Building your own 84-86 headlight covers

[james]

Hi Guys

So i was considering building my own clear Headlight Covers for my 85 for a couple of reasons.

1) everybody snaps them up so fast
2) if they break i want to be able to reproduce them
3) My friend has a CNC machine and I'm a CAD guy.

I would like you guys to chime in with your pro's and cons about clear headlight covers you have seen or owned or sold.

How was the quality ? how did they fit ? Is there anything you would change about them ?

If you guys help me out a bit i will make my CAD file available to somebody so other users are able to purchase them ( maybe )

[Z_Karma]

Major con, original brand GTS retention clips were weak. The plastic they were made from
couldn't handle the constant vibration from air buffeting and they would break,
sending one of your covers flying off on some random trip down the highway.

Reproduce the plastic extruded "F" clips from aluminum. Use VHB tape to stick them in place.
Some are wary of using VHB tape but from personal experience, the VHB held the clips in place
long after they had failed.

Some other brand used a simple L bracket, held in place with screws into the headlight bucket
and through the plexi cover.

[james]

I was thinking I would use small alloy L brackets but this totally confirmed it for me. I hope to find some kind of dome or quick release so they can be cleaned easily .

[Z_Karma]

Dzus panel fastener:
http://www.southco.com/en-us/product....html?hid=7345

with a vibration isolating shoulder washer to keep the plexiglass/polycarbonate material
from developing stress fractures at the perforated mounting hole locations.

[88sinZ]

Just make them covers secured directly to the bumper face for when the head lights are low, file the edges smooth and use ether countersink fasteners. Plexiglass and the design are cheap and easy to work with for when they need replacement, and when you need full light the headlights can still flip up and function without obstruction.

If you want quick release you will need special fastners w/pop rivets such as dzus.

[james]

I bought a large piece of cell cast acrylic so once I get a template drawn up I should have some actual progress.

[james]

Righto so i busted out my CAD template and transferred it to the acrylyic for my prototye.

Considering this is freehad cut with a jigsaw and trimmed up with a flapper wheel i think it fits pretty good.

Now i need to go to the hardware store and find some small brackets and see how i can screw it all togeather.





i need to trace it back over my CAD template and make the changes, then it looks like i can send it out for CNC to get a few sets made up for myself.