Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Topic: Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch (Read 11253 times) previous topic - next topic

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #30 – October 16, 2007, 10:36:21 PM

the picture is there...or click here: http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/imptb.jpg

Why the sheetmetal? I'd just modify the header panel with more fiberglass. That is, unless you're talking about the fender portion which would be very minimal.

edit:
Oh, and I've got a vacuum pump ordered. I'm thinking either going dual tanks for a 2-stage setup or using a shopvac for the initial pull (as the air under the polycarb will kill much of the vacuum in a tank), using a 20 gallon tank as the second stage for the more tight pull for edge perfection.

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #31 – October 16, 2007, 11:25:19 PM

only cuz I want to keep my header panel just in case.
Thanks for the pic/link (well it was a red X). I see there'd probably need more "nose" contour to line the lights up. Kinda more of a Pro-Street effect, lol. Which means the bumper would probably have to point out more too. Of course my initial thoughts back when I first had the idea was to french the lights on the fender side to make the lights contour without stretching the nose.

Your experiments in plastic sounds interesting. Is there any websites that discuss that?

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #32 – October 17, 2007, 12:24:22 AM

Nothing really as far as vacuum forming. There are a couple message boards at http://www.tk560.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=1 and http://www.cnczone.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=291 . As for as vacuum chambers, I have yet to find one better than the one here: http://www.halloweenfear.com/vacuumformintro.html . A really cheap setup was built by this guy earlier this year http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=621858 . People seem to really like the plans here http://www.tk560.com/vactable4.html but I can't see that working for anything with any thickness. Besides, I'd rather have a larger chamber I can build within and have heaters located at both the top and bottom. The heating element is one of the better ways of warming the chamber up though.

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #33 – April 28, 2008, 01:09:12 PM

What ever happened to this project?

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #34 – April 28, 2008, 05:13:06 PM

Yes,an update would be nice.I'm still interested,even though since this thread started I now have an NOS set of headlights (SWEET !!!).

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #35 – April 29, 2008, 01:52:51 PM

Just keep rubbing it in...hahaha

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #36 – December 15, 2008, 11:50:34 PM

This project was on a long hold due to drive train work. I should be resuming this within the next few months - I have a pair of TL's and a pair of TSX's to retrofit. I need to build a good vacuum forming box that can do 3 angle forming so I can attempt to make some single piece headlight lenses. I'm not sure how well this will work without causing distortions on the deeply pulled (cornering lamps) area but without perfection, I think I can get good clean pulls easily. 29 inHg of vacuum and a large tank can do some great stuff (compared to the results I've seen of people using standard shopvacs).

I am hoping to do this not only for myself, but get a molding design down that can be used for other members and custom shapes - it just takes a lot of test runs before getting the perfect molds. If worse comes to worse, I can settle for two piece front lights - much easier to make. Of course, once complete, my current "draft" pieces will be on eBay to help get some of the money back I wasted on all the attempts to make the lights. They're not up to my expectations of what they should look like. You have to look very closely and at the edges from the underside, with the lights off, but they're not good enough for me to claim them.

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #37 – December 16, 2008, 03:38:09 PM

i'm just gonna have a set of aftermarket fox mustang projectors molded into my existing bezel with a strip of leds along the bottom for marker/signal.

then i can use the existing signal location for led driving lights.

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #38 – December 16, 2008, 04:56:02 PM

Quote from: LumpyCheeseman;247774

i'm just gonna have a set of aftermarket fox mustang projectors molded into my existing bezel with a strip of leds along the bottom for marker/signal.

then i can use the existing signal location for led driving lights.

Take pics.I need to see this.

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #39 – December 16, 2008, 06:30:40 PM

How'd you do that? I've always considered creating "new" my headlights, I just never knew what I should do.

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #40 – December 16, 2008, 07:12:17 PM

I'd pay a couple of hundred bucks for some cool one piece aftermarket lights..............if they existed.

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #41 – December 17, 2008, 01:02:37 PM

well the lights i got planned are for the 4eye fox. and to answer the question of how?

dremel the headlights you want out of the current housings, make sure they are properly aligned in the desired housings, and fiberglass them in. only potential problem is the outer lense, but when using modern headlights, the projector or reflector handle the optics, so a basic acrylic or plastic lense will do fine.

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #42 – December 18, 2008, 04:49:20 PM

Quote from: vinnietbird;247792

I'd pay a couple of hundred bucks for some cool one piece aftermarket lights..............if they existed.

A while back, there was somebody that sold a conversion kit for 4-eyes It adapted flush Mercedes Benz lights (this is pre-HID of course).

It should be relatively easy to convert an 87-88 to HID.

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #43 – November 08, 2009, 02:08:09 PM

Okay, so I am working on a planning stage for this again - my timeline is to start this project later next year when I should have plenty of garage space to work within.

I currently have spare sets of Acura TL and Acura TSX projectors that I was planning on using inside new headlights. With LED's clearly gaining ground, I am unsure if I should ditch the HID idea and go with them for their advantages. I need peoples' help on deciding. Perhaps I should install both to use the advantages of both technologies?

Pros and Cons of each setup as I see it:

HID:
- 3,000 lumens from each projector
- 35w(12v) per bulb
- $100 per projector, $40 bulb, $100 ballast/ignniter
- 4300 kelvin
- One light on each side of vehicle is enough - would be using 4 projectors in my install
- Efficient

- Needs ballast/projector which takes up room/additional cost/wiring complication
- Larger projectors are more difficult to install into header panel
- Shouldn't flash highbeams if lights are off

LED:
- Up to around 1,000 lumens per LED module
- About 15w(12v) per LED/resistor module
- About $50 per LED/$100 per projector
- 6000 kelvin
- Smaller projectors for easier build
- LED's can flicker on/off as often as desired - flash to pass

- Requires custom heatsink design
- Low lumen output per LED module

Round two - FULL set of headlights from scratch

Reply #44 – November 08, 2009, 02:12:49 PM

I also need some ideas on an adjusting mechanism that can adjust each projector individually. My current headlights had no way of adjusting them internally for pivot so I had so keep cutting the fiberglass, turning it slightly, and re-glassing them into place. I got them basically perfect but this isn't easily possible with two or more projectors per side.

I am out of go-fast, stop-quick, stop-bounce&roll work so I have nothing to do but these new body and interior projects. I "may" be able to start working on all but the lenses in the near future.