HOW TO & COST of Supra tail conversion
How to & costs to do a Supra taillight conversion on the 93-up MX6:
Parts:
- $200-$300, 97-98 Supra taillight assemblies complete with sockets and wiring harnesses (brand new from Toyota dealer)
- $200-$250, 97 Supra clear third break light with harness (brand new from dealer)
Body work cost:
$350 at "Civic Center Autobody & Paint" in South San Diego, CA.
Includes: all body modifications, paint and lifetime warranty on custom work
How to:
Remove MX6 factory taillights and fit the Supras. The bottom edge almost fit perfect onto the MX6. Since the Supras are flat on the face and not curved at the outer ends, the rear quarter panels need to be molded to fit the Supras shape. This is done by tack welding sheet metal to both quarter panels to better fit the Supras. This cannot be done to perfection without fiberglass and bondo. Fiberglass and bondo will smooth out the surface on the quarter panels. The deck lid will also need to be modified. The decklid will need to be extended down to meet the top edge of the Supra lights. Once again this is done by tack welding sheet metal (for strength) to the deck lid and fiberglass/bondo work for smoothness. The middle section of the decklid will need to be trimmed and shaved to configure the contour of the Supra lights. Cutting into the walls of the trunk (inside) is neccessary because of the depth of the Supra lights. Once the cutting and shaping is done, the lights can be bolted in by using a custom bracket mount inside the trunk to secure the lights from the rear and a screw can secure each light from the top. The bottom edge of the Supra lights fit nicely with no modification needed. Once the lights are secure, it holds like factory equipment.
The third brake light requires cutting of the deck lid. The bolt mounts on the third brake light are used to secure it into the deck lid of the MX6. Not too much modification needed here. Just cut to fit and bolt down.
Wiring of the Supra lights are simple! The third brake light can be connected directly onto the wires for the third brake light of the MX6. (using butt connectors or male/female connectors) The Supra tails have four bulbs just as the MX6 does. For my car, they cut off the Mazda taillight harness and directly inserted the Mazda wires into the Toyota Supra harness. This is the cleanest way to go but splicing is another way (but not recommended). When wiring, just make sure the corresponding Mazda wires go to the proper bulb fitting on the Supras, i.e. signal to signal, two brakes/parking lights to the brakes/parking lights and reverse light to reverse.
There is a hole in the passenger side Supra taillight for the trunk keyhole of a Supra. A rubber stopper was used to plug the hole tight and it can only be removed if the stopper is ripped out. The stopper does the job and it blends in with the color of the Supra taillight housing.
Lastly, PAINT...you'll need to remove the taillights and mask the third brake light (if not remnoving). When it's all done, it looks like factory and they look awesome!
