headlights

[mickeytee]

ok the guy is offering just the upper lens for sale on ebay for 500. So if you want to upgrade and try it yourself heres your chance
Cadillac XLR Internal Headlight Lens | eBay

 

[BeardBros]

I saw that this morning too. I sent him a message asking if there was a deal if I bought a pair. I will repost once I have an answer.

 

[mickeytee]

I saw that this morning too. I sent him a message asking if there was a deal if I bought a pair. I will repost once I have an answer.

yeah I told him 300 was more like it. In my opinion. Once the mold is made its a rather easy process to make more. I actually have a company I sent one to getting me a quote. I will do the mat actual cost if we do a go fund me for the price of the mold split 10 ways On ebay he is at 450 with fees so you can buy direct as we have his info in some of the post

 

[mistercomputerman]

yeah I told him 300 was more like it. In my opinion. Once the mold is made its a rather easy process to make more. I actually have a company I sent one to getting me a quote. I will do the mat actual cost if we do a go fund me for the price of the mold split 10 ways On ebay he is at 450 with fees so you can buy direct as we have his info in some of the post

Count me in for two or three. Got email last night from the Canadian guy. If we can get lenses at a decent price, he might be willing to install while he has them open.


Hey Rick,

Thanks for your email.

Yes we can not a problem. We charge $300 CAD (about $230 USD) per headlight to open, remove the damaged turn signal lens and then reseal the headlights.

You would have to ship the headlights here. Is that alright?

- Tom Groth (Owner/Operator)
9-885 Redonda Street | 204-930-9535 | tom@winnipeghid.ca | www.winnipeghid.ca

 

[mickeytee]

Count me in for two or three. Got email last night from the Canadian guy. If we can get lenses at a decent price, he might be willing to install while he has them open.


Hey Rick,

Thanks for your email.

Yes we can not a problem. We charge $300 CAD (about $230 USD) per headlight to open, remove the damaged turn signal lens and then reseal the headlights.

You would have to ship the headlights here. Is that alright?

- Tom Groth (Owner/Operator)
9-885 Redonda Street | 204-930-9535 | tom@winnipeghid.ca | www.winnipeghid.ca

for that price to Canada you can have the Atlanta guy completely rebuild them and he is a insured business.
ok heres the deal. The lights are made with the lens bonded chemically to the reinforcement. You just need to make sure that whoever does them is big enough and insured so that they guarantee that they only break the seal between the gray reinforcement and the clear outer lens. if not they are for a fact going to delaminate and at least leak. At worse the outer lens will completely fly off. That was the problem GM had with the first ones and they had trouble fixing it. So I am sure small repair shops can do a real good sealof the reinforcement and the housing as that is a silicone?butyal type seal and that is at the area that the factory put them together. That seal is easily duplicated with a dozen quality off the shelf products. ALL headlights that have a clear lens that bonds to the housing direct has also mechanical fasteners that actually hold the lens . The bond holds and seal also.
Heat breaks down the outer bond. Heating the housing to remove the outer lens damages the outer bond. I had them looked at by a company here that makes aircraft lexan and plexi parts. He well knows his business and he said there is a chemical bond when both parts are new and heated to form that lens/reinforcement seal. he cannot duplicate it on a used one.

Heart surgery is easy. I have seen videos on youtube.

 

[mistercomputerman]

for that price to Canada you can have the Atlanta guy completely rebuild them and he is a insured business.
ok heres the deal. The lights are made with the lens bonded chemically to the reinforcement. You just need to make sure that whoever does them is big enough and insured so that they guarantee that they only break the seal between the gray reinforcement and the clear outer lens. if not they are for a fact going to delaminate and at least leak. At worse the outer lens will completely fly off. That was the problem GM had with the first ones and they had trouble fixing it. So I am sure small repair shops can do a real good sealof the reinforcement and the housing as that is a silicone?butyal type seal and that is at the area that the factory put them together. That seal is easily duplicated with a dozen quality off the shelf products. ALL headlights that have a clear lens that bonds to the housing direct has also mechanical fasteners that actually hold the lens . The bond holds and seal also.
Heat breaks down the outer bond. Heating the housing to remove the outer lens damages the outer bond. I had them looked at by a company here that makes aircraft lexan and plexi parts. He well knows his business and he said there is a chemical bond when both parts are new and heated to form that lens/reinforcement seal. he cannot duplicate it on a used one.

Heart surgery is easy. I have seen videos on youtube.

Ha. I want to see the youtube video on the heart surgery. Did you do it on yourself or someone else?


All kidding aside, you think your guy can make the lenses and ship them and the lights to the Atlanta guy for disassembly/reassembly?

 

[mickeytee]

I tried to fill my own teeth but the torch I had kept catching my mustache on fire so I had to go to the dentist, I want to try the heart surgery on someone else first.

If we can do a group buy on the lens and get them cheap enough then I will find someone that will do the replacement properly. It wont be the Atlanta guy as he makes his money on selling the lens . But there are plenty of Headlight professionals out there that are loosing business due to the manufactures wanting cores back when they sell a headlight so they don't have anything to repair.

