In a box of Minor related spares that I recently bought came a pair of rear light lenses, serviceable apart from the fact that one had a problem which I've seen a few times before and, I'm guessing, might be quite common, in that the bottom screw fixing point had broken off (Rusted in screw?? Who knows...).
Anyway, rather than throw it away I thought why not repair it with some Araldite I had lying around. Araldite sets like a resin and adheres to most things brilliantly, also once it's gone off it can be cut with a knife or small hacksaw blade and filed or sanded to shape, as required.
So placing the damaged lens on a flat piece of hardboard I set to work. Once mixed the Araldite just needs holding in place until it starts to go off, I used a piece of flat plastic and a match box to keep it in position....
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Once it had gone off I set about separating it from the hardboard and trimming it with a Stanley knife / junior hacksaw blade, roughly to shape. I then shaped it further with a small file.
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I then drilled the hole for the retaining screw, this can be 'adjusted' later, as required, with a small file I have, to ensure it sits right.
Which just leave the problem of colour.....
Using Humbrol enamels I gave it a thin coat of red as a base, on top of that I used the top layer from an unmixed tin of Humbrol gloss red (see pictures), this gives it the 'see through' lens look, or a close as I can get, so far, I'm still playing with the colour effect but I think I'm getting there.....
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Unfortunately the photo's bring the red colour to the fore, it looks better (more lens like) in the flesh, so to speak.
Not perfect I know and certainly not one for the concourse boys but for mere mortals like me I hope this will be a useful 'how to', both as a way of saving money and you get the satisfaction of rebuilding / reusing something rather than just throwing it away.
Plus, as this is the bottom screw hole, it will be out of sight to most people looking at your car anyway.
Best wishes,
Mike.
