Chrome plastic tail light accessories

[Inf]

I have some billet aluminum replacements. They can be polished easily to look like chrome. If you would like more details email me directly at 280Zone@cox.net

Could you post some pictures to this thread?

[S20]

To get ride of that foggy haze you can use some wax on the outside and simple green to clean the inside. After washing them out leave the bulbs out and let the sun dry out the condensation. Works best if you take the whole light assembly out, the wax is like the clay they use for detailing cars.

[moyest]

Well, me-hearties :pirate:

I've been busy over the weekend and so I can now share the following info with you:

The chrome trim pieces come off, as MikeW said, but beware about forcing or pulling them off. The trims are held onto the lenses with little securing thingies at the back (on the inside of the lenses). To remove the securing "thingies", DON'T pull them! Simply CRUSH them with pliers. That is the best way to get rid of them without breaking the plastic pin (very brittle) that secures the chrome trims through the lenses. Make sense?

I understand from one of those 240Z restoration books that you can buy the metal securing "thingies" at most hardware stores - so don't worry about crushing them beyond repair (however you may want to look for new ones before you actually do anything!?!??!).

Once the chrome trims are off, you can do whatever you like with them - send them off for re-chroming, paint them with chrome-look paint (not very shiny though), customise them somehow... you name it!

(Jeeeze I hope all the little bits go back together) :nervous:

[bpilati]

I just had to replace the left taillight housing when the lens just fell out one day and I backed over it. I don't have to tell you what I felt like when I found out what I had just rolled over. I thought someone had laid a soda can behind my tire. Well I looked around and MSA wanted $260 for a set of lens (US or Euro), and I decided I needed to search around a bit more. A friend had a used housing that he sold me cheap and it did the trick. You know those little washers they use with the 5mm screws to secure the housing to the body? Well they're pretty minimal in covering the screw holes in the body, and if one is missing the screw head goes right through the hole securing nothing. So I went to the hardware store and found a better washer. It's a #12 washers with a rubber seal on the back. It's much wider than the stock washers and provides additional seal around the screw and against the inside of the body. You need to buy longer screws at least 5mmx.8x16mm. They work well.

[yor5150]

Maybe they'll do 240Z tail lights too... I sent an email message to them asking about it.

http://www.zzxdatsun.com/tailight.html

260/280 Tailight Panel & Bezel Program

Taillight panel stripped and repainted the factory original color for $80.00 each exchange.

Taillight bezel stripped and plated with chrome over nickel for $120.00 each exchange-includes new fasteners.

[Rockr69]

For the inside of the lens mild soap and water with a soft bristled toothbrush works great. As for the outside, some 1000 grit or finer sandpaper, wet of course, and some Meguire's plastic polish, clear or colored depending on your application and this is what you get..nice and clean and shiny. The chrome I sanded and tried to paint match to the body color. Now my beautiful princess looks like she has her makeup on.

[yor5150]

Maybe they'll do 240Z tail lights too... I sent an email message to them asking about it.

http://www.zzxdatsun.com/tailight.html

260/280 Tailight Panel & Bezel Program

Taillight panel stripped and repainted the factory original color for $80.00 each exchange.

Taillight bezel stripped and plated with chrome over nickel for $120.00 each exchange-includes new fasteners.

The reply was that the 260/280 program was a bust that it was discontinued a year ago. No chance for a 240 program then.

[JimmyZ]

I have some billet aluminum replacements. They can be polished easily to look like chrome. If you would like more details email me directly at 280Zone@cox.net

I do some machining and was thinking the same thing. Looks like you've already DONE it though. It wouldn't be that hard, especially with CNC.

Check out http://www.alumilite.com/ for another possibility. You could cast your own part and have it plated.

My trim pieces have begun to disintegrate so making one is looking better. I'm almost to the point where I think it would be nice to make some molds for injection molding new tail lenses. (Not just for my benefeit)