WTB: headlight indicators - now found

H

Hotride

Active member
 Nth Qld
As per above, does anyone have a set of indicators out of their headlights laying around? A clear set would be ideal, but an orange pair would also be great. I have been thinking about making a mould and hopefully building some quality clear replica indicators, which will save buying whole headlights to get rid of the orange bits.

I would use my own headlights but as my car is my daily driver I can't afford to pull the lights out for a few days/ weeks while I experiment what will/ won't work. :roll:

I would be willing to pay for a set if anyone has some they don't mind parting with. Not even sure if this will work, but please let me know if you can help me out.

Thanks
 
That's a brilliant idea! This forum alone would make you a fortune if the end product was quality and priced correctly!
 
Lol well if all goes well, maybe I'll be the next gaptech :P

Just need to get ahold of the indicators so I can see how realistic this idea is :wink:
 
Cracking idea :)

I can't help with parts I'm afraid. Perhaps some of the guys who've split headlights will be able to help out? I'd be very keen to hear if this was possible at all as I cannot justify the price that clear headlamps seem to be going for (£400+ was the latest price for a used set on ebay at the weekend).
 
How will this work?

Everything I have read about splitting the headlights requires 2 sets to make one good set as they can not be taken apart using traditional methods and one set usually ends up being destroyed.
Unless that is, you have found a way and that would make you very popular.
 
I was looking at doing this, for the good of the forum - I don't need them myself, but have always wondered why no one bothered make the indicator lenses.

Due to the size and shape of the lenses you'll probably need to use a clear coat with fibre glass - I was originally considering using a silicone rubber mould, but it would need too much. Cover the lens in a releasing agent / wax and left dry - 20/30 minutes. FOr the mould my idea was to create a mould for the outside / front of the light, then once that's set, do the rears - making sure you get plenty of release agent on the mould too. When this is set drill two small holes into what will be the top of the cast, one needs to be big enough to let the resin in, the other can be very small, to let the air out - otherwise you'll have issues getting the resin in and suffer a lot of air bubbles.

The plastic for the lens... get a decent clear resin (make sure it is proper clear - most are slightly amber) and the catalyst. You'll also need to add a UV inhibitor, otherwise your clear lenses will yellow in the sunlight.

Casting... cover the mould in a releasing agent and leave to dry. Use a syringe to inject the resin into the little dimples on the inside of the lens, this just needs to be a thin layer. Once that's on, put the two halves of the cast together and "clamp" together - whatever method you use be sure that it's not too firm as to mis-shape the mould. Our in the resin and leave for the required time.

Easy really. I was going to do this out of interest really, but have too much on at the moment and this isn't necessary for me so is on the back burner. I do have the resin kit if anyone in the UK wants to give this a try.

Making the mould is a little tricky - but you can practice on anything or similar construction. Also worth practicing with the resin as you may well get air bubbles in the first couple attempts. A company called Carbon Mods sell a mould putty which makes this a lot easier, but the price goes up.

There is plenty of info on YouTube to help you with this - on Carbon Mods also.

Only other thing you need are the amber indicators from someone who's done a clear conversion.

Someone please try this! It's bugging me, but just too far down my list of jobs... non-Zed.
 
But how does this solve the problem of splitting the headlights?

If anyone needs some resin and casting info/advice (other than PawnSacrifice who definitely sounds like he know what he's doing!) take a look at the website of my other hobby: http://www.resinaddict.com/.

Hotride, I can help advise on local resin products :thumbsup:
 
Mangozac said:
(other than PawnSacrifice who definitely sounds like he know what he's doing!)
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"Sounds like" is about as far as it goes :oops:

It doesn't do away with the problem of splitting, but, once the moulds are set up it does mean that there is no longer a need for a set of clear lens donor lights - actually the hard part! My plan was to make a set, prove the theory and pass them to a test subject, if all went well then the moulds can be shared... so long as no-one makes any money out of them!

I've made a new gear for my electric seats and some buttons for the centre console (if you like that sort of thing there are links through my signature) after that I really wanted to try and have a go at the lenses - something which I'd thought was the obvious choice from day one... but didn't think it was worth mentioning until I had a completed set - sceptics you see.
 
Funny you should mention this as I looked into doing this sometime back, but managed to get all the clear one's I needed from scrap lights, so left it alone.

In a parallel life I actually had some Jeep indicator lenses cast in Australia as there were no oem available, so it can be done. Biggest issue you'll need to overcome is quality of castings as they are so highly visible and secondly heat as many of the resins are fairly easily melted and the indicators get pretty warm.

I almost certianly have a few amber sets around if you need some so perhaps can sort something out. In fact I'm even coming to Aus at the end of the month :thumbsup:
 
PawnSacrifice said:
I've made a new gear for my electric seats and some buttons for the centre console (if you like that sort of thing there are links through my signature) after that I really wanted to try and have a go at the lenses - something which I'd thought was the obvious choice from day one... but didn't think it was worth mentioning until I had a completed set - sceptics you see.
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Yeah I saw your work on the console buttons - awesome stuff!

