removing clear cover on tail lights

[Tim Yoak]

Has anyone figured out a way to remove the clear cover on the taillights without destroying it? it's held in with mastic or something like it. Even if I destroy the cover I can make another one, It's hard to remove the cover without destroying the lenses thats all. Someone said you can heat it to losen the mastic. has anyone tried this? If I can get the cover off I have some taillight ideas I'm expermenting on a broken taillight now, no luck so far. Ok here's the idea, i have a light I'm testing this on, I removed the clear lens from the reverse light, then I made a stepped plate that fits in place of the clear lens. I found a set of micro driving lamps, the projector kind with the convex lens, I will drill a 1.350" hole in the plate then epoxy the lamp to the back of it so just the lens is showing. The plate will also be powdercoated black to match the housing trim. Then I remove the reverse lamp reflector so everything will fit. the effect this will have is to make the reverse lamps almost disappear. yet when they are on they will actually do something. These lamps are only 20 watts so heat shouldn't be a problem. i belive I will just make a new clear cover, thus getting rid of the ugly reflector in the middle of it. I have an idea for the indent in the lens but more on that later. here are some pictures. .......... this is one view of the plate. .......... ......... here is another view of the plate, it's actually two plates heliarced together. .......... heres the lens with plate OK START OVER NEW IDEAS BELOW

[87Hybrid]

I pour boiling water into the light and let it sit for a minuet or two and it comes off fairly easy.

[markmdz89hatch]

87hybrid is right. that's really the best way to do it. I actually did that, and took a razor knife and razored between the lens and the housing. Just be careful when trying to lift the lens from the backing. I would suggest not to start on the outside vertical of the lens, start on the inside vertical. It's a pain in the ass. But also notice on the cover that that piece is not just clear, it's got about an inch all the way around that's lightly smoked. Good luck with the project. I'm actually experimenting now with a lens I have. I'm kinda lucky in that department b/c I've got 2.5 extra sets of tails to play with.

[Tim Yoak]

Originally posted by markmdz89hatch
87hybrid is right. that's really the best way to do it. I actually did that, and took a razor knife and razored between the lens and the housing. Just be careful when trying to lift the lens from the backing. I would suggest not to start on the outside vertical of the lens, start on the inside vertical. It's a pain in the ass. But also notice on the cover that that piece is not just clear, it's got about an inch all the way around that's lightly smoked. Good luck with the project. I'm actually experimenting now with a lens I have. I'm kinda lucky in that department b/c I've got 2.5 extra sets of tails to play with.

I know if I make a new piece I can duplicate that with careful masking and black paint.

[Tim Yoak]

All right I went to the big auto show here in moultrie, thats the 27th annual car corall and swap meet/auction. The one people come from all over the united states to see. anyway, i picked up the lenses to do my tail lights. I decided to replace the red plate inside the tail lights with an aluminum plate and red round lens and a clear round lens for the backup lights. I haven't decided if i will polish the plate or powder coat it black. I think black will look better on my hatch. it's slowly moving along. I'm going to leave the turn signal stock it just wouldn't look right clear on the hatch. here are some more pictures from the show.

[Tim Yoak]

Ok I've started working on the backup lights for the taillight conversion. he doner reflector is from a garrity G force flashlight I looked at a lot of sources for a reflector and this was the best one. What i did was cut off the end with a dremel, then I cut out the part where the bulb socket fits off of a bad tail light. after some sanding and leveling I epoxied the socket insert to the back of the reflector and installed a 67/bp2 bulb. this bulb will fit in place of the original back up bulb but is smaller to fit inside of the reflector. by using this bulb and a factory socket insert I can retain the original bulb socket and wiring. as a matter of fact this entire tail light conversion will retain all of the original wiring and bulbs . I'm going to cut out the back of the original back up light reflector to fit the assembly and so i can acess the bulb. everything will fit into an aluminum plate that simply replaces the red taillight plate. here are some pictures ....this is the reflector with the bulb socket installed ....... this is the reflector after being cut with the dremel the piece in the back ground is the part that epoxies onto the reflector. That piece is what the back up light socket locks into. this is the doner flashlight. when this is done it looks just like something you would buy at the auto parts store, except I've never seen one that was quite right.

[MrBen]

Keep us posted with pictures. I think what you are doing is cool.

