the opening.

 

[JAG_mopar]

Just for a visual check, hows the fit with no gasket in place ??

too late for that check. I stuck the gaskets in place several years ago. I think they had their own adhesive. the lenses line up with the hole. just hard to grab the pins with the self tapping nuts.

 

[17remfan]

Good luck with it!! Oh in mine , there was already a gasket glued or stuck in place onto the body of the car so i just eemoved the new gasket i had in place on the lense and installed the light. Thats why im so weird on looking for gaskets !

 

[JAG_mopar]

Good luck with it!! Oh in mine , there was already a gasket glued or stuck in place onto the body of the car so i just eemoved the new gasket i had in place on the lense and installed the light. Thats why im so weird on looking for gaskets !

maybe that would have been a better option to stick the gasket to the car.