Guest Jonesy13 Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 I have a 1968 Buick Wildcat with the drivers side tail light lens busted.. I've been all over the internet searching to no avail... Will a 67 work?? I'm running out of options... Thanks, Jonesy13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 How much of a purist are you? I think I have a used '68 LeSabre tail light that will work but the chrome overlay is not the same. A '67 lens is narrower. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Leonard, Texas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonesy13 Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 That is fine with me, but I'll need to replace both is all.. Doesn't the Wildcat have an extra bulb in their assembly?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted July 16, 2017 Share Posted July 16, 2017 Yes, the Wildcat has an additional bulb towards the center of the car; pretty sure I have both left and right sides from a '68 LeSabre. Will look when I get to the shop tomorrow, and send a photo. Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonesy13 Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 I appreciate it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcatsrule Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 '67 and '68 lenses are one year only designs. No one is reproducing the '68 Wildcat lenses as of now and NOS are virtually non existent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonesy13 Posted July 17, 2017 Share Posted July 17, 2017 Will the a Lesabre and Wildcat cross match?? Don't want to spend the money for a Lesabre tail light and it not bolt up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcatsrule Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Le Sabre bezels will bolt in, but as mentioned the Wildcat has three tail light bulbs per side, whereas the Le Sabre only has two. The Le Sabre bezels are different than the Wildcat, so if you retrofit those in, you will end up with an extra bulb from your wiring harness just hanging behind the bezels on each side, closest to the reverse lights. The third bulbs you would not be utilizing are for parking light function-they do not connect with the brake lights or turn signals. In my opinion, the extra illumination of the Wildcat tail lights is what sets the car apart-I would keep looking for a used set-you may have to wait awhile, but they do come up for sale occasionally. Try checking eBay or Craigslist. Not to dissuade you from using LeSabre lights, but maybe you could get those until you can find the correct replacements. Anyway, it is your car-you'll do what you think is best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonesy13 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Oh, I definitely want it original, just don't want to see the tail light get water and dirt in it again.. Those things are a booger to take off.. I do appreciate the insight.. I'm a Dodge/AMC man myself, my 74 year old father bought the Wildcat because my 73 year old mother wanted it.. Hence the labor falls on me.. Never been a big GM man, just assumed Buick was like Nova, Impala or Monte Carlo, parts falling off trees and such.. I'll keep intouch with ya'll and let ya'll know if I find anything.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thriller Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 My first car was a 1974 Javelin AMX. My first Buick (sold the AMC to afford) is my 1966 Wildcat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Can you post a picture of your broken lens? I ask because sometimes the lens is separable from the housing, and if that is the case here, you may be able to just use the leSabre lens with your Wildcat housing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonesy13 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 I'll post one this evening, but it is 2 separate units, the lens and the housing.. We took it apart and have a large corner piece that we glued back on.. looking to make a template and a hot glue gun to "reproduce" the corner peice... I know, sounds sketchy, but drastic times call for drastic measures... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Here are my 1968 LeSabre tail light assemblies. They have some pitting on the chrome, but are complete and no cracks. They are large and rather heavy, probably will cost upwards of $65 to ship them somewhere, depending on how far away. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Leonard, Texas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonesy13 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Man, those look nice!! How about the bolt up?? Will I have to drill new holes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 (edited) You should not have to drill new bolt holes--they certainly didn't on the assembly line. You can see some of the attaching bolt locations in the first photo. $80 for the pair, plus the postage. Edited July 18, 2017 by Pete Phillips (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcatsrule Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 8 hours ago, JohnD1956 said: Can you post a picture of your broken lens? I ask because sometimes the lens is separable from the housing, and if that is the case here, you may be able to just use the leSabre lens with your Wildcat housing. The Wildcat lens is longer than the Le Sabre lens, so that wouldn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonesy13 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Our idea is to find a Lesabre lens that is broken on the one opposite end, cut it and glue the Lesabre to the Wildcat... Desperate times, my friends... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonesy13 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 (edited) 10 hours ago, Jonesy13 said: I'll post one this evening, but it is 2 separate units, the lens and the housing.. We took it apart and have a large corner piece that we glued back on.. looking to make a template and a hot glue gun to "reproduce" the corner peice... I know, sounds sketchy, but drastic times call for drastic measures... If you want to reproduce the particular section, you can go to a hobby shop and get the necessary resin/plastic, soft rubber to make the mold, and do that. One of our chapter members brought some small lenses he'd reproduced that way and they were flawless compared to the original. It might take a few times to get a "mirror image" for the other side's section to repair the original lens, but it's all doable "in house". Just remember go get "UV Resistant" plastic material! NTX5467 Edited July 19, 2017 by NTX5467 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 (edited) Was browsing the "AutoPartsObsolete" site and saw this: http://www.autopartsobsolete.com/1967-buick-wildcat-taillight-lens-nos-gm-5958572.html Rats -- that's a '67. I see you're looking for '68... Edited July 21, 2017 by EmTee (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonesy13 Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 EmTee, I appreciate it, but it seems 67 and 68 are two different birds when it comes to the tail lights... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted July 22, 2017 Share Posted July 22, 2017 Several years ago, I was in a local salvage yard looking for things that might fit my '68 LeSabre. I found a similar Electra and knew I needed a windshield washer jug. The Electra had one, so I got it. It also had a separate hood pop-up spring. Didn't get it. I got the Electra washer jug back to my shop and eagerly started to install it on the LeSabre. First bolt went in, BUT the second bolt would NOT! What's going on here? The width between the two bolt holes was 1/2 bolt diameter WIDER on the Electra than on the LeSabre. The Electra item was TWICE the size (height) of the LeSabre item, too. There was no place for the flat pop-up spring on the LeSabre hood support. In other words, there can be many things which look like they "should" work that don't between the similar trim levels of Buicks, back then! The larger Electra obviously needed a windshield washer jug that was bigger as it was a "bigger car". On the tail lights, unless the width of the center piece of the deck lid (between the tail light bezels) is different between the LeSabre and Wildcat, I'd suspect they are the same physical size, but the Wildcat would be different in the number of bulbs (stated) it had. Until I see they are "the same", I'd be a little wary they were, from experience. But then I've seen cars that I suspected had different items that really were the same on the same wheelbase. NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanguard67 Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Hello, I am looking for a nice 1968 Lesabre left hand tail light housing and lens. Do any of you have these ? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted sweet Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 this topic was 6 years old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine Gun Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 4 hours ago, ted sweet said: this topic was 6 years old Does that mean that vanguard67 no longer needs the taillight housing and lens? 😜 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Post a WANTED ad here: https://forums.aaca.org/forum/12-buick-buysell/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 14 hours ago, Vanguard67 said: Hello, I am looking for a nice 1968 Lesabre left hand tail light housing and lens. Do any of you have these ? thanks Check with the vendors listed in the very first post under this forum header. Those are vendors selling mostly buick parts. Other vendors are listed in the classifieds within the Buick Club of America's monthly magazine. For those needing Buick specific parts, the monthly magazine makes the cost of membership 100% worthwhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 14 hours ago, Vanguard67 said: Hello, I am looking for a nice 1968 Lesabre left hand tail light housing and lens. Do any of you have these ? thanks Check with the vendors listed in the very first post under this forum header. Those are vendors selling mostly buick parts. Other vendors are listed in the classifieds within the Buick Club of America's monthly magazine. For those needing Buick specific parts, the monthly magazine makes the cost of membership 100% worthwhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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