homemade headlight lenses

Topic: homemade headlight lenses (Read 5582 times) previous topic - next topic

homemade headlight lenses

November 21, 2004, 12:06:29 AM

Who out there has had the idea and actually followed thru with making their own headlight lenses? Between walking around in Home Depot, and being pissed at my ugly looking headlight lenses, I got an idea. Our headlights have a flat surface where the lense meets the rest of the housing.

I picked up 2 1/8" sheets of lexan and have yet to go to a junk yard. I am going to pick up 2 junked headlights and remove the lense from them. Then cut to fit a lexan piece in it's place. I will probably post some pics, and hope that the compleatly clear lexan dosent look too out of place on the nose of the car. If it does, it may lead to modification of the marker lights.

Any ideas, suggestions, or prior experience in this matter are more than welcom from the peanut gallery.

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #1 – November 21, 2004, 03:37:05 AM

as was brought up in another thread, is it legal? Would it pass regulations? Since the lens wouldn't reflect the light to the sides, very little light would be anywhere but in the direction the reflector aims.

I have no idea what the laws are on headlights though. How would you shape the lexan? Also, the stuff at home depot isn't all that scratch resistant. I wouldn't be surprised it they quickly start to look like they're frosted. At least, if its actual lexan brand (the HD up the road carries some off-brand stuff), it should be easy to work with and not crack

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #2 – November 21, 2004, 07:13:55 AM

Quote

is it legal? Would it pass regulations?

I'd have to say heck no, and heck no.

Our lights use a parabolic reflector, and need the lens to shape, aim and restrict the light from going just anywhere. The newer cars with clear fronts use ellipsoidal reflectors to do the shaping. Don't be surprised if you can't see the road in front of you after taking off the lens.

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #3 – November 21, 2004, 12:12:26 PM

they're slightly parabolic vertically also, but not enough to do much for the road. Making the top of the housing reflective may help aim SOME light down to the road but I wouldn't expect miracles.

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #4 – November 22, 2004, 12:06:53 AM

If the stock '88 headlights had to pass some kind of test, it couldn't have been much of one. These cars come with the sorriest headlights I've seen since I drove a 6-volt Volkswagen.

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #5 – November 22, 2004, 07:53:43 AM

They're D.O.T. "safety devices". If you can't see more than 20 feet ahead of you out there on the Interstate, then you won't speed.
Remember, "25 Saves Lives".

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #6 – November 22, 2004, 03:18:03 PM

Those lights (when completed) will have shoot a beam of light as scattered as a shotgun. Bad idea.

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #7 – November 22, 2004, 07:13:50 PM

Well, everyone seems to think its a bad idea. :-(

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #8 – November 22, 2004, 07:25:12 PM

If your beams aren't gonna focus on the road ahead of you then... well, yeah. It's a bad idea.

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #9 – November 22, 2004, 08:49:37 PM

Quote from: jimfulco

If the stock '88 headlights had to pass some kind of test, it couldn't have been much of one. These cars come with the sorriest headlights I've seen since I drove a 6-volt Volkswagen.

, I figured I was the only one on here that had experience with a 6 volt VW....

Talk about a POS...

Actually new lenses give very good light, but when they are yellowed even slightly they ain't .

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #10 – November 22, 2004, 08:52:14 PM

May as well try it on an extra set of headlights and see how it looks.

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #11 – November 22, 2004, 09:21:23 PM

all that and it would look like arse anyway.... :2c:

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #12 – November 22, 2004, 10:20:31 PM

I just hated the checkerboard pattern of the OEM T-bird lights. Dark spots here, light spots there, etc. You'd think for the price, they'd have at least tried them out at night. The VW lights were sad, but it wouldn't go fast enough (40hp) to really over-drive them too much. I converted it to 12v & things worked much better, especially the starter & horn. :D

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #13 – November 23, 2004, 02:32:33 AM

Quote from: jimfulco

I just hated the checkerboard pattern of the OEM T-bird lights. Dark spots here, light spots there, etc. You'd think for the price, they'd have at least tried them out at night. The VW lights were sad, but it wouldn't go fast enough (40hp) to really over-drive them too much. I converted it to 12v & things worked much better, especially the starter & horn. :D

wanna make one of those scream? get a porshe conversion kit, and go from 35 or so hp to 95 or so. My dad had one in his old beetle. It would be pretty cool to wheelie a car with under 100hp. But make sure to have the window down when you shut the door so your ears dont pop! :giggle:

Re: homemade headlight lenses

Reply #14 – November 25, 2004, 02:03:27 AM

Oh yeah! Our local VW dealer lost his franchise in '68 because he kept doing exactly that, & VWoA didn't like the "hot-rod" image. Dang old hot-rodders! Word was he invented the Road Runner when he got the Plymouth franchise later that year & had a bunch of left-over VW horns out back. :D