Iceman1979

Hi,

I'm picky when it comes to how things look and work. I had been looking for some time on a set of sleek lights for my FD but every kit I found there was always something that I didn't like and it was something I couldn't live with.

From the browsing around I've come to decide to make my own.

Some things I know what I will do to make the parts and some things I havn't got a clue.

Here is my plan...

I just ordered a set of Hella 90MM lights from RallyLights.

I don't like having to glue an acrylic cover on, that just buggs me for some reason. I like the way raceonuse has it on their cwest replica kit.

The thing I don't like about the raceonusa is the useof fog lamps for driving lamps. Other than that I like it.

I want to make it where the carbon fiber or fiberglass inside comes up and flushes around the lights hiding the back of the housings and wires. This would allow for a non painted top as well.

Lights are on the way. Now all I have to do is fab the rest.

Let me know what you guys think. And I'm open for ideas too.

Thanks
John

spekdah

I still think the easiest and most awesome headlight kit to try to copy is the R Magic one. All you would need is another set of stock headlight lids to cut up, the hardest part would be finding lights small enough to fit and work, as I understand it the actual R Magic ones give minimal light emission at best. but who cares, THEY LOOK COOL!!

XxMerlinxX

iTrader: (2)

^ That's pretty mean lookin'. I kinda like'em.

Iceman1979

Makes me tired looking at them lol

They don't look that hard to make. The hardes part I think I'm going to face is to have an acrylic lid made. They just seem to have a piece of plastic cut to fit the cutout of the lids. I'm pretty sure I could make a set of those pretty easy.

I may try that with my broken lids I have (lids are fine, tabs are broke).

For me though I want to have a good light source at night. I have a hard time seeing at night and I like for things to be lit up. That is one of my problems with most of the lights I have found so far. I don't think that fog lights were made to light up the entire road and unfortunately thats what I'm seeing in most of the light kits these days.

I think it will be a fun project and I know I will be happy when its done.

Thanks for the posts guys.

John

RE-Amemiya

Good luck with this, i'll be interested in seeing the progression and final product!

Iceman1979

I'll be taking pictures along the way and plan on posting them here.

Thanks
John

Montego

iTrader: (1)

hope that you actually come through with it. I am a fan of diversity

Many people have gone on a venture of a new light kit design... Very few have returned.

jimlab

No comment.

Montego

iTrader: (1)

lol!

jimlab

My kit is still "in production"... unfortunately, I don't have any way to speed up the process. I'm still waiting on the CAD guy to finish designing the pods and lenses and mill prototypes for trial fitting so we can get moving on the molds, etc.

Montego

iTrader: (1)

I was just making an observation

First, I do not have the craftmanship to even attempt a project like that and

second, I have no room to talk about getting things done. I've started collecting body parts for my FD two years ago and finished the collection one year ago (rims, RE 99 front bumper with the lip and blinkers, 99 wing, RE apex'i style sideskirts, and pre-auto headlight kit) and I just BARELY started installing these. With no excuse of why I didn't get this done a year ago.

Iceman1979

I just got back from the store and picked up some more gellcote for my molds. I am in the process of looking for some faom to cut my molds out of.

I'm going to cut, sand, trial fit, then rinse and repeat. Its going to be done by hand.

Once I have that piece done then I've got a friend thats going to help me out with making some CNC mounting plates and brackets. (No cheep galvenized steel stamped out plates). Then I will have to figure out a clear covering. Not to sure how thats going to be done but I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Lots of work to do befor that.

Thanks
John

Iceman1979

I'm sure I will. I am too picky when It comes to how things look on my car. And every day I see the lights on my car will be a reminder to get this done so I can have it on my car.

Plus I lost alot of sleep last night becasue I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Thanks
John

preludesh2000

iTrader: (1)

good luck ..keep us posted...ive been thinking about some custom flip up headlights ...with hella 90....

brad

Heisenberg

iTrader: (3)

You could always just get the cover and base here and just modify it. https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...1&page=1&pp=15

Thats what I was going to do. I have a set of RX8 lights i was going to butcher and make a set out of.

Iceman1979

I am actualy getting a set of those to run on my car until I get this kit complete. The one thing I don't like (just my dislike, not saying its crap) is the fact that you have to glue it down. I like the way the raceonuse cwest replica is molds its clear cover. I think I'm going to try and do something like that.

Thanks for the post

John

rx7bomex

just for a heads up i have the rotary extreme kit and the prob with the hella 90mm lights are the bumper cuts a lot of the light..when u mount yours try to have the low beam as close to the center of the housing as poss .this will allow u to have the light slightly higher and angled getting a better light spread.when i get my car back from its engine rebuild i plan to alter the location of my low beam
where do u guys get ur lexan covers from as i will need a new set when i re alter mine

Iceman1979

Yeah I plan on doing alot of testing with the lights to make sure they are in the absolute best possible position to produce the most light spread.

Thanks
John

DCrosby

The 90mm Hella's are the best I've seen for Light Output and DOT compatibility... everything else is, "low output" or "foglights" that have no cutoff at the top and blind the $hite out of people....

I'll be interested to see what you come up with, I've been thinking about switching to the curved lenses FD3S777 is selling, and then painting them... but it's a bunch of cash I don't know I'd want to spend with the holidays and all... maybe in Jan

rx7bomex

curved lenses are the way to go as they will enable u to have the hellas sit a little higher and increase the light spread..i was planning on gettin a set in the new year either from fd3s or a set of c-west which will be similar i think..also i u look at rotary extrene website u will notice the hid bracket has been moved about 10mm towards the center of the car thus giving more clearance between the lights and the lexan cover and it def sits in a different position than the standard set up

Iceman1979

They are the best that I have seen as well. As soon as I saw them I knew that was the lights that I had to have for my setup.

I'm wanting to get this done but I having to wait for part to arrive befor I can get started.

I'm planning on using foam to cut the design out of. I'm thinking about getting a hobby air brush kit to sand blast the design. Hopefully it will give it a nice fluid look to it.

First I have to locate some foam blocks that will be suitable for using in a making a mold.

Thanks
John

rx7bomex

if u find a supplier for curved lenses let me know as they are def the way to go

RE-Amemiya

Hey, don't know if you've found anything yet, but there's some pink(color may be dif) foam stuff that you can get at hobby stores for trains. Used for building mountains, but it cuts really easily.

Don't know if that's what you had in mind or not, but fig. i'd try.

Iceman1979

Thats a good idea. I hadn't thought about that. I'll go to the hobby shop tomorrow and see if they have some.

Thanks
John

Iceman1979

Just wanted to give you guys an update.

I have the Hella lights in now. I'll post some pics when I get home and find my camera.

I found some foam that I'm going to use for my mold plug. The stuff is called balsa foam. Its supposed to be eazy to work with and ideal for what I am wanting to do.

Once I can get some of that I'll be able to work on designing the inserts for the lights. This is the visible part that will flush mount the lights and make it look nice.

I still need to design the mounting brackets and the plastic lens covers. I have a company in town thats going to be able to make the clear lens covers.

This project is going slower than I had wanted it to go but i am making a little progress.

Thanks
John