Reversing and Rear Fog light

Personally I have never liked lights bolted to the outside of the body. I like them nice and flush, recessed and blended. Some may say that this is wrong for a Cobra but this is my version and I'll do what I want 😀.

I spent a long time looking for lights that I liked and that I thought would fit into the rear of my cobra and within the nudge bars too.

Eventually I noticed the Mini R50 reverse light and found that it was also available as fog light too. I purchased an old mini rear bumber fro a breakers and started to make a couple of moulds to recess the lights. I had to have 2 different moulds as they are effectively mirrired about the centre line of the body.

First I made a copy of the rear valance in the areas I was going to place the lights.

Then I took a mould from the inner form of the light cavity in silicone having filled all the holes and gaps to make sure it didn't run everywhere.

The stick is there to hold down a piece of packing to save the amount of silicone I needed.

 After that was done I made the reverse mound again in silicone ready to cast the solid plug that would be bonded to the pattern of the rear valance.

First plug cast in tooling resin

Bonded to the copy of the rear valance.

Both parts ready to be filled and fettled to complet the patterns

Finished patterns parts look like this. They were actually highly polished but I forgot to take a photo!

Now for moulding in glass. The patterns were heavily waxed with 6 of 7 coats of Mirror Glaze realease wax and then covered with fibre glass.

Trial fitting the reversing light.

The next thing to do is to cutout the body and let in the mouldings. So after carefully measuring, checking, marking and then cutting I could start the process of fitting them.

With all the holes cut in the rear valance and boot floor (I will have to notch and weld the rear frame a little before final body fitting) I could start making the inner cover. As before I have made a small parrent of the bulge and then made a mould from that and the area of the boot floor where they fit.

Fitting the light mount mouldings.

Under the floor and boot all glassed in.

Both lights installed. Must say that I am really pleased with how they look. Just got the inside finish.

The inner covers will be permanently fitted later to provide a water tight seal.