LamboClone - The Premier Site for Lamborghini Replica Builders
How To - Tips => Exterior - Trim => Topic started by: BigPines on May 27, 2013, 05:16:15 PM
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I want to start by saying that I don't mean any offense to anyone no matter what they have decided to do with their tail lights. We all have to make different decisions and compromises on these cars. I get that. However, I haven't seen any replica tail lights so far that look close enough to OEM for my liking.
Tail lights are one of the things I really don't want to go cheap on because in my opinion, they make a big difference in the overall build. However, OEM lights are simply too expensive. $4,000 for a couple of plastic parts? Come on now... As such, this is one area where I am trying to figure out how to save some money.
One option is to make do with some regular OEM Murcielago tail light lenses if I can get them cheap enough. It really isn't what I want and they aren't cheap either but I think if I watch eBay long enough, I could get a good enough deal. I think jamack also said he had a source for some "cheap" $2,200 a pair new LP640 tail lights. Is that right jamack? Even if that is the case, it is still a lot of money.
What I would really like to find are some nicely done replica LP640 tail lights. Do they exist? If so, I sure haven't seen them. If I could find some done right, even if they cost several hundred dollars, I think it would be the way to go. I heard rumblings that someone was making molds of some OEM tail lights. Did this ever happen? Does italianknightrider make any?
Mike
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I bought my Murcielago Tail Lights on eBay 'Both for $1000 shipped'.
IKR has the lenses and Mark Clapp has a perfect set of lenses too.
CKI has some sort of a housing (Not sure why it costs that much though - it's a simple box). You can use some of these in that housing http://www.ebay.com/itm/400441394056?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/400441394056?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649) and maybe strips of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-16-4ft-Cool-White-Waterproof-3528-SMD-led-light-Strip-300-leds-60les-m-12V-/200876188903?pt=US_Car_Lighting&hash=item2ec52764e7 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-16-4ft-Cool-White-Waterproof-3528-SMD-led-light-Strip-300-leds-60les-m-12V-/200876188903?pt=US_Car_Lighting&hash=item2ec52764e7) and these http://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-16-4ft-Warm-White-Waterproof-3528-SMD-led-light-Strip-300-leds-60les-m-12V-/181051412274?pt=US_Car_Lighting&hash=item2a27814f32. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-16-4ft-Warm-White-Waterproof-3528-SMD-led-light-Strip-300-leds-60les-m-12V-/181051412274?pt=US_Car_Lighting&hash=item2a27814f32.)
Add a couple of suitable regular bulbs and you'll have something similar but not exactly OEM look (:
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Thanks am33r.
Yeah, you have the regular Murcielago tail lights which I think are a perfectly reasonable compromise. I think what you paid is about the most I would want to pay. BTW, I like them better than any LP640 replica lights I have seen yet.
So IKR and Mark Clapp both have good looking tail lights or are they just the outer plastic lens without the reflector pattern, etc. inside? I'll send a PM to IKR. Is Mark Clapp on this forum? I think I have his phone number somewhere. I'll have to try to dig it up.
Yeah, some of the LEDs you linked to are interesting. I think the light strip would be too dim to be effective though. I could try to cobble something like this together but I really don't think I'd be happy with it. Who knows, I may end up doing just that if I can't find something reasonably priced that also looks good.
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Guys I paid 1,239.00 each for my lights, I can tell you the lights are getting higher in price because of the parts not being made anymore, I can give you the guys name to buy order.
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Thant is the best price I have heard of for LP640 lights. It is still a bit rich for my blood but who knows, maybe I need to just bite the bullet and do it. :-\
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The lenses that CKI, IKR and Mark Clapp sell are not right though, either for standard Murcie or the LP640. They are all just a single surface lense, and dont wrap under like the OEM for the turn signal and reverse light areas.
I look on Ebay all the time for a damaged LP640 lens, and no luck (nothing affordable anyway). It wouldnt be hard to recreate them exactly if I had either a right or left to pull mouldsfrom.
I could make as set that are very very close to OEM specs inside, but I know alot of people are looking for "exact", so "close to exact" probably wouldn't be a big seller lol.
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Yep. People want "perfect" or they settle for "weird" lol I would've bought "close enough" if it were available (: in my build I'm buying what fits best rather than what looks OEM
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What tail lights are you running Murci-Me?
