Part 2 of the guide is finally here. This part is alot more open ended, there are probably heaps of ways to do this part, this is how I did it rather than a definitive guide. Definite room for improvement. On with the show.

Tools required.
==============
Good tin snips or a dremel if you are patient
Pliers
Heat Gun
Vice or clamps
Screwdrivers etc
A couple of good lengths of wood for the jaws of the vice
A few pieces of natural felt again for the vice
Marking pen and cardboard
Sharp scissors or a razorblade

Here are the headlights I used, im sure there are plenty of other suitable brands and types. I probably wouldnt go much higher than 100mm though because you would start getting clearance issues.

1) Using a piece of cardboard and the cavity for the normal popup headlights, draw out a mask for a U shaped light bucket. Each car is different (even each side of mine was different) so you will have to spend a few minutes getting this part right. My shape and resulting bucket template was roughly as follows (diagram and real):

2) Once the shape is correct and snug to the metal all around, trace the template onto the aluminum sheet and cut out using tinsnips or dremel. Then bend into shape and check your fit to the car by drilling holes for the self tapping screws and screwing down. I had to have a few cracks at this part to get it right (final version last picture):

3) Make some ear brackets for the lights so they sit securely in the bucket piece. Again this will depend on the headlight you have chosen and your own car. You can't go wrong with a carboard mockup and then transfer to the metal to cut and bend - just make sure you are mocking the brackets up with the bucket piece attached to the car. Make the higher pair of bolt holes elipses so you can adjust the lights up and down after they are in the car. Use the smooth headed bolts facing out of the bucket so they are easier to squeeze into the cavity when installing.

4) Attach the ears to the bucket and test fit once again. The reason for using 1mm aluminium is because it is flexible enough to take the shape of the curvy headlight cavities and also because it so easy to work with. You can see my completed bucket here looks all wonky but when its screwed down to the car its fine.

5) Sit the lense in place and sand down or dremel off any areas that need it so the lense fits in. Close the bonnet and mark the line of the bonnet on the lense. Take the two lengths of wood and wrap them in felt, and clamp the lense along the line that was just marked. Use the heat gun to heat up the acrylic just along the fold line. Hold the gun about 10cm above the acrylic and move back and forth across the line quickly while applying gentle pressure with the top of the lense with your other hand. In about one minute you will feel it soften and you will be able to make then bend. I couldnt get any good pics of this because the camera does not capture the acrylic. In the end results you can just see the bend of the lense over the end.

6) A quick coat of black paint smartens the whole lot up nicely. I like the black on red for my car, I know Crunchie left his silver which works well with a white car. Attach the lights to the brackets.

7) Take the vacuum tubing and run a sharp blade down one side to split the tubing. This will for the seal of the bucket to the car and the lense. Dab on some rubber glue round the outside of the bucket and push the tubing on around so the split goes either side of the metal.

Now to make the lense mountings. Cut some thin strips of aluminium and drill holes to take the self tapping screws. Bend the strips in the middle to form a right angle. Refit the buckets to the car with these little mounts in between the screwhead and the bucket.

9) Put the lense in position and mark and drill the holes for the mounts. When drilling the holes for the self tapping screws, go up one size in drillbit because it is easy to crack the acrylic when putting in the screws. Underneath where the holes are drilled, stick some self adhesive foam ti stop the lenses rattling and cracking.

10) Screw the lense down, insert the bulb into the light, attach the standard headlight connector plug and you are done!

_________________1979 931 with a 350 chev
1973 911E with EFI

p-talk wrote:

I'm still convinced the word 'Porsche' makes people crazy in all kinds of ways

Last edited by macBdog on Thu Apr 10, 2008 10:37 am; edited 1 time in total

Thanks heaps guys. I will get a front on shot of the car when I finish the second headlight. One last tip is to make the bottom of the bucket paralell with the bumper. Because mine slope inwards and it makes the car look a bit weird, maybe a little bit angry._________________1979 931 with a 350 chev
1973 911E with EFI

p-talk wrote:

I'm still convinced the word 'Porsche' makes people crazy in all kinds of ways

Kudos to macBdog. Excellent writeup. Will definitely be referring to this when I re-do the buckets in my wide-body! I plan to create a few modifications to accomodate dual 3" PIAA style HIDs...but the bucket concept should work just the same. Thanks for taking time to document the process!

ideola, if you're going to do a variation why not pull out the camera and do an extension to macBdog's superb work?_________________1979 924 (Gone to a better place)
1974 Lotus 7 S4 "Big Valve" Twin-cam (waiting)
1982 924 (As featured on Wikipedia)

It's called a sheet metal brake, but I have a piece of angle iron on one edge of my bench that I use most of the time. You just place the metal fold line in line with the edge of the angle iron and tap away with a body hammer._________________White 87 924S "Ghost"
Silver 98 986 3.6l 320 HP "Frank N Stein"
White 01 986 "Christine"
Polar Silver 02 996TT. "Turbo"
Owned and repaired 924s since 1977