Automotive Masters,
What do you do about this:



Chrome headlights? Sorry bout the lousy photo, but, I took a quick (too quick) photo just for this thread.
So what? What do we do about these? How do we make these look like actual, scale headlights?

Help me learn a technique here folks, I need this one.

Cuhail

I have never done it - but the first thing I would do is drill'em out. Use a drill bit large enought to remove the whole 'light grid'. Then gently turn out the grid and some of the plastic to make a recess in it. Then paint the recess silver or aluminum or even CA a piece of foil in the recess. The glass can be a drop of two part epoxy (one that is tested to dry clear) or a piece of cut clear styrene.
You could even experiment with a clear bead from the craft store. It might be a bit tough because beads have a hole down the middle.
You may also go to radio shack and try to get a real light bulb for a small flash light.

Murph,
Yes you can do what Scott suggested. You can also add a drop into the area with Elmers white glue, just make sure it levels out. Once it drys it'll look like those old foged headlights. If you don't like it, then just run under warm water to remove glue.

Joe

Murph those are all good ideas but instead of using elmers white glue use Testors Clear parts cement & window maker it looks cloudy but drys clear, i would use several small applications as it takes less time to dry that way.

Or you can go to the craft store and pick up an assortment of those jiggling eyes in various sizes. Cut the clear leans free, and use that for your lenses after you drill out and paint the dished out area.. Don't throw out the backing as it is white plastic and makes a good gauge backings, and the little black disk serves the same purpose expect it's smaller.

Thanks guys. All good ideas. I think I'll try a mix of both Scott's and Grumpy's ideas.

I'll let you know.

Cuhail

I had the same problem on this car, what I did was drill them out, add some bare metal foil to the area, then add clear lenses from another kit

The latest truck modeller mag had a great article on redoing boring headlights and fog lights...drill out the solid type headlight or fog light and create a hollowed out reflector shell out of rod stock or any large diameter sprue{drill bit works best} and for rectangle shaped for driving/lights make a box for behind them{after cutting the flat out where the lense sets in}...angle the 4 sides to match any given aug lamp reflector and put a back plate on it...you can add a small piece of rod stock in the middle of the back plate to simulate the halogen bulb{paint black or off silver as you wish}...alclad2 or BMF the whole reflector assy, glue that whole thing in and cover with the supplied clear lense and your set. You could use rod stock to make your own driving/fog lamps...round off the back of the lamp in a drill or dremel, carefull drill out the inner reflector and alclad2 or BMF it, then add the cover off the "googly eyes"{they come in 6/8/10mm sizes...get mine from hobbylobby} or use flat/clear sheet stock and viola. As for gluing in the clear lenses and the the like, I love microscales "micro kristal klear"{that's how they spelled it on the bottle}...great for ship portholes, filling in for absent headlight lenses{you can lay a texture pattern on the dried/filled headlights to look like the typical lines you'd see on them} and gluing in of cockpit canopies vehicle windows or winshields.
I was PMing a guy on a now defunked truck modeling site about making our own headlights out of the clear casting resin that's out there for casting coins and things...we'd use it for headlights instead...take a clear headlight from a kit, use molding clay and press the headlight{s} of choice in{probably a 6mm size}, pour in a tiny amount of clear resin and an even smaller amount of hardener{I say make a few at one time} and lay a sheet of non-stick wax paper over the back of the mold to give you "flatbacked lenses" and you'd be set...just a thought...I know I want to try it out.

Hey, I forgot...check out my "photos"...look at the shot of the rear of my blue peterbuilt needlenose and you'll see my quick and dirty work light, it's the main section of a 6mm googly eye with a flat sheet stock backing that's alclad2 chrome on the reflector...has some depth but a dished reflector would've been better...next time!
Oh, that grill off a 2+2 cat or a GP?{love those, they're on my list of things to build}