Vacuformed headlight delete covers
10-13-2005, 11:50 AM
#16
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Originally Posted by Nicole
I agree with drnick - the front/lower end should not be as high as the top/upper end.
Have you considered making a "Bubble" with partially masked off areas like they did on the 928-4 for Ferry Porsche?
Have you considered making a "Bubble" with partially masked off areas like they did on the 928-4 for Ferry Porsche?
10-13-2005, 01:41 PM
#18
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I fourth drnick, Nicole and Tarek. Paul Jager once had a design he photoshopped for a bubble lens to enclose the hole and accomodate a projector lamp. He envisioned a complete light housing with a base that supported the projector lamp. It looked way cool, but Paul did not proceed any further with the project, AFAIK. Anybody archive the image of Paul's idea? Short of that, a bubble cover that tapered down flush in the front would be way cool too.
10-13-2005, 02:16 PM
#19
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Be cool, Bubble People, it was tough enough for me to make this simple form! 
It is surpisingly easy to make vacuformed widgets (my point in posting the process), making the form as smooth/perfect as possible is the key.
...
I already ordered, received, and installed the aluminum top, and the form is back at the plastic shop.
Plastic guy says they do small repairs of the molds with Bondo, but with large areas, the combination of heat and vacuum pops the Bondo off after only a couple of pulls.
The (clear) plastic is extremely sensitive to any imperfection, and I could never get the Bondo/wood perfectly smooth, without ripples, or keep the surface blemish frei while transporting it. Plastic guy wrote a note on top of the form, and you can see the imprint in the sample!
The stepped look is actually what I wanted, the look of the glass 8" H4 lens reclined in the fender, but to make the most area for the projectors to shine through, the front needs to come down.
Ideally, I would make the form tapered.
That would be cool, but the texture would do what it does for the original lamp, diffuse the light. I want as much light to go through as possible. I am even considering using the next size thinner acrylic.
I was eyeing a new Mercedes' headlight, and the cover had tiny vertical lines in it, for visual interest. I could scribe such lines in the aluminum, or even put 'H 4' or an 'E' code on it.
It is surpisingly easy to make vacuformed widgets (my point in posting the process), making the form as smooth/perfect as possible is the key.
...
I already ordered, received, and installed the aluminum top, and the form is back at the plastic shop.
Plastic guy says they do small repairs of the molds with Bondo, but with large areas, the combination of heat and vacuum pops the Bondo off after only a couple of pulls.
The (clear) plastic is extremely sensitive to any imperfection, and I could never get the Bondo/wood perfectly smooth, without ripples, or keep the surface blemish frei while transporting it. Plastic guy wrote a note on top of the form, and you can see the imprint in the sample!
Originally Posted by drnick
porken, can you mount the lower edge further down so that its not so obviously 'stepped'?
Ideally, I would make the form tapered.
Originally Posted by heinrich
Why not use a real lens for the internal texture ...
I was eyeing a new Mercedes' headlight, and the cover had tiny vertical lines in it, for visual interest. I could scribe such lines in the aluminum, or even put 'H 4' or an 'E' code on it.
10-13-2005, 04:38 PM
#22
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Ken, how about something like on the 993... where you have the lens textured except where the projector needs to shine through? Oh... on second thought, the texture would end up on the outside too, collecting dirt and adding turbulence... 
10-13-2005, 04:57 PM
#24
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The 928-4 front fenders are more like on the 968... BTW: Has anybody ever tried to install the 968-Lights on a 928? Those don't flip out as far, and seem to work at quite an angle. But I guess it wuld defeat the purpose of Ken's project...
10-13-2005, 05:10 PM
#25
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Why not just fill the hole from edge to edge for a total aero cover, with a few tabs folding down to the bottom edge of the opening sheet metal for fasteners to attach?
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10-13-2005, 05:17 PM
#26
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Originally Posted by PorKen
Be cool, Bubble People, it was tough enough for me to make this simple form!
The stepped look is actually what I wanted, the look of the glass 8" H4 lens reclined in the fender, but to make the most area for the projectors to shine through, the front needs to come down.
In response to Heinrich's suggestion to use the original lamp lens to make a mold...
That would be cool, but the texture would do what it does for the original lamp, diffuse the light. I want as much light to go through as possible. I am even considering using the next size thinner acrylic.
That would be cool, but the texture would do what it does for the original lamp, diffuse the light. I want as much light to go through as possible. I am even considering using the next size thinner acrylic.
10-13-2005, 06:04 PM
#27
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I don't think Nicole is mistyping, she is refering the the 928 dash 4, the four door frog eyed car, not an S4. I don't think there is any significant change in the headlight mechanism or surrounding sheet metal from 78-95.
The way I read it, heinrich's thought was to use the interior for the mold. I would have liked to have used a real headlamp lens as the mold for the exterior, but I didn't have one available.
On reflection, I could have mounted a complete H4 inside the vacuum box, with only the relavent part sticking up through the top of the box for the molding process. Hopefully, what I've made here will form a cover, if not perfect, that is suitable for my application...
The way I read it, heinrich's thought was to use the interior for the mold. I would have liked to have used a real headlamp lens as the mold for the exterior, but I didn't have one available.
On reflection, I could have mounted a complete H4 inside the vacuum box, with only the relavent part sticking up through the top of the box for the molding process. Hopefully, what I've made here will form a cover, if not perfect, that is suitable for my application...
10-13-2005, 06:37 PM
#28
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That is really a slick solution - I'm in for AT LEAST 2 pair.
I may be able to add to the party - I was walking down a similar road as you, it seams.
We have been working back-and-forth with a vinyl sign/sticker maker to do a full-color sticker that is an exact replica of the 8" headlight.... photo below.
They are making it out of color-fast vinyl meant to be outdoors and not fade for 5 years I am told.
In the small quantities (just like you) they are gonna charge me $10 per - and I told them to make 4 pair.
I bet my sticker would make a handsome cover to your plastic molded part!
I may be able to add to the party - I was walking down a similar road as you, it seams.
We have been working back-and-forth with a vinyl sign/sticker maker to do a full-color sticker that is an exact replica of the 8" headlight.... photo below.
They are making it out of color-fast vinyl meant to be outdoors and not fade for 5 years I am told.
In the small quantities (just like you) they are gonna charge me $10 per - and I told them to make 4 pair.
I bet my sticker would make a handsome cover to your plastic molded part!
