How does one replace the perspex rear light covers?

[kailear]

Also any advice on where to source new ones would be much appreciated. Both of mine have split. Thank you in advance!

[StreetDragster]

Clevor Trevor has them listed, not cheap though at £55 each

http://www.tvrspareparts.com/part/113/perspex-rear...

http://www.tvrspareparts.com/part/112/perspex-rear...

Fittings them is easy enough, just takes some time.


From inside the boot remove the light cluster, then using a hair dryer push the lens off the car.

Then spend a long time scraping the sealant off the car being careful not to damage the paint.

My car had a black border on the inside of the lens, which needed touching up, i used black 'Odds and Ends' paint from B+Q. I also repainted the inside of the light apeture.

Place a bead of sealant (Black if you have it, i used sikaflex) round the recess on the car and press the lens in.

Once the sealant has gone off, re-instal the light cluster and jobs a good un.

Hope that helps

Matt

[softtop]

You forgot to say the biggest part is shaping the perspex to fit. They are unlikley to unless quality control has improved.

[StreetDragster]

Ah, i didn't have that problem as i was just removing and re-sealing.

Thanks

Matt

[schmokin1]

cheapest place for the black sealant stuff is car builder solutions (do a google) at about 7 quid per tube compared to sikaflex at nearly double that ISTR. you can thin it with acetone (nail varnish remover) and use it to paint the border around the inside of the new cover after masking up. this will give a nice even black border rather than an appearance of squashed sealant bead if you get my drift....
cheers
schmo

[bigdods]

I did mine when I replaced my rear lights with some more modern ones. Here is the basic process I followed:

1.Remove rear lights from inside the boot by unscrewing then pulling and wiggling - they will have been fitted using sealant so you may need to apply a bit of pressure.
2. Using a thin bladed craft knife cut around the outer lens sealant from the outside. I used a knife with a flexible blade that went right under the cover making a clean cut.
3. Push old perspex out from inside
4. Use black enamel paint (just like the old airfix kits!) available from halfords to paint a black line inside the new cover
5. Use masking tape to mask all around the area where the new lens will be fitted to avoid getting silicon on the paint
6. Refit the lights from the inside. Use black silicon or sikaflex to seal all around the edges where it meets the body- do this from the outside. You need to get a good seal here to avoid condensation. Leave overnight to dry.
7. Use black silicon or sikaflex (I used silicon from B&Q) in a continuous bead all around the inside where the lens will fit, then push lens in. Make sure it is continuous you do NOT want water to get through. Run a finger around the outside where the lens meets bodywork for a nice even line. remove masking tape, leave to dry overnight.

Dont do the above on a damp day or you will end up with trapped condensation

See this thread for my pics and words of wisdom when I did mine

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

Mine took 2 days to replace both rear lights with newer ones, remove both outer lenses , clean one and replace the other with new, paint black lines and refit. 90% of that time is drying time the job itself only takes a few minutes.

ETA on the lens cover that I re-used I cleaned it thoroughly with white spirit. This removed all the marks left by water ingress and also the old black paint which was flaking badly

Edited by bigdods on Tuesday 19th February 17:10

Edited by bigdods on Tuesday 19th February 17:11

[SwanJack]

softtop said:

You forgot to say the biggest part is shaping the perspex to fit. They are unlikley to unless quality control has improved.

But he'll have the old ones to use as a template.

[bigdods]

SwanJack said:

softtop said:

You forgot to say the biggest part is shaping the perspex to fit. They are unlikley to unless quality control has improved.

But he'll have the old ones to use as a template.

I bought my replacement o/s perspex from tvrcarparts.com and it fitted perfectly no modificiation needed. Things must have improved !

[kailear]

Thank you very much for all of the advice! Much appreciated; looks like I will be out with the black sealant on Saturday.....

[bigdods]

You may be able to remove the outer covers without taking the light clusters out, it really depends how well the lenses have been sealed down and how well you are able to cut it to break the seal. If you plan to reuse the covers be careful as they can break if you flex them too much.

FYI, when I did mine the covers actually came about 90% away just with cutting so I could have just pulled them off, but as I had the lights out anyway it was easier to just push from inside.