 

[mistercomputerman]

I tried to fill my own teeth but the torch I had kept catching my mustache on fire so I had to go to the dentist, I want to try the heart surgery on someone else first.

If we can do a group buy on the lens and get them cheap enough then I will find someone that will do the replacement properly. It wont be the Atlanta guy as he makes his money on selling the lens . But there are plenty of Headlight professionals out there that are loosing business due to the manufactures wanting cores back when they sell a headlight so they don't have anything to repair.

Canada man says 1 year warranty on his:


Yes definitely we warranty them for 1 full year against water or excessive moisture getting inside the headlights but that does not cover shipping costs or the labor.


- Tom Groth (Owner/Operator)

9-885 Redonda Street | 204-930-9535 | tom@winnipeghid.ca | www.winnipeghid.ca

 

[BeardBros]

I messaged the seller of these lenses through Ebay and this is what he said.

Your previous message​

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​

​

​

Is this the price for just one lens? if so, how much for a pair? Because they are always melted in pairs.



​

[h=1]New message from: theheadlightstore (1,067)[/h] [h=3]If you're buying 2 we would do 800.

[/h]

​

 

[mistercomputerman]

I messaged the seller of these lenses through Ebay and this is what he said.

Your previous message​

​

Is this the price for just one lens? if so, how much for a pair? Because they are always melted in pairs.



​

New message from: theheadlightstore (1,067)

If you're buying 2 we would do 800.

Maybe you could ask his price on 30 and see how low he can go.

 

[BlackCatXLR]

The one that was listed on Ebay was listed as "Used/Excellent" but obviously it is a new one and he is the guy that makes them?
Does anyone have a 3D scan of one or something like a SolidWorks model of one? I'm not sure but a 3D printed one would not work as it has to be solid and clear but if I had a model of one I could probably try and make a mold for one if I knew how it had to be made but it might be way to involved. I'm a CNC programmer/machinist, not a tool and die maker so not really sure how it would have to be made.
If he's already making them though it seems like it would be repetitious to do it if the price was lower.

Kevin

 

[mickeytee]

It will be a lot cheaper to do a run from a silicone mold. That is what he did. To scan and make a 3d unit would be higher in my opinion. unless we could use 100 then it would be worth it to make a injection mold and have them made that way. I have a guy going to give me a price on silicone molding them .I have sent him a couple of near perfect ones I made to duplicate. He says he can polish them to optical clear which is over kill for the part. After the mold is made 50 -100 $ each would be tops for material I think. 1000$ mold split 10 ways and then added to cost, I think my early estimates of 200-250 are right in line. Just remember when I tried to do this a year or so ago everyone said 200 was robbing people and basically called me a crook for wanting that much

 

[mistercomputerman]

It will be a lot cheaper to do a run from a silicone mold. That is what he did. To scan and make a 3d unit would be higher in my opinion. unless we could use 100 then it would be worth it to make a injection mold and have them made that way. I have a guy going to give me a price on silicone molding them .I have sent him a couple of near perfect ones I made to duplicate. He says he can polish them to optical clear which is over kill for the part. After the mold is made 50 -100 $ each would be tops for material I think. 1000$ mold split 10 ways and then added to cost, I think my early estimates of 200-250 are right in line. Just remember when I tried to do this a year or so ago everyone said 200 was robbing people and basically called me a crook for wanting that much

Your estimates sounds pretty OK to me, esepcially given that replacement headlights are near impossible to find. The eBay people want $5k for the whole assembly, so a $250 lens and a few more hundred to install it sounds like a good deal to me.

And, if they don't want the solution, then they don't have to buy it, right?

 

[BlackCatXLR]

Well sounds like a good project and I'd probably go in on it if it happens. I never heard of a silicone mold to cast parts though but I haven't ever played with any of that.
We do make silicone molds of parts we make though at work to check internal features you couldn't get any other way. Stuff we use I think is called Repro Rubber. It's a 2 part system and really nice to work with.
If anyone does ever get a 3D scan of one I'd love to play with it to try making a mold though as I always like a challenge.
Usually if I can't get a part I'll try making a replacement. I'm also into 79-85 Eldorados and a couple years ago picked up an 85 Eldorado Touring Coupe convertible of which there were only a handful made. It's not the "factory" ASC made one but the Hess and Eisenhardt ones made out of the Touring Coupe.
Anyway when I got it I discovered one of the top latches was broke. They are made of some kind of pot metal and the handle part of it was snapped off. I searched around and found that the company is out of business and parts are basically non-existent unless one was parted out.

Looked at pictures of other ones for lot of other cars and ended up picking up a set for early 60's GM cars. Looked very similar but when I got them they were just not close enough and nothing on them would interchange.
So I ended up measuring up original and guessed at a few dimensions, made a model and made an aluminum prototype. That seemed to work so I made a set of 416 stainless ones for both sides. Still have the aluminum one on the car as I haven't got around to switching it and the one on there seems to work fine.

Here's a few pictures:









This was all a lot of work to do but really no choice. I know any project like making a lens is a lot more work than anyone would think but I'm sure it would be worth it!

