'71 Cutlass Tail Lamps

[Guest]

I removed my tail lamps to paint them and I found and innner red lens on three of the four lights. Are these needed? If so, where can I get one inner lens for a upper lamp?

[rocketraider]

The pieces you describe are the reflector section of the lens. Look at your outer lens and it's smooth. The inner lens has thousands of tiny prisms cut into it.<P>For your end, the taillights work just fine without them, but from a safety standard, they're needed so an oncoming driver can see your car if it's stopped with no rear lights. His headlights will hit those prisms and it'll look like the whole rear of the car lit up.<P>It's a salvage yard or swap meet item.