East Bear Fixed 240sx Headlight Lens Interests

[slider2828]

So I recently bought some East Bear Round Headlights as seen below.

One of them has a crack, so I contacted a plastic prototype company in the area who specializes in plastics.

He said that he can make a copy of it without a problem.

I just want to see if there is anyone else who may be interested in the lens only of this as you can build the actual bucket fairly easily.

I am guessing prices will be around $300 to $400 for the pair of lenses if only limited interests

http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c242/gaert/3_zpsbpuzcdta.jpg

http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c242/gaert/1_zpspe2w3qmu.jpg

http://s28.photobucket.com/albums/c242/gaert/2_zpsylfnevil.jpg

[silviaks2nr]

The lens is the easy part to make yourself and $3-400 is ridiculous for that... just use quality cell cast high impact acrylic or polycarbonate sheet and heat up a sheet and bend it over a form. you can make the form out of plywood or mdf. Then just trim the excess off the sheet and bond it to your housings and paint or vinyl the edges black...

Here's some custom formed lenses I made last week with very minimal tooling. These have a strong draft on each edge too which you don't need.

http://i.imgur.com/cecKBrF.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GEwylH1.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/54cvw6u.jpg

BTW pulling a gelcoat/fiberglass mold from your existing buckets would be a piece of cake. There are tons of write ups online how to do that or any capable fiberglass repair person can.

[slider2828]

Is your's 1/8" thick? I am looking for something that is pretty thick... and this is made with quite a lot of curvature.

I don't think easy as you say. That 300-400 would include partial tooling as well to get this to a high quality reproduction.

[brndck]

I'm in. lets discuss.

[silviaks2nr]

No, that's super easy to do with 1/8". The curve is not difficult, making edges with deep drafts is. You could even just lay the sheet over and heat gun it until it drapes over your form and cools.

[KAT-PWR]

The lens is the easy part to make yourself and $3-400 is ridiculous for that... just use quality cell cast high impact acrylic or polycarbonate sheet and heat up a sheet and bend it over a form. you can make the form out of plywood or mdf. Then just trim the excess off the sheet and bond it to your housings and paint or vinyl the edges black...

Here's some custom formed lenses I made last week with very minimal tooling. These have a strong draft on each edge too which you don't need.

[im//i.imgur.com/cecKBrF.jpg[/img]

[ima://i.imgur.com/GEwylH1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/54cvw6u.jpg[/i

BTW pulling a gelcoat/fiberglass mold from your existing buckets would be a piece of cake. There are tons of write ups online how to do that or any capable fiberglass repair person can.
How many decades have you been working with fiberglass for you to say it would be a piece of cake?
Mold making is not a "piece of cake" especially not for a multi piece mold with aggressive angles, nor is it cheap. Your mold has to be PERFECT because any imperfections, even coarse sanding scratches will be transcribed to the mold. Then there is the whole being experienced in laying up glass for strength, knowing which glass use for which stage of the process and the proper tools plus experience for getting it to lay out perfect. It's hard to tell with these buckets via the pictures how difficult they'd be. I just recently was walked through my guy's mold making process for FD3S R-Magic headlight buckets
Like I tell people with body work, it's not hard to do, but it is VERY hard to do well.

Lenses look great!

[slider2828]

@brndck - I am going to drop by the place today to see what he can do. They have been in plastic fabrication for 26 years. So I want to see what they can do to help. They saw the pictures and said its not a problem and should be under $1000. I want to see that $1000 includes.....

Personally I think making the light buckets is the easy part. The hardest part is the lenses.... Will report back later today to see how it goes.

Do you guys think I should just get the piece molded using metal headlight cover vs. these plastic lenses?

-Ken

[silviaks2nr]

How many decades have you been working with fiberglass for you to say it would be a piece of cake?
Mold making is not a "piece of cake" especially not for a multi piece mold with aggressive angles, nor is it cheap. Your mold has to be PERFECT because any imperfections, even coarse sanding scratches will be transcribed to the mold. Then there is the whole being experienced in laying up glass for strength, knowing which glass use for which stage of the process and the proper tools plus experience for getting it to lay out perfect. It's hard to tell with these buckets via the pictures how difficult they'd be. I just recently was walked through my guy's mold making process for FD3S R-Magic headlight buckets
Like I tell people with body work, it's not hard to do, but it is VERY hard to do well.

Lenses look great!

Over a decade. It's not difficult man. It's a headlight bucket not a super precise part... If the gelcoat on the current part is good plug all the holes on the back with a flat sheet of whatever (even just cardboard with masking tape) then just wax the hell out of it then apply mold release spray, then brush on gelcoat, and fiberglass over the gelcoat with 4 or 5 layers. Oh you will need to make some fences for the edges too. Then pop your mold off the plug in about 4 hours. You might sacrifice the first bucket (plug) you pulled from but you have the ability to do a run of them now so it doesn't really matter...

