Customizing a classic Mustang dates back to 1964 when the first examples came roaring down Main Street. Nearly every customizing trick known to man has been tried on a Mustang. Taillights are a popular area for customization. We've seen Cougar taillights, three Mustang taillights on each side (yuck!), and even Camaro taillights used in the quest for individuality. We were stung by the taillight bug, too, on our '65 5.0L EFI coupe project.
We kicked around several customizing tricks. Ultimately, our choice was '64-'65 Thunderbird taillights from Larry's Thunderbird & Mustang parts. T-bird taillights were good enough for Ford on the '68 California Specials, High Country Specials, and Shelby Mustangs. Why not on our humble project? Here's what we learned through our customizing efforts. Thunderbird taillight lenses and trim are widely available for T-birds and Mustangs alike. The light assemblies, however, are not. T-bird taillight assemblies are only available used, and there aren't that many of them around.
Our solution for this dilemma was to use six '65-'66 Mustang taillight assemblies. You can source these new or used. If you're going to source them new, opt for the early '64-1/2 design with pigtails and plugs for easy installation. If you're going to source them used, keep reading. We'll show you how to modify them for aftermarket sockets and wiring, then how to tie them into your Mustang's electrical system.