This is what got me motivated again. The build tag date is, actually, the week before mine was made at the LA plant..
When I removed the tail panel, I was "assuming" I would use my AMD that has the reverse light holes stamped in it, so I wasn't concerned about cutting thru the factory hole. Now, this is what I have to determine the correct location. The marks on the panel are from laying the AMD on it and tracing. They were quite close, but the panel must have shifted during the tracing as the left side was off by 3/8". After another couple hours of measuring and agonizing, I finally drilled the corners and made the cuts. I deliberately made the hole too small to final fit with a 2" disc sander and once that was done, I was relieved to see the lamp fall right in the backing plate holes.
Fit the tail light to see if it appeared centered.
After getting the right side cut in, which took more work, as the backer holes were off a little, I just HAD to mock it all up to see it. I haven't seen the car this assembled for over 4 years.
Not much left of the original sheet metal anymore. The right q-panel is NOS, as is the tail panel, but the extension, left skin and backer panel are all AMD, as well as the unseen 1 piece trunk floor and right trunk extension/drop.
Gas cap is NOS from Anthony a while back.
The tail panel on the car had been replaced and sectioned in thru the middle of the left tail light. The cable retainer for the cap was bolted thru the left, lower neck mounting hole and I'm wondering if that is correct, or just a handy place for the hacker to install it ? And, yes, the tail panel and right quarter panel repair were a major hack job, with much of the original panels still under the replacements that were brazed on over them.
None of the holes on the NOS panel are punched large enough for the retainer to fit thru. Hoping someone knows what the correct location was.