My casting abilities extend to small and medium parts for model kits and I've always avoided clear resins because I know how much of a pain it is to cast them bubble free. Indeed, I have three main concerns:
- Casting the lenses without bubbles
- Long term thermal stability of the resin (i.e. it won't warp or melt due to heat)
- UV stability of the resin (so the sunlight doesn't break it down and make it turn yellow)

I'm sure that something appropriate is available, but I don't imagine it will be a cheap product. With regards to the bubbles, I have a vacuum and pressure chamber setup I use for casting, so that should be able to get most of the bubbles out...

CJ, where in Oz are you coming to?

Perhaps we should start a topic about this in a more appropriate section?
 
Ohh... I'd like a vacuum and pressure chamber, I could start having a proper play with pre-preg carbon fibre then :)

The clear stuff I've used hasn't been too bad - although pouring in a slow stream really helped. The advantage with the lens is that it is quite thick. I don't think the heat would be too much of an issue where the lens sits with the indicator light not being on all the time.

Hopefully we'll get to find out! I'll let you take over on the technique tips!
 
well it seems there is a few more factors I will have to consider, haven't thought about melting temp of the finished product, and as far as I can see, making the mould bubble free will require a vacuum which I still need to buy.

I have been asking around a few company's that do injection moulding, as they should be able to make the product oem quality, but haven't found a company willing to do the job as yet - CJ do you happen to remember the company that did your jeep indicators? maybe they will be interested in this?

Pawnsacrifice - originally got me interested in this idea, just didn't wanna use his name in case people started to hassle him about it :wink:

A11y - that is my issue, $400 per headlight is just way too much to justify, surely these can be made at considerably less cost.

Zac - once I get a hold of some indicators im sure I will have some questions for you, as for opening the headlights I hope another member here doesn't mind me using his comment but here goes -

"It took me about 1/2 hour to cut each light open, not cutting too deep but just carefully and slowly going though til you could see a gap, also gently prising with a screwdriver to see the progress. I also cut though the locking tabs inside but that doesn't matter either.
I know this is not the way the purists like to do it, but then you don't have to buy another set of lights this way. Also they can still be taken apart just using a dremel again but this time by cutting the Tigerseal."

CJ - if you are coming here and have some spare lenses that might be a massive help 8) are you coming to Queensland at all?
 
PawnSacrifice said:
Ohh... I'd like a vacuum and pressure chamber, I could start having a proper play with pre-preg carbon fibre then :)
Click to expand...
My pot is only about 250mm diameter by 300mm deep, so no good for larger CF stuff. And actually thinking about it now probably not big enough for the indicator lens either :(

Injection moulding won't be an economical solution as the moulds have to be machined from metal instead of silicone poured like working with resin. Honestly looking at some pics of the lens, with the way id has all of the diffusing shapes I'm not convinced that a few bubbles will really be all that noticeable. Clear resins often have a long pot life so they can perhaps be degassed before pouring and then poured at room pressure.

Personally I'm not confident with the idea of hacking open my only set of headlights. Maybe if I could pick up a cheap set with orange indicators I'd do the mod to them - I like the idea of having the original parts to fall back on if things go badly!
 
Personally I'm not confident with the idea of hacking open my only set of headlights.
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meh gotta take a risk sometimes - plus enough silicone should patch up any miss haps, not that there should be any if your careful. I'm usually pretty anal about things looking perfect. but you can't see where the lens joins the black plastic unless you open the bonnet, and there are loads of plastic welders around these days, if things go wrong.

If Injection moulding is so expensive - what method do you think CJ's jeep indicators would have been produced by?
 
They would have been done in resin too. I know of a guy in Brisbane who does a lot of casting of things like that professionally but last time I spoke to him he didn't have time for any extra work. Plus getting him to do this would still be pretty pricey.

I can certainly do some research and inquire to the company I buy my resin from as to a suitable clear product.
 
ahh ok. Those city's are down the south end - I'm up the top about 2000 Miles north of Sydney.

I cant even find amber lenses for cheap on ebay, so that would be much appreciated.
 
I just found a clear RHS headlight on another forum for $50USD so I snapped it up - although postage was an extra $95 which was a bit steep, but 145USD total didn't seem too bad compared to ebay. Now I just need the LHS light. 8)

BTW - what is the usual going rate for a headlight?
 
Ok. I have now located and bought a lhs headlight. Some *#^= decided to bid in the last 5secs and increase the auction by 20eur :headbang: which made it not such a good deal but 111 eur delivered and I don't have to think about buying these headlights anymore!

Found it here http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120725079051&autorefresh=true#ht_3137wt_922 and the rhs I found here http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1634744

Hopefully these show up soon with the angel eyes I just ordered and I can get down to business lol
 
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