73 duster taillights

[Dusterbingthepeace]

My passenger side tail light isnt seating properly against the rear of the car, causing a 1/4 inch gap and allowing water to get into the trunk. the driver side is fine, what gives? I will post pics later. Anyone else have a problem like this?

 

[kelleherdl]

Has this ever been answered?

I was out looking at my 73 Duster yesterday and I saw that same thing on mine. The nicer looking OE tail lights we used, both driver and passenger, and both marked as 73 really do not fit flush. The originals did, but they were quite pitted. The gap was so wide I questioned whether the new gaskets were placed correctly. The shop guys said they even looked at the 73 shop manuals and said they were installed correctly.

Dennis

 

[tnts72]

Damage to the tail panel at some point?

 

[kelleherdl]

Nope.... The car when i bought it had some evidence of front end damage as the front bumper supports needed to be replaced. But nothing on the rear. Both rear quarters were replaced, so maybe some alignment problems crept in then. It really is not a gap just one place, like a corner. It seems to be a problem around the whole periphery of the chromed bezel. And both the drive and passenger sides equally. Sorry I don't have a picture, but it looks like what would happen if a gasket were missing from between the bezel and the tail panel. But the service manual does not show a gasket between the bezel and metal. The gasket shows between the plastic tail light housing and the tail panel. Ajd those are new reproductions.

Dennis