Garage Vary Tail Light Install (New fiberglass pieces?)

[BRG757]

I'm aware there are plenty of threads covering the Garage Vary Tail Light installation, but most of them are several years old. I believe the kit has been updated and I'm faced with some issues that I'd like to know whether anyone else who has recently purchased the kit had similar experiences or not.

For those familiar with the kit, it not only comes with the tail light panel, tail lights, and reverse lamp, but also some fiberglass pieces that install in place of the OEM tails (behind the new Porter Cab lamps). These fiberglass pieces that I got recently came with standoffs - so instead of bolting it onto the body with a bolt and a nut, you only need to use a bolt and thread it into this standoff.

My issue is that this standoff is hitting the tail light panel when I test fit it. Has anybody had experience installing these with the standoffs? Am I the first to receive these pieces made this way?

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a67/dpchan21/Taillighttrim_zps50e7f857.jpg

[Flyin 92]

I'd suggest removing them and going with a nut/bolt combo.

[BRG757]

Problem is they don't remove very readily/easily. I'm open to ideas.

[Phatmiata]

Have you tried reversing them and flipping to opposite sides??

Nice photos btw.

Are you a member in the BRG Gentlemens Club??

[Flyin 92]

Without being able to fidget with them in person I'm afraid I'm not much help.

[Hyper]

I'm aware there are plenty of threads covering the Garage Vary Tail Light installation, but most of them are several years old. I believe the kit has been updated and I'm faced with some issues that I'd like to know whether anyone else who has recently purchased the kit had similar experiences or not.

For those familiar with the kit, it not only comes with the tail light panel, tail lights, and reverse lamp, but also some fiberglass pieces that install in place of the OEM tails (behind the new Porter Cab lamps). These fiberglass pieces that I got recently came with standoffs - so instead of bolting it onto the body with a bolt and a nut, you only need to use a bolt and thread it into this standoff.

My issue is that this standoff is hitting the tail light panel when I test fit it. Has anybody had experience installing these with the standoffs? Am I the first to receive these pieces made this way?

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a67/dpchan21/Taillighttrim_zps50e7f857.jpg

They are there for a reason, best thing is to ask the supplier, and or other people who purchase from the same supplier.

[BRG757]

Have you tried reversing them and flipping to opposite sides??

Nice photos btw.

Are you a member in the BRG Gentlemens Club??

Unfortunately, no. These things only go on one way and if you put it on the other side, the standoff is on the wrong side and the fiberglass doesn't sit flush on the body.

Not a member but would love to join. What's it take? I'm guessing owning a BRG is requisite #1, which I pass with flying colors!

[BRG757]

They are there for a reason, best thing is to ask the supplier, and or other people who purchase from the same supplier.

That's what I'm looking for from the community. The supplier is Japanese. All instructions included are in Japanese with not enough pictures. I could ask the Sponsor who sold it to me but it was drop shipped from Japan so they might not have seen it before (worth a try though).

FYI I'm not Japanese. I could try google translate to cobble an email together if nobody else has gotten the kit with these standoffs.

[Hyper]

That's what I'm looking for from the community. The supplier is Japanese. All instructions included are in Japanese with not enough pictures. I could ask the Sponsor who sold it to me but it was drop shipped from Japan so they might not have seen it before (worth a try though).

FYI I'm not Japanese. I could try google translate to cobble an email together if nobody else has gotten the kit with these standoffs.

Tranquilo MY FRIEND, soon or later someone will answer your question. If you purchased the lights from Rev9, RSpeed or an authorized GV vendor some one will help you, soon or later guaranteed.

[Phatmiata]

Are you trying to mount these inside the trunk or outside?

[Phatmiata]

I have my kit tucked away in storage, I'll have to look at mine now. But there are quite a few guys here on the forum that have already installed theirs.

[Dandy]

RevLimiter probably has the best write-up: http://revlimiter.net/mods/garagevarytails.php

I don't see anything different accept for what you call a standoff in place of the nuts. There shouldn't be clearance issues as I believe the bolt would protrude as much as this standoff is:
http://revlimiter.net/mods/pix/gvtail10.jpg

It does look like you have the bolt head on the wrong side of the fiberglass. It should be bolt, fiberglass, insulation, body of car, and nut or standoff applied to the bolt from inside the trunk. At least this is how I remember it.