Kevin

 

[mickeytee]

Your estimates sounds pretty OK to me, esepcially given that replacement headlights are near impossible to find. The eBay people want $5k for the whole assembly, so a $250 lens and a few more hundred to install it sounds like a good deal to me.

And, if they don't want the solution, then they don't have to buy it, right?

I totally agree. Thanks .

 

[mickeytee]

good looking part

That is a very nice looking part you machined. Now you need to throw it in a vat with rocks to tumble it and give it that real "cast" look. HAHA
I have made a lot of parts over the years that I could hand make or machine but not cast. I checked with a company that 3d prints clear prototype parts for the OEM but they are wayyyyy out there in cost. Injection molding is the way I believe these were made. But the molds are expensive unless you split it over thousands of items. I will see if I can get one of my sons companies to do a 3d scan. They have one made of the outer lens but the program that runs it is limited to a few high tech agencies . (Oak ridge) These inners made with a 2 part cast resin can be very strong but its really hard to get them opitical clear. I really think the ones the guy did in Atlanta are close enough for a diffuser type lens. As soon as I get a firm timeline and price I will offer it up to the first 10 people who want to give it a try.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

Count me in for two or three. Got email last night from the Canadian guy. If we can get lenses at a decent price, he might be willing to install while he has them open.


Hey Rick,

Thanks for your email.

Yes we can not a problem. We charge $300 CAD (about $230 USD) per headlight to open, remove the damaged turn signal lens and then reseal the headlights.

You would have to ship the headlights here. Is that alright?

- Tom Groth (Owner/Operator)
9-885 Redonda Street | 204-930-9535 | tom@winnipeghid.ca | www.winnipeghid.ca

Here’s my issue on my 05 headlights....both of these were replaced and installed by a Cadillac Dealership brand new about 7 years ago, because the originals DLR’s from the Amber Bulb, the clears lenses was hazed over and cracked, anyways here’s my issue with the drivers side that we just noticed the other day. The inside plastic amber side lenses has become detached an slide forward (I’m thinking it was not attached correctly during new assembly) it needs split open and reattach correctly, that’s all that is literally wrong with it. Need cost idea and who can do this at a fair price?
(See pictures: Drivers side damaged n
& passenger side is ok)

Passenger side:

Since this doesn’t effect the car in anyway I’ll probably wait until fall when I store for winter! Thank You Dan


Sent from Grand Daddy iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[David_B]

I wonder if a LOCA UV cured glue would work on attaching the outer lens to the gray surround? There are a couple types, one that's used to glue down phone screens that remains pliable and one that hardens.

for that price to Canada you can have the Atlanta guy completely rebuild them and he is a insured business.
ok heres the deal. The lights are made with the lens bonded chemically to the reinforcement. You just need to make sure that whoever does them is big enough and insured so that they guarantee that they only break the seal between the gray reinforcement and the clear outer lens. if not they are for a fact going to delaminate and at least leak. At worse the outer lens will completely fly off. That was the problem GM had with the first ones and they had trouble fixing it. So I am sure small repair shops can do a real good sealof the reinforcement and the housing as that is a silicone?butyal type seal and that is at the area that the factory put them together. That seal is easily duplicated with a dozen quality off the shelf products. ALL headlights that have a clear lens that bonds to the housing direct has also mechanical fasteners that actually hold the lens . The bond holds and seal also.
Heat breaks down the outer bond. Heating the housing to remove the outer lens damages the outer bond. I had them looked at by a company here that makes aircraft lexan and plexi parts. He well knows his business and he said there is a chemical bond when both parts are new and heated to form that lens/reinforcement seal. he cannot duplicate it on a used one.

Heart surgery is easy. I have seen videos on youtube.

 

[Mark0polo]

What’s the Procedure?

I’ve lost track, are we to remove each assembly from our XLR and ship it? Is the lamp being opened and the yellowed lens replaced and then resealed?
just trying to sort out the concept and the engineering of what will happen after I ship this pricey piece of my car.

 

[mickeytee]

need a statement in writing

Heres the real issue to me. Almost any town has a repair shop that can take most lens apart. The guys that do the Little Asian cars and BMW guys do it all the time. Its not big deal.. ON THOSE CARS .

Those cars have a clear plastic lens that is held on with a flexible rubber seal. The XLR however has the outer lens attached to a reinforcement frame when made with a special controlled glue and heat process. Many of these where replaced by GM because their own seal failed when new on 04 and 05 . the reinforcement frame is attached with a flexible rubber seal. the amount of heat needed to loosen the reinforcement from the housing is greater than that needed to weaken the bond of the outer lens to the reinforcement. Thus loosing that seal. When that seal is reattached it makes a distorted seal that is not uniform and shows as a watery two colored bond along the outer gray area. If you have a shop that will write a guarantee that they can remove the lens and reinforcement without breaking the outer bond then we should all use them. The ones I have seen cannot do it. I have experimented with release agent chemicals to try and break the flexible seam but the ones strong enough damage the housing so far. So unless you have a perfect outer lens I would wait till someone can come up with a new outer to be replaced at the same time as the inner lens that turns yellow and breaks.