2003 Avanti, Where did this front side marker light come from?

[grobb284]

Curious where this front side marker light came from on the Avanti's built from Firebirds. Is it from the Firebird?

[SBCA96]

I always thought it was a Corvette part.

Tom

[Gunslinger]

The red Avanti convertible in the background of that photo may be mine...it was one of two red convertibles with gray interiors used in auto shows and print and internet ads.

I checked the lenses on my car for you. I believe Avanti had their own lens molding facility for the cars, but the lenses you're asking about have a nice oval with the "Ford" logo molded into it. The numbers molded in each lens are:

SAE AP2 96TS L (for left)

SAE AP2 96TS R (for right)

Hopefully those numbers can help you run them down. If you can identify what Ford vehicle they're from, let us know. It will help the data base.

Edited June 24, 2008 by Gunslinger

[grobb284]

SAE AP2 96TS L (for left)

SAE AP2 96TS R (for right)

Years ago, a number on the lens indicated the first model year of manufacture. Do manufacturers still do this?

If it is from Ford, would it be 02 or 96?

[grobb284]

Just found this on Ebay, is this it? For 1996 to 1999 Ford Taurus.

That would fit the part number, perhaps.

[Gunslinger]

That looks right. I have no idea if it still does, but I always was under the impression the number would identify the year the lens was approved for use...not necessarily the model year of the car...maybe the model year of the car it's designed for. That number is the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) approval number I would guess. The Ford part number would be different...possibly molded into the inside of the lens.

On my '70, the tail light lenses say Stude 1962 on them. That must have been prior to any standardized approval numbers on such parts.

On my '02, I know the door handles are GM...from an Oldsmobile Aurora I believe. They look like Corvette '97-'04 door handles, but the Vette handles don't have the key lock in it.

[Guest DRN]

Avanti apparently sourced parts from a lot of different models. The '05's, on the Ford Fox-Mustang chassis, used door handles from the 1999-2002 Mercury Cougar. The door handles on the later '06 and '07's looked to have been from the donor Mustangs.

The taillight lens I saw on the GM Firebird based Avanti a couple of weeks ago, appeared to have faded where it bends around the corner of the body. I wonder if color retention has been an issue on the in-house produced lenses. Red can be prone to fading.

[Avanti2002]

My 2002 has faded rear red lenses.

I need a driver side parking light housing. Any ideas?