Ok, so last night I put together the taillight housing idea that I have had in my head for the last couple of weeks. In the end, it'll take just two bolts to install each taillight. No screws, no "proper alignment" issues... no B.S.
I wanted to be able to mount the taillights in through the trunk, without having any visible fasteners, but also to do it in a way that some Shadetree Engineer from the past would have done it. I came up with a simple "taillight tensioning" system that consists of three basic pieces. A backplate, a top plate, and a bottom plate. Eventually, the top and bottom plates will be welded to the body when I form the rear taillight sections. The backplate is designed to simply slide into place from the inside of the trunk, with the taillight lens.
First, I made the backplate. I just used 1/4" round rod in the shape of the taillight lens, but a bit bigger so it would seal nicely later on. This piece will eventually hold the pigtail and lights as well. I haven't gotten that far yet. I put a tab on the top and bottom of the backplate with a 5/16" nut welded to each tab. These nuts are the basis for my tensioning system. I simply put a bolt through each one, and tighten in down onto my top and bottom plate. This holds the taillight in.
Please refer to photos.
