DaX's N600 Restoration

[GasSavers_DaX]

Originally Posted by smithenhiven

If they turn out good, and you want to make a few bucks, I could send you some S600 lenses, and if you're able to reproduce them I'd buy a few sets from you.

Sure. It will be a few weeks (months) until I attempt this, but you just gave me a little more motivation to try it out...maybe I'll grab some lenses this weekend and mold one or two of them next week.

It's either make new lenses for my N, or sit down with them for hours with buffing compound trying to remove the oxidized layer, all while trying NOT to remove the lettering detail on the lens.

[Matt Timion]

I'm certain there are plenty of people willing to pay for new lenses for the N... I'd do it just to have new lenses.

[GasSavers_DaX]

Ok, so I actually took apart a rear lens today and cleaned it up. It's going to be a little more difficult than I originally thought, as the lens is two pieces glued together - the red outer lens (for the color) and a clear "diffuser" lens to scatter the light, which is glued inside the red lens. I'm trying to be really careful to take the clear lens out - it appears to be held in with a few key drops of super glue around the edge, which I am working at with a scalpel.

If all goes well, I'll separate the lenses with no damage to either. If all doesn't go well, I'll end up breaking one of the lenses, which won't be a *terrible* situation. If I break the red lens, I'll carefully remove the unbroken clear lens, then take apart another rear lens, this time being careful to only inflict damage on the clear lens, so in the end I have a separated, good set of lens pieces.

I might be molding the lens as early as this weekend.

Smithenhiven - do you know if the S600 has two piece lenses?

[smithenhiven]

Originally Posted by DaX

Smithenhiven - do you know if the S600 has two piece lenses?

It's just a one peice, so hopefully it'll be pretty easy to replicate. I've got a set of NOS lenses, so if you do decide that you can replicate these, I can mail you one (the original doesn't get damaged during the process right? I assume you make some kind of mold on the original, so I'd hate if it got scratched or damaged in any way [I paid $300 for them]).

I'd also like to get replicas of the front parking lenses, and turnsignal lenses, which are also one peice. Hell, while you're at it, if you can make a replica Radio Delete panel, and a few other plastic interior parts, that'd be awesome.

I guess I'm getting a little ahead of myself, lol. But there is some money to be made doing this. NOS or very good used parts for S600's are very hard to find, I'm sure many people would pay good money for nicely done replica parts.

[GasSavers_DaX]

Originally Posted by smithenhiven

It's just a one peice, so hopefully it'll be pretty easy to replicate. I've got a set of NOS lenses, so if you do decide that you can replicate these, I can mail you one (the original doesn't get damaged during the process right? I assume you make some kind of mold on the original, so I'd hate if it got scratched or damaged in any way [I paid $300 for them]).

I'd also like to get replicas of the front parking lenses, and turnsignal lenses, which are also one peice. Hell, while you're at it, if you can make a replica Radio Delete panel, and a few other plastic interior parts, that'd be awesome.

I guess I'm getting a little ahead of myself, lol. But there is some money to be made doing this. NOS or very good used parts for S600's are very hard to find, I'm sure many people would pay good money for nicely done replica parts.

Cool. One piece lenses will be cake. Yeah, the parts won't be harmed - if they're NOS they probably don't need to be cleaned, so they'd just be put in silicone and placed in an oven at around 50C to speed up the curing process. If you're really worried about the lenses in the oven, I can omit the oven process and let the molds cure overnight.

As far as the other lenses go, I see no problem. If any of the lenses are multi-colored (half amber-half clear, etc), I might have trouble with them, but you can send them anyhow and I can at least have a mold of it to play with. For multi-colored lenses, the deal is to probably do a partial cure and then pour the second color before the final cure.

Let me try getting this N lens apart and get some molds made. If all goes well, I'll get you to send me the S lens and I can make a mold and go from there!

[Matt Timion]

Dax,

For the colors, wouldn't the easy solution be do make the lens clear and then just paint the colored portion accordingly?

[GasSavers_DaX]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

Dax,

For the colors, wouldn't the easy solution be do make the lens clear and then just paint the colored portion accordingly?

Probably, but I'd like to play around with dying the plastic. I'll be able to get more consistently colored lenses if I know the weight of dye to add, instead of eyeballing a coat of paint. The company I'm going to buy my supplies from (www.alumilite.com) with the exception of the silicone (we have PLENTY of "expired" silicone at work to play with) sells dye for the plastic. If you're curious, I'm initially just going to buy a small bottle of red dye and a 32 oz kit of the Alumilite Water Clear.

[GasSavers_DaX]

Well I got the right rear N brake lens separated...but ended up having to break the red part. It's cool - I have three sets of lenses, so I accepted the fact that I'd need to break a set to get it apart. Now I need to break another set but keep the red part of the lens in tact. I may try to make a silicone mold of the clear insert for the rear right brake lens next week...very busy with other stuff at work this week and probably won't have time.

[GasSavers_DaX]

I got to thinking about it. I'm probably going to need NOS lenses to make high quality reproduction lenses. The UV deterioration on the outside of the lenses I have caused the surfaces to pit (it looks matte) and if I cast molds of these, the repro parts will be pitted as well.

If you're still interested Smithenhiven, I'd be willing to cast molds of your NOS S600 lenses though.

In other news, I am nearly through stripping the yellow car, and have someone coming to pick up the unibody after Thanksgiving. I hope to finish stripping the car this weekend. I have added more pictures of the nearly stripped car HERE.

[smithenhiven]

Originally Posted by DaX

If you're still interested Smithenhiven, I'd be willing to cast molds of your NOS S600 lenses though.

Yes, I am still interested, and I'm glad you posted about this again because it reminds me I was meaning to ask you about making rubber parts in the same fassion. I've got one original S600 floor mat with a rubber "Honda" insignia on the mat. That peice is very easy to remove, and it's in very good condition, and I was wondering if you'd be able reproduce that as well (with some kind of rubber material perhaps?) Here's a picture for reference:



If you don't think you can do this, or don't have the materials, that's OK.

So I'd at least like to send you one NOS front turnsignal lense, and one NOS rear brake light lense (they're the same for Left and Right). I was hoping to send you a NOS parking light lense, but I don't seem to have one of those in NOS.

Would you like to PM or email me your mailing address, and I'll mail them down to you?

O, my names Jason btw.