Just Finished my new Tail Lights
 

Well, a couple weeks ago I broke my passenger side tailight. Being pretty hard to find one I decided to try and make a new lense for it.

I just finished them today. The drivers side came out pretty good, but the passenger side came out kind of rough. Along the top it could be cut a bit straighter, but at this point I just wanna take a break because it was a long pain in the ass.

I decided to do circles, so I know for the other circle masked tailight created by another member on the board he just painted over the reverse light, I decided to keep it and just put a smaller circle for it.

The smaller circle was pretty noticeable, but after my buddy suggested using vht nightshades on the outside and it covered it up pretty good.

Anyways here are some pics:

The start of forming and cutting the plexi
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1118091905.jpg

The plexi cut and formed, and the black outside frame wrapped around:
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1119092238.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...119092238a.jpg

Circle masks cut and placed (no I wasnt drinking CM, I was using the for the masks)
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1119092309.jpg

Masks removed after painting (No vht painted on the outside yet)
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1125090932.jpg

At night compared to stock:
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1125091817.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1125091818.jpg

VHT Prep
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1129090932.jpg

After VHT at night:
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1130091707.jpg

There not the best pics but theyll do, Ill post up tommorow a pic during the day.

Wow that looks great at night! what did you use to adhere the lens on?

pretty cool ... way to go winnipeg :icon_tup:

hey , you could have made the middle circle rotor shaped.

you going to drive the 7 all winter ? maybe make a set that says "Back Off "

is that snow on your car!! the covers look ok. i would have done it a little different though.

Thanks, I used a general black epoxy and just gooped the hell out of it on the inside since it was all black anyways. So far it has held up, especially since the stock tailights have that groove that the cover pops into where as mine do not.

I actually never considered doing some designs, maybe next time when I try and change a couple other things. I actually might need something that says back off, because I will be driving it all winter and even before the snow hits I have already had so many people riding my ass.

I think I have had to honk so many more times then in my third gen, either idiot drivers are on the rise or there is no respect for the FB in winnipeg.

Yep, it sure is. There would have been some things I would have changed to. But I was limited with just a cut off wheel and a grinder to make them, so they came out kind of rough which made the need for the black outline necessary.

When I post up some daylight pics tommorow you can see the uneveness on the passenger side cover, which I will try to fix at a later time. Overall though im pretty happy with them.

I will also try and get the pictures less blurry so the circles dont seem to mix together like the last pic.

i think the outline looks ok. i would have smoked the clear lenses and panted the circles on the red reflector inside the light.

Ahh, I see what you mean. I originally though of doing it that way like when you do the 99 spec conversion on FD tail lights.

The reason why I painted the circles on the inside of the lens that I made as opposed to the colored lens itself was to disquise all the black silicone sealent I used. Doing it this way also then hid the 2 black plastic seperators between the reverse and brake and the brake and turn signal.

I also did smoke the outside of the lens as well. I gave it two coats of VHT and it blended the circles well and helped disquise the reverse light. It would have required alot of vht to cover the outside and not completely black out the circles (by masking them a couple shades in) in order to hide the silicone and the black seperators.

What might look good is to tape off the circles like you did and then sand blast it then paint it black like you did. It would give a frosted look on top of the black.

I never thought of that, thats a great idea. Maybe even some of that spray can froster might be worth a shot. With all these ideas I might just have to make another set, possibly over christmas break.

another shot at night, the passenger side looks like its sticking out because theres a dent from the object that broke the last tail light.

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1130092230.jpg

Good job on the lights. I would agree that they need to have a design on them. I have a couple of rear lights that could use a new cover or two!

it's too bad you have to drive that car in winter. I have two FB's here and each one rotted out super fast when they were driven in winter.

Great work on making the new covers. I think a rotor shape instead of the circles would look better though.

Do you have a day shot of the lights? They look good either way :)

Looks good :)

I kept mine rectangular

http://i46.tinypic.com/2a5nhiv.jpg

thanks guys, looks like ill definately have to re-visit this one as theres alot of support for a rotor design, anyways heres a couple daytime pics.

Probably good use some more tint.

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1202091221.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...202091220a.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/c...1202091220.jpg

Nice! Everything is a learning process. I think for your first shot at it you did great. Gives me some ideas for mine! How did you bend the plexi? A heat gun? You could probably use an old tailight and make a cast/template and use clear liquid acrylic and end up with a perfect/factory fit. Good work.

Thanks I did gental forming with a heatgun to bend it, trying to both not crack it and distort the plastic at the same time from too much heat.

That an awesome idea about making a template. Definately would work alot better, as mine just sits on top of the housing, unlike the factory which has grooves that lock it into place. It would also provide a much more professional finish.