Front and Rear Light Clusters - problem solved !
Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2019 6:53 pm
Just back from another club's meet on the continent with excellent news. This is the club president's car, with reproduced rear cluster lenses and centre panel.
They were made by a man who runs a business making one off prototype lenses for the design departments of various car manufacturers. It is an entirely hand-made process, and he has very kindly agreed to remake our rear cluster lenses in his spare time for a fraction of his normal price. The only difference is that the name Hella and Made in Germany is not moulded into them - obviously he cant put false information on them. The first batch were brought to the meeting for some very happy members. Once their own club members all have their orders, they will offer them to other clubs, including ours. I believe the cost to us will be 3-400 euros for the pair of light clusters and 1-150 euros for the centre panels. As it is a slow process to make them and the moulds are only good for about half a dozen castings, it isn't going to happen tomorrow but it is on the way. I have put my name down for a set and will bring them to the October meet if I have them by then.
As it is only the lenses we will have to pry broken ones off old clusters, same as with Joep's drl lenses. Anyone who only needs one side will need to think about how they want to do it. I suggest that the repros are fitted in pairs in case the colour is slighlty different, in which case people who buy a pair will need to source a duffer so they then have an odd good one to sell - hooray ! I foresee a surge of interest in damaged rear clusters as well as a trickle of decent clusters for sale.
I will keep in close contact with the other club to make sure we are not forgotten. If they want someone to collate the orders/take delivery etc I'm happy to offer my services, or it might be our Belgian friend Michel, who speaks good English who acts as go-between.
NB PLEASE DON'T SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE WILLING TO SUPPLY NON-CLUB MEMBERS
They were made by a man who runs a business making one off prototype lenses for the design departments of various car manufacturers. It is an entirely hand-made process, and he has very kindly agreed to remake our rear cluster lenses in his spare time for a fraction of his normal price. The only difference is that the name Hella and Made in Germany is not moulded into them - obviously he cant put false information on them. The first batch were brought to the meeting for some very happy members. Once their own club members all have their orders, they will offer them to other clubs, including ours. I believe the cost to us will be 3-400 euros for the pair of light clusters and 1-150 euros for the centre panels. As it is a slow process to make them and the moulds are only good for about half a dozen castings, it isn't going to happen tomorrow but it is on the way. I have put my name down for a set and will bring them to the October meet if I have them by then.
As it is only the lenses we will have to pry broken ones off old clusters, same as with Joep's drl lenses. Anyone who only needs one side will need to think about how they want to do it. I suggest that the repros are fitted in pairs in case the colour is slighlty different, in which case people who buy a pair will need to source a duffer so they then have an odd good one to sell - hooray ! I foresee a surge of interest in damaged rear clusters as well as a trickle of decent clusters for sale.
I will keep in close contact with the other club to make sure we are not forgotten. If they want someone to collate the orders/take delivery etc I'm happy to offer my services, or it might be our Belgian friend Michel, who speaks good English who acts as go-between.
NB PLEASE DON'T SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE WILLING TO SUPPLY NON-CLUB MEMBERS
good work sylvia, keep us posted 
! I want to clarify that I do not have the infused science and that I remain open to all comments and / or suggestions 
!