opera lights

[baker]

hello from france
could you help me , i have to remove my opera light on the vinyl top on my biarritz 1985.
i don t know how to remove this pârt inside to have access, and i dont want to break it.
thanks for your answer
arnauld

[jsanford]

You don't remove the reading lamp, you remove the whole panel that it is mounted in. You need to use a trim removal tool to pry the clips on the forward edge loose then you can pull the panel the rest of the way off.

[baker]

super !!! fantastic !!!
thank you very much
Arnauld

[1980 Eldo]

Do you need to remove the trim panel to access the light bulb?  I read somewhere that it was in the trunk, but I can't find it.

[81 BENY Biarritz]

The light bulbs that illuminate the fiber optic strands which are used to give the dim light from inside the opera lights are located in plastic bulb holders that are clipped to the top of each rear fender that you access from inside the trunk.  You will need a flashlight to see them and you need to be careful when opening them up that you don't damage the fiber optic strand on the back side.  Unfortunately the special old style bulbs that were made to concentrate the light out a "lens" on one end of the bulbs are no longer made however some have found a bright LED equivalent that sort of works.  Don't expect it to be as good as it would have been originally.  You do not need to remove the inside trim panels to "change the lamp".  You would only remove the interior panel to remove the entire opera lamp from the car, say to replace the vinyl roof, as there are speed nuts on the inside that hold them on.  Dave