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Posted

Any tips on how to make headlights look realistic? They sort of have a bluish silver look but any ideas on how to duplicate it? I bought some decals but they don't look great in my opinion.

Posted

The absolute best way of course is to drill out the molded in lenses and replace them with clear lenses.

Any solution that you can come up with for the reflectors is acceptable.

Most times I'll use reflectors from a different grille and modify them to fit.

Then it's just a matter of replacing the lenses with some from the parts box.

 

The other option is to paint the lenses with some combination of clear mixed with very small amounts of white and silver.

It can look acceptable, but rarely looks "right".

 

This '64 Bonneville used buckets and lenses from the Moebius '61 Pontiac Ventura kit.

 

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Steve

  • Like 3
Posted

Yes, headlights are one of those items which plays a major role in the overall realism of a model.  But even if a model has properly molded and "chromed" reflectors, and a nice thin molded lens, if the lens is not installed properly (affixed with the striations in the lens at an odd angle) that also ruins the realism.  That small details is sometimes missed by modelers.

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Posted
1 hour ago, DoctorLarry said:

Great idea which I will try. Where did you get the punches?

Michaels…in the leather crafts section.

Posted

I've drilled out a few and taken some googly eyes the right diameter to make the reflectors.  Just cut the back off the goog and toss the pellet.  They come in all sizes.  Just chrome it and throw on a lens

:)

  • Like 3
Posted
10 hours ago, Deathgoblin said:

I've drilled out a few and taken some googly eyes the right diameter to make the reflectors.  Just cut the back off the goog and toss the pellet.  They come in all sizes.  Just chrome it and throw on a lens

:)

I really want to build something with googly eyes for headlights now.  

  • Like 1
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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Something to try if you're wanting to make the clear plastic lenses standout, most modern kits headlights have A small bump at the bottom of the lense housing. Staying with the silver or stock look just a tiny dot of silver paint on the top of that bump will give the lenses a different look when the clear plastic kit lenses are installed. You can try different clear color paints depending on the effect you're after. Fog lights are fairly easy with some clear yellow or orange on the inside of the lenses. For the Gasser Look use a clear red or whatever clear color works with your paint scheme. 

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