Hello.




I would like to replicate some headlight out covers for my Renault 5 gt turbo,

the covers are for the morrette headlights which are now no longer found in good condition or even sold due to morrette going bust.




but I found a near mint set.




So I would like to cover the covers and make them in carbon via resin infusion and vacuum bagging




this is a picture of what I am contending with.




 




I'm thinking because I don't want to risk damaging the covers I have,

should I make a silicone mould In a wood side box of the outers covers, front face upwards and use clay to seal off the bottom edges on an abs board and then blank the headlight lense holes with clay and abs sheet?




Then cast a hard resin into the silicone mould and use the cast resin item for laying the carbon over and then vacuum bagging as it could be used over and over again?

This is my first time doing this and think I have the right methods?

As far as I can see, the headlight "box" consists of two parts, the front part (shiny black) and a rear part (dull grey-black)  They seem to be straight forward thermo-plastic parts, and as such should have a good shape for making moulds from them.

Can they not be taken completely apart, without damaging them?   Then you could make a complete set of moulds, by simply waxing up the originals (should not damage them) and making moulds the normal way, maybe using the EC epoxy putty ??

The big advantage would be that you can then make a number of new CF headlight assemblies, and maybe sell a few to other Renault 5 Turbo owners with poor/damaged headlight "boxes "  ..

 

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Seems a bit wasteful with making a mould only to not use the mould surface for the finished part. You are making a new moulded resin part, carbon wrapping it and hand finishing it.

Maybe you could make a cheap cast plaster mould safely, then cast a new resin part from the plaster (break the plaster away and sand smooth) that becomes your new pattern for making a real mould. Then you could do carbon layups in the mould to get a good looking part with no hand finishing (apart from maybe a coat of clear two pack paint for UV.

Going this way is better but you may also then have to consider infusion and this can be quite a challenge for newcomers??

Yes they do come apart very easy.