[Tim Yoak]

Originally posted by GhettoAccord
Keep us posted with pictures. I think what you are doing is cool.

thank you, I will keep everyone posted, If I have time tomorrow i will start to work on the first plate. I have the pattern done I have to transfer it to aluminum is all. all I need is to find a couple of tail lights. i don't want to experment on my good ones. the hardest part is going to be making the smoked covers that go over the outside of the lights. they have that stupid reflector built in and it won't work with my design as well as looking stupid. the lenses I have already have a small built in reflector. they are reproduction lenses from a 1955-59 stepside truck. I must have looked at hundreds of lenses during the show. Oh i piced up another goodie It's a light controller with a remote so i can turn on the headlights from a distance. I had to scrap the original harness that came with it because on our cars in order for the lights to pop up there has to be power at the parking lights and headlights both. it's because of the motor logic circuit. basically I have to tie into the lowbeam circuit right after it comes out of the switch and the parking lights with a couple of relays. but then I can pop up the lights and scare people from a distance. flipa: remote flippies

[Tim Yoak]

Ok here are some more pictures of how the project is going, right now everything is mocked up in an old taillight with tape. the first panel is done and I haven't bent the plexi glass yet for the cover. I think I'm going to paint the area around the back up light black and leave the rest white to match the car.

[Chubs87Accord]

im doin somethin like this with when i get the coupe.. its gonna be a lot more work involved than the ones i did with my hatch.. althought i think i was teh first person with supra style tails on a hatch

[MrBen]

Wow. That is totally awesome. You should sell that design to a company and make millions.

[Tim Yoak]

Originally posted by GhettoAccord
Wow. That is totally awesome. You should sell that design to a company and make millions.

I've told people at some of these companies that they could sell custom tails for 3geezs and they just laugh, they don't do the math thats all. They used to say there would never be an aftermarket for civics too, HA, maby one day. You would have to do an awful lot of these to make a profit, there is a lot of work in these tails already maby mass produced.

[Tim Yoak]

Originally posted by markmdz89hatch
87hybrid is right. that's really the best way to do it. I actually did that, and took a razor knife and razored between the lens and the housing. Just be careful when trying to lift the lens from the backing. I would suggest not to start on the outside vertical of the lens, start on the inside vertical. It's a pain in the ass. But also notice on the cover that that piece is not just clear, it's got about an inch all the way around that's lightly smoked. Good luck with the project. I'm actually experimenting now with a lens I have. I'm kinda lucky in that department b/c I've got 2.5 extra sets of tails to play with.

having extra tail to play with is always cool. the 1/2 she must be short:lol Oh that was bad i've outdone myself

[89accord_lxi_coupe]

oh man!! i love the tails you made. i would love to be able to replace the stock tails on my car. got the 89 LXi coupe. i would make my own but
1. dont have money for parts.
2. don't have the creativity and time to make them.
if i had some money there is so much i would do to the car. for now i can only dream.

[Tim Yoak]

you don't needd a lot of money to do these it's mostly time. almost everything I've built has been out of scrap something or another. these lights didn't cost much to build, the lenses were only 20 bucks and the backup light was built out of a flashlight reflector and a lot of work. go through the accord pictures section and look at some of the cars that will give you ideas. here is the link to some car pictures i posted on here be patient they may take a minute to load just go through the link on page one and two. https://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?...0&pagenumber=1

[BensAccordLxi]

How much would you want to make a set of those?

[Tim Yoak]

Well there have been several people on here that have asked me that, there is a tremendous amount of work that has already gone into these and I'm still in the expermental stage. I'm not sure if i could make another set like them. I'm still working on bending the acrillic around the turn signal and making it fit right. The reason i'm doing this post is to help you guys do your own tails the way you want to. if there is anything I can help you with I'll be glad to help you any way i can do so. I'm trying to give you some ideas to work with. if there was a may to make these cheap and easy I would make some but there really isn't a way to do that. anything custom is always a lot of work. I think we should find the web adree of one of these companies that make clear tails and everyone email them to let them know we want clear tails for the three g. If they see we are serious maby they will look at it. The only way to make these cheap is to mass produce them. That would still leave the hatchback owners like me out of luck because most of the cars use the sedan style lights. there just aren't that many hatches compared to the other styles. hope this helps

[Tim Yoak]

ok some more updates on the clear taillights i finally ditched the aluminum inserts for the plate inside the lights the aluminum is too flimsy and bends eaisly. I decided to go to 18 gauge steel for the panels, i ended up cutting it on the milling machine i think it will work much better and i cut both sides at once so they line up, now the holes are also even. mirror images for both sides. the only other problem i'm running into is when i bend the plexi the red side light gets in the way this is only on the hatch i believe. i am going to have to modify that light in some way to make the plexi fit. it's actually accrillic plastic, I keep calling it plexi for some reason. here are some more pictures. here is the light that is causing the problems it is part of the turn signal reflector

[asid_9]

to get the whole light out do you have to take out the inside panels?

[shane_lxi]

If I had any other colored 3g, I would attempt to make a set of those, but euro looking tails don't look as good on black cars. Good work, you are a true pioneer!!! WANT TO SEE PICS OF THEM ON YOUR HATCH!!!