[BRG757]

Tranquilo MY FRIEND, soon or later someone will answer your question. If you purchased the lights from Rev9, RSpeed or an authorized GV vendor some one will help you, soon or later guaranteed.

Didn't mean to come off that way, but I hope you're right. I'm not in any particular rush to get these on so I'll be trying to get it right.


Are you trying to mount these inside the trunk or outside?

I have my kit tucked away in storage, I'll have to look at mine now. But there are quite a few guys here on the forum that have already installed theirs.

The ones in the picture with the standoff, I'm trying to mount on the outside of the trunk. There are another pair of fiberglass pieces that act as covers that mount on the inside. I've never seen those covers on other posts before. See pics.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a67/dpchan21/photo11_zpse8340226.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a67/dpchan21/photo21_zps1bb1cc28.jpg

[BRG757]

RevLimiter probably has the best write-up: http://revlimiter.net/mods/garagevarytails.php

I don't see anything different accept for what you call a standoff in place of the nuts. There shouldn't be clearance issues as I believe the bolt would protrude as much as this standoff is:

It does look like you have the bolt head on the wrong side of the fiberglass. It should be bolt, fiberglass, insulation, body of car, and nut or standoff applied to the bolt from inside the trunk. At least this is how I remember it.

I followed that writeup and it was very detailed, but the kit has changed (at least mine is different).

You're right though. The standoff is on the wrong side - I'd have done it the way you have it sequenced, but this is the way I got it. I can't think of a way around it other than removing it - its not interfering a lot (just one of the standoffs is interfering), and I could install the panel and everything would look OK, but the standoff would be pushing on the panel, which I imagine would apply a preload against the panel and work against the double-sided tape.

[JamieH]

I know of a few solutions to this problem.

1. You flip them from one side to the other and put them in backwards. To do this you'll have to drill into the body of the car in order for the pem nuts to pass through and then you'll need to stack washers slightly taller than the pem nuts on the inside in order for the bolts to hold them in place.

2. You cut the pem nuts off with a dremel or similar tool and just use regular nuts and bolts.

3. You cut the offending pem nuts down in size to clear the panel.

I did the 3rd option, I may be the only person to have done so. Once I had the adapter plates bolted in place, I used a dremel to cut the nuts and bolts down that were causing the issue.

It should be the bottom inside nut/bolt of each plate that is causing the issue. In this pic you can see the one on the driver's side (US). This is looking in from the opening for the reverse light.

http://i.imgur.com/EUf7aPa.jpg

So, there's only 2 nuts/bolts you have to cut down if you solve it like I did.

Oh, one other thing, if you decide to use taillight cups that protect the lights from loose items inside the trunk, make sure you tuck the taillight wiring in just right. It's going to be a snug fit.

Uh, one more, one more thing. You're going to need to do something about water leaking in. I found that water was following the trunk opening channels down to where the GV panel meets the body under the trunk lid, dropping onto the top of the GV lights, falling off them and then into the trunk. Since there's no good way to seal the GV lights to the openings for them in the adapter panel/plate, I used some black silicone sealant between the body and the GV panel where they meet above the taillights/below the trunk.

In these two pics, you can see the area I'm talking about.

Without camera flash:

http://i.imgur.com/9fbKoSV.jpg

With camera flash:

http://i.imgur.com/kgEb8Gh.jpg

This is nearly invisible to the naked eye.

And, here's how the tailight covers go in.

http://i.imgur.com/Ku9TBZd.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HcOH0yY.jpg

[BRG757]

I know of a few solutions to this problem.

1. You flip them from one side to the other and put them in backwards. To do this you'll have to drill into the body of the car in order for the pem nuts to pass through and then you'll need to stack washers slightly taller than the pem nuts on the inside in order for the bolts to hold them in place.

2. You cut the pem nuts off with a dremel or similar tool and just use regular nuts and bolts.

3. You cut the offending pem nuts down in size to clear the panel.

I did the 3rd option, I may be the only person to have done so. Once I had the adapter plates bolted in place, I used a dremel to cut the nuts and bolts down that were causing the issue.

It should be the bottom inside nut/bolt of each plate that is causing the issue. In this pic you can see the one on the driver's side (US). This is looking in from the opening for the reverse light.

....

