modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel

Mustang Australia

Author Topic: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel  (Read 6757 times)

Offline tired69

  • Stallion
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Location: central coast
Hi all
I remember on here some where somebody reshaped there tail light lens to the same shape as rear panel just wonder how that did it   have  searched but nothing came up

Offline HRTZ65

  • Stallion
  • **
  • Posts: 68
  • Location: Highett
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2019, 04:51:42 pm »

Offline LEE H 69

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 839
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2019, 08:40:33 pm »
you mean like this??

Offline HRTZ65

  • Stallion
  • **
  • Posts: 68
  • Location: Highett
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2019, 04:39:25 pm »
Hi Lee

Did you make them yourself or buy them? They look fantastic.

Offline LEE H 69

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 839
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2019, 08:53:35 pm »
thanks HRTZ65, Yep I made them myself

Offline tired69

  • Stallion
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Location: central coast
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2019, 04:12:02 am »
yeah there the ones
I've looked at bright light customs led kits  etc thay don't have light diffusers .
how did you do  yours.

Offline LEE H 69

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 839
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2019, 09:25:46 pm »
ok I'll dig out some photos and try to explain how I did them, Not saying it's the best way, or even that they are street legal.
(there's my disclaimer..hahaha).

to start I cut the lens down to the step using a die grinder and small cutting disc
« Last Edit: November 08, 2019, 09:27:23 pm by LEE H 69 »

Offline LEE H 69

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 839
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2019, 09:33:00 pm »
for a diffuser I used one from a florescent light and cut to suit, using a heat gun I softened the plastic to make it supple, then using a timber mould I made, used that to form the shape 

Offline LEE H 69

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 839
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #8 on: November 08, 2019, 09:37:09 pm »
used an acrylic glue to glue the diffusers to the cut lens, once set used the die grinder to shape the edges

Offline LEE H 69

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 839
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2019, 09:41:09 pm »
picked up some 3mm red acrylic for the outer lens cut to size, ad again heated with a heat gun, pressed them in the timber mould, glued them to the diffusers, then again ground the edges to shape 

Offline LEE H 69

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 839
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2019, 09:49:22 pm »
didn't find a photo of the finished part on the bench just in the car, I'm happy with how they turned out . they don't have a reflector included so may not be street legal.   
 
Hope that helps you out, they weren't too difficult to make just took a couple of weekends 

Offline Aussie-67

  • Thoroughbred
  • **
  • Posts: 152
  • Location: Perth
  • Name: Tony
  • Car: 67 Mustang Coupe
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #11 on: November 10, 2019, 09:16:49 pm »
That's really impressive.  Not sure I could have done that, even with instructions.

Offline tired69

  • Stallion
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Location: central coast
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #12 on: November 11, 2019, 08:43:03 am »
Thanks very much for that I'll give it a crack doesent look to hard
cheers. :cheers:

Offline LEE H 69

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 839
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2019, 08:37:14 pm »
No worries, have fun tinkering :grin: :grin:

Offline HRTZ65

  • Stallion
  • **
  • Posts: 68
  • Location: Highett
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #14 on: November 12, 2019, 10:00:42 am »
Hi Lee

Did you use the existing chrome trim around each light and reshape it or did you fabricate something new?

Offline LEE H 69

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 839
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #15 on: November 12, 2019, 08:04:25 pm »
yep that's just the original trim piece, I tried to keep things as easy as possible
 

Offline StephenSLR

  • Top Streeter
  • ******
  • Posts: 3449
    • www.lycanthia.com
  • Location: Sydney
  • Car: 1965 Fastback
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #16 on: November 15, 2019, 11:42:05 am »
yep that's just the original trim piece

Looks great!

How did you bend those?

s

Offline LEE H 69

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 839
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #17 on: November 15, 2019, 09:27:39 pm »
didn't bend them, they are the original mouldingsā€¦.

Offline bigmal

  • Worked
  • ***
  • Posts: 262
  • A never ending project
  • Location: Woronora Heights NSW
  • Name: Mal
Re: modifying tail light lens to same contour as tail light panel
« Reply #18 on: November 16, 2019, 09:04:36 am »
That's one very neat rear end. Very impressive.
69 Mach 1