RazMan
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| posted on 8/8/05 at 07:54 PM |
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Fitting a round peg in a square hole?
.... actually a roundish headlight in a squareish hole to be more precise 
The kit's front section is really designed to take recessed lights with a polycarbonate cover - but I want to be awkward and mount Mini
headlights in the square holes. The slope of the wing is roughly about right but I will need to build up the inside of the wing to make it perfectly
aligned.
Where do I start? 
My first idea is to make a front panel (to mount the actual headlight in) and bridge the gaps with ally mesh, then applying fibreglass matting,
finishing off with P40 filler and finally P38. I can then hopefully bond the lights in position with Sikaflex and Bob will be my uncle (I actually do
have an uncle called Bob )
Am I close to a masterplan or complete cock up?
[Edited on 8-8-05 by RazMan]
 
Rescued attachment Headlight hole.jpg
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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G.Man
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| posted on 8/8/05 at 10:20 PM |
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How about setting the light behind the surface and covering with a plexiglass cover?
Opinions are like backsides..
Everyone has one, nobody wants to hear it and only other peoples stink!
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britishtrident
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| posted on 9/8/05 at 09:49 AM |
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Dosen't look like a (real) Minii headlight to me.
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Cita
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| posted on 9/8/05 at 09:55 AM |
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Be sure to make that headlight rim adjustable.If everything is in place with super sticky epoxy and the SVA virgin says:no will do! it's back to
square one and cut the rims out
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RazMan
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| posted on 9/8/05 at 07:20 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by G.Man
How about setting the light behind the surface and covering with a plexiglass cover?
A good idea but I wanted to get away from the square look of the front wings - I am rounding them off a bit and the lights are stage one of the
masterplan 
britishtrident - I wouldn't dream of using real Mini lights .... that would be sacreligious
Cita - The beauty of these lights is that they contain all the adjusters internally (up & down, left & right) All I need to do is set
everything in the middle and set up the lights on a wall in front of the car according to the SVA chart. Hopefully this will mean minimal adjustment
when it is all finished.
I have bunged in a Photoshop version of the modded light ....... if only it was that easy (sigh)
 
