Tail light lens material

[DoubleClutch]

Anyone have a source for tail light lens material? My 40 merc needs lens, they are hard to find and expensive! I'll make my own if I had some material with the defuser surface.If necessary I'll hit the junk yards for old lens with flat areas I can cut up. Thanks!

[Unkl Ian]

Fullsize Ford pick ups,probably early '90s,
had a wide red plastic stripe across the tailgate,made from the same material.
You will know it when you see it.

[DoubleClutch]

Thanks for the info Unkl Ian! I'll look into it!

[Flexicoker]

There was an article in R&C where they had a peice of flat red plastic laminated onto a clear diffuser peice, and then he molded them into the shape he wanted, it was pretty cool.

[tommy]

I always check out trailer lights at Pep boys etc. Some large reflectors will work too.

[james]

Look in the phone book under plastics, call around for red translucent (some even call it stoplight plexi) Then use the cheap diffuser stuff from home depot for flourescent lights.

[CURIOUS RASH]

[ QUOTE ]
Look in the phone book under plastics, call around for red translucent (some even call it stoplight plexi) Then use the cheap diffuser stuff from home depot for flourescent lights.

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="green">YUP,

It's how them "Street Rodders do it!!!

What size you need? We had some "Ruby Red" laying around at work.

RASHY

</font>

[Slide]

FWIW, I have always been told to go to sign shops for the transparent red.

[SKR8PN]

Go here......
http://www.hitechledproducts.com/

[yngrodder]

I bought a flat peice from Hagan street rod parts for the 32 I built.

[CharlieLed]

Here's a slick tip for diffuser material...go to your local Home Depot and buy a sheet of that plastic panel that's made for flourescent ceiling light fixtures. You know, the kind in your kitchen. Get the one with the little paramids, it works great inside a tailight and it's really cheap!

[CURIOUS RASH]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Look in the phone book under plastics, call around for red translucent (some even call it stoplight plexi) Then use the cheap diffuser stuff from home depot for flourescent lights.

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="green">YUP,

It's how them "Street Rodders do it!!!

What size you need? We had some "Ruby Red" laying around at work.

RASHY

</font>

[/ QUOTE ] <font color="green">Welcome to the conversation Charlie! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

RASHY </font>

[CharlieLed]

Welcome to the conversation Charlie! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

DUH! I think that I might have 'splained it a little better, well maybe not....

[DoubleClutch]

Thanks for all the info guys! Curious Rash, sent you a PM.

[4t64rd]

There's some stuff called Castin' Craft, it's a 2 part clear resin (polyester resin, crystal clear) that people made paper weights out of back in the 70s.

Same company makes a red dye to tint it a dark red.

Castin' Craft (http://www.sculpt.com/catalog_98/CastingMaterials/POLYESTER/polyester.htm)

You can make a mold from anything with this rubber shit they make. You paint on in layers over what ever you want to duplicate (borrowed taillight lens), wait for it to dry and peel it off.

Depending on how deep they are, you may want to support the rubber mold, I just sprayed out a pile of that yellow expanding foam and set the mold on top of a half expanded blob and let it cure then I sanded the bottom of the foam blob until it made the mold level.

Then pour in your red dyed resin mixture in the mold and wait for it to cure. Out pops your new lens. If the lens needs to be concave on the inside, make a mold of the inside and sandwich them that way you get the reflectors on the inside of the lens.

I made some custom lenses for my Corvair (long gone), they worked great and had that Lee dark red look to them.

[JoeMoto]

Shortbus did the R &amp; C article, made some taillights for his '60 Olds. I think he got the material local to him in SoCal.

[CURIOUS RASH]

[ QUOTE ]
Welcome to the conversation Charlie! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

DUH! I think that I might have 'splained it a little better, well maybe not....

[/ QUOTE ] <font color="green">Ya, you did.

Just busting your hump. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

RASHY </font>

[C9]

Diesel Truck parts houses usually have a wide variety of taillights and other red lensed lights.

You may be able to find something you could cut down to fit if you're dealing with a flat or almost flat lense.

For guys &amp; gals running or building T-Buckets or similar that use an outside header setup, the large chrome plated truck stacks make for a nice tailpipe coming off the header.
We have one guy in our roadster group running a T-Bucket with FE engine using a truck stack for a side pipe.
Looks good.

[CURIOUS RASH]

<font color="green">Just shipped out a hunk of "Ruby Red" to you.

USPS.

8.5" X 11" X .125"

RASHY </font>

[DoubleClutch]

Thanks Curious! I owe you one! Man, the Hamb is awesome!