When the taillight on Motivated Mom's car was damaged last week, I decided to have the replacement part sent directly to me and save the installation charge. I had replaced taillight assemblies before and it was no big deal. All I had to do was remove a couple screws and unhook a wiring harness.
This morning I took a look at the replacement assembly for the first time - and had one of those sinking feelings. There were no screw holes visible from the exterior of the taillight which meant all the fasteners needed to be accessed from inside the car.
Trying to calm my shaky hands, I popped the trunk. As I feared, considerable deconstruction was going to be required. First the bottom liner needed to come out of the trunk in order to free up the side lining. The side lining was interlocked with the plastic trim that needed to be loosened. The plastic trim needed to be pulled out of the way in order to... well, you get the idea.
It all might have been possible if I had been an orangutan. I could have crawled into the trunk, held lining and trim out of the way with my feet, stuck a flashlight in my mouth, bent my head down to my butt, and worked my eight inch fingers into the cubby hole holding the taillight.
Not having the dexterity of an orangutan, all I could do was scream like one.
Next time I'll pay the installation fee.
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