Molded Plexiglas Parking Lenses/LEDs

[firefighterwhite89]

I wound up making some replacement lenses for my 86' LXi 'Parking lights'. I used plexiglas, 1/8" thick and after cutting the two pieces i needed out of my sheet, I heated them separately, one at a time for 10 minutes at 325*F.
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20111230_101304.jpgAfter heating them, it made things so much easier. Here's just the lenses. http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20111230_111953.jpghttp://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20111230_111932.jpgHere's the lenses on the housing:http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20111230_112106.jpgOf course, use a dremel(Any grinding device) and shave the excess overhang, etc.

[firefighterwhite89]

TADA!
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20111230_204717.jpghttp://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20111230_204711.jpghttp://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20111230_204655.jpghttp://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20111230_204619.jpg

[elpuma]

Those look awesome. I love custom work :-)
Did you paint the white housing black or something to match your car?

[Nicktorius]

I can't see what you did there.

Daytime pics?

[89T]

Thats cool. Black out the edges on the inside before you glue them in.

[Dr_Snooz]

Sweet! That's awesome.

[import racer]

Don't forget to change to orange bulbs man,so you don't get stopped.

[elpuma]

This is something i was thinking of doing so that i can shave the turn signals out of my bumper.

[firefighterwhite89]

Thank you guys. It took me maybe 2 ½hrs or so to make both lenses molding and all. The hardest part had to be the molding part, cause you only can heat it and mold it perfectly once, cause reheating it takes it back to its shape. I did leave the facing of the bulb housing White. It would look better black though. And the LEDs are bright White, not orange or yellow. Here in Alabama, I can use White LEDs for driving /parking lights, as long as they don't flash.

[firefighterwhite89]

You can get plexiglas at any Lowes or Home Depot, in huge or tiny sheets. I got a 24inch×18inch sheet;⅛inch thick for $8.99

If i can come up with taillight housings, i'll be making new LED red taillights. My current ones have some cracks and need cleaned.

[obdriver6]

Nice custom work and day pics would be nice!

[firefighterwhite89]

I was finally able to take some more pictures out in the sun today. Ftw. Those first set of pictures I put up were taken at night inside my firestation. Most with the lights off. And the LEDs didnt want to work with my Droid camera. They are so bright apparently. Today I managed to get some good ones though. They look really neat at night, especially from a distance. Reminds me of this one 2011 Mazda3 I see all the time. That's where I got the idea from. And the 4 strips of LEDs came from Advance Auto Parts, $15.99 each(4"strips×2/ea). These strips were the hardest to decide where to place. They came with a black background, and sticker tape on the back. Pretty sticky stuff. The one single superbright near the tip came from Oznium.cgom. They have many LED automotive lighting options. I used 2 of their cool White superflux LEDs($3.29/each.) I used bottle caps to hold these boogers in. Just ground down the sides til I had the flat top left, drilled the right sized holes, squeezed in the LED and silicone gelled it in the old bulb holder hole. The wiring from the strips runs out the old blinker bulb hole.

I am also debating putting a 4" strip in each of my turn signal housings on the front bumper. I tried a strip out in it earlier and it looked awesome at night, especially with that lenses color. Couldn't tell you what yellow those lenses are. They're made from a yellow flip down driving visor I hacked up.

Someone was writing in a thread about some yellow stained glass paint ...may check some of that out I think.


http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120101_164646.jpg
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120101_164757.jpg
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120102_145457.jpg
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120101_164633.jpg

[firefighterwhite89]

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120101_164901.jpg http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120102_145502.jpg http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120102_145458.jpg http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120102_145428.jpg http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120101_164907.jpg

[firefighterwhite89]

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120101_164734.jpg http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120101_164901.jpg http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab320/firefighterwhite89/IMG_20120101_164653.jpg

[Honda Man]

That's some innovative ish man. Vary insporational. I was thinking about doing something like that to my taillights with a full board of leds and be styled after the dc2 tailights. Keep up the good work and custom stuff man

[stat1K]

i have to say if that's the finished product i'm not very excited.

[H2289Acc]

i have to say if that's the finished product i'm not very excited.

Good effort, but I have to agree with stat. The lights definitely need some refinement. I know how hard it is to work with plexi/lexan. I've tried many methods to make HL covers for my flush conversion and I still don't have a finished product (imo) that's good enough to use on the car. Vac Forming = $$$ I don't have :hmph:

[firefighterwhite89]

Eh, That was the first try. I found 1/8'' thick plexiglas at hobby lobby, i think would form and shape much better. Stuff i used was 1/4''. But I'm kinda digging the new white LED bar lights on Mercede and BMWs. Got any ideas?

[gp02a0083]

not bad work there, if you don't mind id like to make a few suggestions. First with the original housing where the lights are mounted, it might be both functional and aesthetic to spray the housing with a fine metallic silver or metal foil. It'll look much better and should direct the light better outwards.

As far as the lens, i agree the plexi is a pain in the a** to work with thermal forming it. If you want to keep going this way you will need to have a good mold that can be made from the original lens cover and press form it, this would save a lot of $$ than going with Vac forming ( best way IMO )

Another way that i have been trying to replicate the 88-89 JDM corners is using a mold from the originals ( i have like 3 sets of the JDM corners ) and using a resin. I haven't posted anything yet on this even tho i am very close to having a finished product that i can provide to other members. My method also will work for all of us with hatchbacks for replacement lenses.

here is a older picture i have of using a resin to get the same effect of using the VHT nightshade to black out the lenses. This will not fade or chip being the tint is in the plastic.
http://i1008.photobucket.com/albums/af208/lawren71/DSC04565.jpg?t=1290728843

If you want to talk more about what ive been doing and using feel free to send me a PM.

[firefighterwhite89]

Another issue i seemed to run into big time was the fact that Plexiglas comes clear, not yellow. And any kinda spray paint i've seen at any store isn't transparent or even really opaque. Someone suggested to me fingernail polish. lol. I thought wtf? Eh. Yellow window tint? though it might peel off.

And another huge problem. How to hold the lense to the housing? The stock housing/lense are sealed together so it being impossible to remove the lense without breaking the lense or the housing one. I had to fold corners i left overlapping so when i heated the plexiglas, i could bend the flaps all the way over to hold the lense off. The thought of a lense blowing off at 65mph+ was deterring. I used silicone sealant to seal out the moisture, but i designed it to come apart with cutting the silicon seal and sliding the lense forward.
Superglue is going overboard and cracks over time. And the chemicals and vapors ruin the plastic transparency.

Anyone have any ideas?

[CzEcHy]

Stained glass spray - Hobby Lobby. Comes in red, yellow, etc. 10.00$