Rescued attachment Headlight hole mod.jpg
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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JoelP
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| posted on 9/8/05 at 07:25 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by RazMan
Am I close to a masterplan or complete cock up?
as with all things locost, you're on a knife edge between the two! Id start building up fibreglass and filler to make the right shape
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RazMan
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| posted on 9/8/05 at 07:31 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
as with all things locost, you're on a knife edge between the two! Id start building up fibreglass and filler to make the right shape
I'm pretty sure that is the way to go - it is just that I am concerned that a chunk of filler is going to crack a little further down the road
(literally ) so getting the join between the two materials is probably crucial.
If I bring everything back to bare glass (no gel coat) and graft on ally mesh with pop rivets for initial strength, then glass over the top ......
will this be enough to avoid an embarrassing moment while posing down my High Street?
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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ned
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| posted on 10/8/05 at 08:58 AM |
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see if you can get a 'seconds' nose section from aeon and if possible return the nose you have and get some money back! then get to work
with the filler and make the 'seconds' nose up with filler and plenty of rubbing down. for time saving (pending your budget) I'd
then be tempted to give the modded nose section to a decent composites chap to take a mould and make a panel from, this would ensure decent quality
and short time frame, you could even get other noses made up and flog them on if you wanted, pending the outcome of yours.
not the cheapest way i know, but how i would tackle the issue.
cheap way would just be to make some form of infill panel or grill as mentioned, though i'd be concerned about the look of the finished article
personally.
Ned.
beware, I've got yellow skin
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chriscook
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| posted on 10/8/05 at 09:14 AM |
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The way I made my larger phoenix bulge was to make it on my bonnet in clay, plaster of paris and bodyfiller (clay cracks when it dries though!).
Sealed it with some varnish and made a mould of the area overlapping onto the unchanged part of the bonnet. Then is removed the mould and cleaned out
all the filler etc. Attached it to the bonnet and layed up straight inside the mould over the edges.
Advantage is as ned says that you then have a mould so when you damage the area you can make it again easily - or they way i prefer to look at it, if
i've got a mould i won't ever damage the bonnet! Plus it would be possible to make and flog the parts for other poeple to do the same.
Chris
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NS Dev
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| posted on 10/8/05 at 11:58 AM |
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Hmmmm,
thinking about it, and expanding on Ned's and Chriscook's ideas, I think I would try to make a mould for a section that will drop into the
existing headlight recess, made so that it fits flush at the front and can be smoothed over later. Make the moulds for these "pods" then
when all is sorted you can bond them into the existing apertures and glass-tape them in from the rear. This will hold them solid and you can then just
skim the join round the edge of the apertures and spray it.
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ned
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| posted on 10/8/05 at 12:14 PM |
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just thought i'd add that when i first saw the pic i thought it was a new style porsche boxter headlamp, until i read it was off a mini
Ned.
ps spotted on the racecar site if of any use:
Lightweight high quality bodywork made at competitive prices.
Please email nick.edginton@virgin.net or telephone 01460 65743/07729 486 585
[Edited on 10/8/05 by ned]
beware, I've got yellow skin
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RazMan
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| posted on 10/8/05 at 06:01 PM |
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Thanks for all the input guys
Ned, I have already started to butcher ... er ... modify my nose section so returning it now might be tricky.
The ideal way would be to make a new mould so that any damage (if sod's law comes into play) can be easily repaired by replacing the nose
section completely. However the cost of making a mould at this stage (near bankruptsy ) would push me well over budget.
Ned & NS Dev's adapter 'pod' idea sounds a more affordable option, and I will have a closer look to see if this is feasable
using the Blue Peter method (thanks chris ) - if a mould is then made from this it may even be possible to graft it into the nose section mould
later as an optional design. I have done something similar with my rear section so I may give both sections to a mould maker when I am completely
happy with the shapes.
Thanks for the contact Ned, I will give him a call when the time comes.
[Edited on 10-8-05 by RazMan]
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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chriscook
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| posted on 10/8/05 at 07:27 PM |
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Sorry, that's what i meant - just a local mould of the changed bit.
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RazMan
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| posted on 13/8/05 at 05:05 PM |
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I have spent the best part of today scratching my head about this - and I think I have another plan....which saves me having to make moulds (coz
I'm lazy )
I will mount the headlights in position with ally brackets fixed to the inside of the wing. Then, working from the inside, I will lay fibreglass
matting across the 'void' between headlamp and existing body. This will form a rough shape to apply filler (on the outside) and fine tune
it until I am happy. I can then remove the headlamps and tidy up the inside.
A couple of questions to any fibre glass guru's out there.
1. Will the bond between the matting and existing body be strong enough?
2. Will the filler crack if I try and keep it to a max thickness of say 10mm?
3. Is there something I can use as a non-stick surface to prevent the resin sticking to the headlamps? Mould release compound maybe? Vaseline?
[Edited on 13-8-05 by RazMan]
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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JoelP
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| posted on 13/8/05 at 05:34 PM |
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im no expert (indeed, ive only read up on it, never done it ), but regarding bonding old to new, i believe you should rough it up and clean it
throughly with acetone (?), to ensure it sticks. Release agent on the headlight should work, but i wouldnt like to guarantee it - if the fibreglass
gets into nooks and cranies on the headlight it will stick it in fairly well, with or without the release agent!
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RazMan
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| posted on 13/8/05 at 05:41 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
Release agent on the headlight should work, but i wouldnt like to guarantee it - if the fibreglass gets into nooks and cranies on the headlight it
will stick it in fairly well, with or without the release agent!
How about wrapping the lights in Clingfilm first - or would the resin just dissolve it?
The acetone tip makes a lot of sense 
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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NS Dev
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| posted on 15/8/05 at 11:49 AM |
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I know clingfilm works with Epoxy resin, used that when fitting rally car wheel arches before to get a perfect fit against the qtr panels..........
not sure about Polyester though!
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Schrodinger
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| posted on 17/8/05 at 12:20 PM |
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Cover the light in brown packing tape, it's cheap, shiny and will release from the fibreglass quite easily if you can get hold of any acetates
(as used with an overhead projector) are good for giving a smooth finish on flat or single curve surfaces.
Keith
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RazMan
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| posted on 17/8/05 at 05:44 PM |
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Excellent tips Keith - ta very much
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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RazMan
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| posted on 4/9/05 at 08:20 PM |
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Progress report:
Just spent a very entertaining day with packing tape, fibreglass kit and a few swear words.... and voila!
The resin came away easily from the packing tape and I was left with a nice clean edge (and headlight) I applied three layers of matting & resin
on the back side and will have a go at the front tomorrow.
Will post some pics when I get a chance.
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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RazMan
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| posted on 8/9/05 at 08:23 AM |
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Here's the result
First I smothered the headlight with packing tape. The mating surface between headlight and body was also covered to prevent the resin
sticking.
 
Rescued attachment headlight1.jpg
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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RazMan
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| posted on 8/9/05 at 08:24 AM |
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Resin and matting was applied to the inside. The packing tape was then removed
 
Rescued attachment headlight2.jpg
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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RazMan
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| posted on 8/9/05 at 08:26 AM |
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Then filler was applied to the outside to get the correct shape. Now it is ready for final finishing and paint.
 
Rescued attachment headlight3.jpg
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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