Taillight Restoration

[grnder95]

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I last posted about my taillight restoration. As you know, I already restored the frames and replaced the lenses, but I sent the bulb holders up north to be restored. To my surprise, they looked almost the same as when I sent them, except for one of the bulb reflectors, which was replaced. I decided to take them apart again and sent them out for chrome plating. As you can see on the pictures, some of them are still pitted, but that shouldn't be a problem since they're just to reflect light.

I was going have the plastic piece chrome plated, but it was too expensive compared to the other reflectors. Each of the bulb reflectors was $20 and they wanted $50 for the plastic one.

I am very happy with the results. I let Peter C. know that I was disappointed with the job and he told me that everyone has different expectations and sometimes, for a job to meet yours, you have to do the work yourself.

Thanks, Victor

 

[eriknetherlands]

Almost a pitty to hide these inside the taillight!


I've been looking at my own lenses and was considering doind thesame, but I was held back by the clinch rivets (are the called like that? )
Did you drill out the clinch/rivets holding the electrical connections together?
Do is see it correctly that you used a screw to replace them? I'm wondering if that would make for a reliable contact.
(but I'm hardly an electric-guru; big chance it is a stupid question as also various groud connections use a screw in our E9's. )

Nice work!

 

[autokunst]

Those look beautiful. Where did you have the lenses chromed? That seems like a very reasonable price. Did you disassemble each lens, or did they chrome the whole assembly?

 

[grnder95]

Almost a pitty to hide these inside the taillight!


I've been looking at my own lenses and was considering doind thesame, but I was held back by the clinch rivets (are the called like that? )
Did you drill out the clinch/rivets holding the electrical connections together?
Do is see it correctly that you used a screw to replace them? I'm wondering if that would make for a reliable contact.
(but I'm hardly an electric-guru; big chance it is a stupid question as also various groud connections use a screw in our E9's. )

Nice work!

Hello,
I used a cut off wheel to remove the rivets and then did replace them with bolts. They should be fine. Thank you for the compliments!
Victor

 

[grnder95]

Those look beautiful. Where did you have the lenses chromed? That seems like a very reasonable price. Did you disassemble each lens, or did they chrome the whole assembly?

Hi,
I used a local chrome plating shop here in Houston-- the same people who chrome plated my frames for the lenses. I did disassemble each reflector. They are each held by two tabs. Thanks!
Victor