To make the mold for the lens one easy way would be to apply mold release on the inside of the lens then hot glue some fences on the sides then fill with concrete. Let it sit up overnight then pull it out. Then you can clean the mold release and fill with bondo and smooth. This is how I used to make the zenki lenses a long ass time ago when the only ones available were FK units at $400...

http://tech.240sxone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/609273_237_full.jpg

http://tech.240sxone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/609273_229_full.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/greenkouki/lighting%20projects/2012-06-02_18-20-48_973.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/greenkouki/lighting%20projects/2012-06-02_18-14-42_752.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/greenkouki/lighting%20projects/2012-06-02_17-44-05_915.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/greenkouki/lighting%20projects/2012-06-02_18-20-09_718.jpg

[KAT-PWR]

That's the difference. Someone who has 0 fiberglass/body experience will not find it easy to produce a quality mold.
I just would hate to see people run out and buy all the expensive materials and not have a good handle on things and end up with a big waste of material on their hands

[slider2828]

Dude those look awesome!

I don't even know how to begin to do something like that..... Do you have materials or a website I can look at?

I am looking at all options you know what i mean.... I am going to see the fabricator today too.

[slider2828]

So just got back from the fabricator. I was right about 400 for the set made out of acrylic. He said that the original lenses were terrible quality as he could tell the structure and quality of material wasn't great. The new part would be stronger and higher quality acrylic. I would trust him because he makes stuff for Disney and some studios. He had a life size veloce raptor in front lol.

Let me know if you guys are interested.

Ken

[Matej]

Will they be DOT-certified?

[spray2020]

So just got back from the fabricator. I was right about 400 for the set made out of acrylic. He said that the original lenses were terrible quality as he could tell the structure and quality of material wasn't great. The new part would be stronger and higher quality acrylic. I would trust him because he makes stuff for Disney and some studios. He had a life size veloce raptor in front lol.

Let me know if you guys are interested.

Ken

No one will pay $400 for a set of acrylic lenses. If anything they need to be a polycarbonate or other strong material.

If anything, the whole setup: the housings + clear lenses + lights and brackets for around that price is what people might pay for a reproduction set.

Unless you are doing high quantities I wouldn't go to a injection molding company to make these- its a waste of time for a low production part. Their prices will be too high.

[slider2828]

It's not injection molding. I asked about poly carb and they said it will not hold up to uv and elements.

I am not sure what method they are using and the price is one off for the pair at 400. Obviously there are quantity discounts but I am not sure what the levels are. I am not a business nor care about turning this into a business. I am simply saying this is what I have found that can make it.

If you have found something else cheaper let me know. I am totally open about this. I have NOT seen anything less for the entire setup less than 700. RS Takagis are 700 not even shipped and they don't even have lenses. I have not see anything else in current production.

No bit ching about the price unless you have done the research.

D.O.T. would require entire setup on vehicle to pass. It is not just a material approval. So no this is not dot approved.

[95_S14]

Over a decade. It's not difficult man. It's a headlight bucket not a super precise part... If the gelcoat on the current part is good plug all the holes on the back with a flat sheet of whatever (even just cardboard with masking tape) then just wax the hell out of it then apply mold release spray, then brush on gelcoat, and fiberglass over the gelcoat with 4 or 5 layers. Oh you will need to make some fences for the edges too. Then pop your mold off the plug in about 4 hours. You might sacrifice the first bucket (plug) you pulled from but you have the ability to do a run of them now so it doesn't really matter...

To make the mold for the lens one easy way would be to apply mold release on the inside of the lens then hot glue some fences on the sides then fill with concrete. Let it sit up overnight then pull it out. Then you can clean the mold release and fill with bondo and smooth. This is how I used to make the zenki lenses a long ass time ago when the only ones available were FK units at $400...

http://tech.240sxone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/609273_237_full.jpg

http://tech.240sxone.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/609273_229_full.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/greenkouki/lighting%20projects/2012-06-02_18-20-48_973.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/greenkouki/lighting%20projects/2012-06-02_18-14-42_752.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/greenkouki/lighting%20projects/2012-06-02_17-44-05_915.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y288/greenkouki/lighting%20projects/2012-06-02_18-20-09_718.jpg
Are you just heating and pulling it over or are you using a vacuum form type jig? They look great

[brndck]

If you have found something else cheaper let me know. I am totally open about this. I have NOT seen anything less for the entire setup less than 700. RS Takagis are 700 not even shipped and they don't even have lenses. I have not see anything else in current production.

RS Takagi are no longer making that product. Just FYI

[silviaks2nr]

There is no vacuum, only the tools you see in the photo.

[slider2828]

RS Takagi are no longer making that product. Just FYI

Really? Wow.... I just checked with them last month and they were still able to get it... Maybe it was final stock.

[brndck]

http://www.rs-takagi.com/original/orignal_aero.htm
yeah. from their website
(google translation)
"Announcement
　　 by the domestic light manufacturer discontinued, because it becomes difficult to obtain the light, became a thing where I am allowed to cancel the sale.
　　 People of you considering a purchase, Sorry ."

I'm guessing that means that whoever they were sourcing the lights from discontinued them.

[dizzariot]

Will they be DOT-certified?

In for answers. 10/10 will not buy illegal parts for my 240SX.

Now that there's talk of these lenses I'm reeeeeeally hating myself for not buying the couple of pairs that were for sale on here :/

[slider2828]

In for answers. 10/10 will not buy illegal parts for my 240SX.

Now that there's talk of these lenses I'm reeeeeeally hating myself for not buying the couple of pairs that were for sale on here :/

LOL are you being sarcastic? Anyways DOT requires vehicle height, material testing, and on vehicle testing.

Not easy....