Maybe it is time we do this right. Maybe we bite the bullet and buy a set to pull molds from and then sell them so we make our investment back? I don't think we want to use broken ones for molds anyway. From what I understand, the rubber molds will pick up every scratch and can even pick up fingerprints in some circumstances.
If you are interested, I could possibly do this with you so you don't have to bear the entire cost yourself. If you aren't interested, I may just pull molds myself. From what I understand, it isn't THAT tough.
What do you think?
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The lights are tough to get apart without damage, I know a guy that tried by using a broken one and he said it was tough to get the lens apart, not trying to discourage but they are self contained. big pines I will send you the info in the morning as I have to charge my phone to get the number.
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Thanks jamack. Understood about the difficulty opening the sealed lights. I have a few ideas. It looks like they have rivets or screws or something and then there is some adhesive. Depending on the type of adhesive used, it may be able to be heated to get them apart. There is definitely a risk here but I think it would be worth it.
Maybe I'll take this offline with Murci-Me to see what is possible first.
Mike
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I have the LP640 lights. I had made a set of lens moulds a year back and sent them to Digibeam in Canada. I dont know if he ever did anything with them though.
The lens on the 640 light is in 2 layers, the outer red and the inner clear. Yes they are very hard to get apart, even if the lens is broken.
I think I could make a light by just measuring everything on mine and going from that.
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IDEAS ON MAKING YOUR OWN OR REPLICATING A PAIR ...hope this help some others make their own rear lights and maybe some want to put some money together to do the lp 640 style as a replica or they may already exist.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/LPoldtl2.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/LPoldtl2.jpg.html)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/LPnewtaillights3.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/LPnewtaillights3.jpg.html)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/lptaillightstl.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/lptaillightstl.jpg.html)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/IMG_0546_2.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/IMG_0546_2.jpg.html)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/lplights2.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/lplights2.jpg.html)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/LPG28taillightbuckets-Copy.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/LPG28taillightbuckets-Copy.jpg.html)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/LPrearlensoff1.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/LPrearlensoff1.jpg.html) I HAVE BOTH SIDES THEY ARE BROKEN LENS COVER ,THESE ARE MINE
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/LPrearinnerlensremoved2.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/LPrearinnerlensremoved2.jpg.html)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/LPLEDIMG_34633.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/LPLEDIMG_34633.jpg.html)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/LPrearlightreflectorpulls.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/LPrearlightreflectorpulls.jpg.html)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/lpreplicarearlensecovers.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/lpreplicarearlensecovers.jpg.html)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/italianknightrider/italianknightrider002/lights006.jpg) (http://s18.photobucket.com/user/italianknightrider/media/italianknightrider002/lights006.jpg.html)
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um several of those pictures are actually mine...
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Now we are getting somewhere!
Digibeam, do you have the full LP640 molds as Murci-Me suggested? Can you make accurate reproduction lights? I'd love to see pics of what you can do. What is your price?
IKR, you are saying you have broken OEM LP640 lights? Why not restore them and take molds? I can do this if you don't want to mess with it. Let's talk!
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actually, i had that very light from IKR hence why i claimed several of those are my pictures,
which is fine, but give credit where credit is due...
and i did attempt to make parts from them (which are the rough castings of the star reflectors)., though i waited for the driver side lamp for some time and it never showed up, i wasnt about to make one side and not the other, so i returned the lamp to IKR in parts as he requested and that project died.
i have a mould of the lens from the earlier style tail lights made for me by Mike, but it is not the same as the LP640 style lens, the over all size is a bit off and has a perimeter on it that does not exist on the LP640 lens.
in saying that, i have recently purchased a vacuum mould machine, that i may attempt to create the clear lens from, but for now i have a previous engagement that needs to be met, after which i will have more time to play fabricator again.
also, i now own a set of the older style tail lights, i am looking for another set as a spare and then i will go about altering the old style to suit the newer design of the LP640
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i used pictures from 3 forums ,1 forum is shut down to compile all these photo,s ,if i offend anyone by using their pic. pm me and i will remove it ,they are the best idea,s from the net to make home built tail lights an or replicating ideas for 640 style.