JamieH, extremely helpful and just the type of information I came on this forum looking for. I appreciate you taking the time to write this up - if you posted this info somewhere before, I apologize for missing it. Its good to know it wasn't a one-off fitment issue.

The tip on the covers and sealant are duly noted.

[Dandy]

OK, I clearly see now that the fiberglass cover is a new part. I guess the cover would go inside the trunk before the standoff. Instructions written in Japanese and on-line directions from dudes that don't have the parts in front of them . . . this is a challenge. I think that the standoff has to come off and you need to flip the bolt around. I don't think anything should be pushing against the panel. I often come up with the best solutions after a good night's sleep. It will feel right when it is put together correctly. You'll know it.

oops . . . I see JamieH came to the rescue!

I think I want covers now too!:mrgreen:

[JamieH]

Also, don't forget to install the reverse light to the panel (and wire it!) before putting the panel in place. If I had thought of it before I had finished installing mine I would have used some sort of epoxy or the such to glue the nuts of the reverse light bolts to the panel itself. That way the reverse light can be removed easily to replace a blown bulb or whatever.

As is, you've got to hold the nuts with a wrench/socket while you screw the bolts in with a phllips screwdriver. And I don't think there's anyway to access the back of the reverse light with the panel in place. I haven't tried it yet, but it may be possible to get to the nuts of the GV reverse light by removing the driver's side (US) license plate light housing.

[fitftw]

Funny, I've been looking all over the place for help on this.

12751

I'd rather dremel down 2 of the bolts than drill into the body. At least now I know what to do.

How is this design any better than the original? It's more annoying, IMO.

[BRG757]

I finished my install today and also opted to dremel the offending nuts. The sequence of installing all the various bits and pieces aren't clearly documented anywhere and it certainly made it harder. Wish I took photos.

You won't be able to tuck the tail lamp harness into the tail lamp-side of the fiberglass cover - there's simply not enough room. So the connector of the tail lamp needs to be on the trunk-side of the cover. BUT, the cover needs to be bolted down before installing the GV panel. Its a Catch 22. Not the easiest install with that cover piece.

I ended up loosely bolting down the cover to allow enough flex so that I could push the tail lamp harness/connector past it. Then tightened the bolts.

Feel free to post your questions here when you get into the deep end.

My finished product to keep you motivated.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a67/dpchan21/4604517F-D6B3-4257-ACF9-0B99B7CB110B_zpsqmkkztjf.jpg?t=1413077277

[fitftw]

Did you dremel the nuts that are attached to the fiberglass, or just some of the bolt threads sticking out of it? I have a dremel but it's not cordless and I live in an apartment so I need to find some way to do it. Can I stick the bolt through and dremel it in the house? Will I be able to unscrew the bolt if I do that?

Yours looks great in BRG. I definitely won't be using the backing cover pieces though. My trunk is gutted and I don't keep anything in it :lol: Good to know about the silicone. I'll pick some up tomorrow.

Can't wait to put it on this...
12757

[Ihatecars]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a67/dpchan21/4604517F-D6B3-4257-ACF9-0B99B7CB110B_zpsqmkkztjf.jpg?t=1413077277

Oh gawd. Too great.

[BRG757]

Did you dremel the nuts that are attached to the fiberglass, or just some of the bolt threads sticking out of it? I have a dremel but it's not cordless and I live in an apartment so I need to find some way to do it. Can I stick the bolt through and dremel it in the house? Will I be able to unscrew the bolt if I do that?

Yours looks great in BRG. I definitely won't be using the backing cover pieces though. My trunk is gutted and I don't keep anything in it :lol: Good to know about the silicone. I'll pick some up tomorrow.

Can't wait to put it on this...


You'll have to dremel the nuts attached to the fiberglass. I think JamieH's photo earlier in this thread showed how the nut itself hits the GV panel. The bolt will stick out even further so you can either 1) visit a hardware store and purchase shorter bolts, or 2) use the bolts supplied and stack some washers so that the bolt doesn't stick out. I'm a fan of 1). I typically don't like cutting bolts. They're cheap enough and readily available in different lengths.

Thanks for the compliments! That duckbill spoiler is a nice touch that'll accentuate that new booty pretty well.

[Corifto]

Digging up a grave, but I've had these made.

http://i.imgur.com/MtcQ6kZ.jpg