hilgretasmom1 Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 I have a headlight lens that needs a mate. Does anyone know of someone who can cast one out of glass using mine as a mold? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 Might just be easier to go here and look for a match....http://www.oldcarlenses.com/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Old headlight lens are not always hard to find. It's something many flea marketers have but don't have any idea what they fit, so Hershey is always a real treasure hunt. I once bought several boxes of them and got tired of dragging them to Hershey. Every year a couple of them would get chipped or broken, so gave up hauling them around and sold the whole lot to another dealer. Post a picture and provide some info on what you are looking for and if it isn't available form the source above, maybe someone here on the forum can help. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilgretasmom1 Posted July 26, 2016 Author Share Posted July 26, 2016 The lens is for a 1934 Chrysler CY Airflow. The CY was produced in Canada and was actually A Desoto with Chrysler trim. Only 444 were produced. The headlight lens has an indentation running from top to bottom to accommodate a garnish molding. None of the headlight lens dealers have a lens for this car. Short of stumbling across this rare item, having one made using the one example I have as a mold may be the only option. I apologize that the image is upside down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 (edited) That is a scarce one, alright! There have been various threads here regarding lens making. Try to do a search for that. They are plastic, but will do in a pinch. Edited July 26, 2016 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinneyhill Posted July 26, 2016 Share Posted July 26, 2016 Is that lens handed? That looks like a left hand lens because of the way the garnish is shaped at the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilgretasmom1 Posted July 26, 2016 Author Share Posted July 26, 2016 The lens pictured is the right hand lens. The word "right" is cast into the lens but is hard to see with the garnish molding in place. There are allegedly prismatic differences left for right but I will rarely, if ever, drive the car at night. I have found an NOS pair of lenses for.....................................$2500! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Are you going to step up to the plate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I'm thinking it would likely cost you close to $2500 to have one made using yours as a pattern. Molds have to be made etc. Not a simple operation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I'm not sure why a person who has the lenses to sell would ask such a high price for them knowing there is only one chance in 444 to sell them. If those lenses were mine to sell I would be glad to sell them to you at a more reasonable price knowing that you would probably be the only customer in the world for them. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Not only that there is a right and a left , so a copy of the existing one won't cut it. Since accidents happen and they do brake someone will buy them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 If I were in your situation, I would make an offer on the pair, probably about 40% of the asking price. Hopefully you can get a better deal on the pair. If you can successfully purchase the pair at some price, you may find someone else who needs your existing single lens that you could sell to recoup part of your cost. I have found that most people who are asking a really high price for similar rare parts is usually willing to make a deal to move them. I recently was in the market for a single more common, yet still somewhat rare lens, and was able to buy a pair by making an offer. I made an initial offer thinking that the seller would make a counteroffer that I could live with and was happily suprised that he accepted my initial offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I assume you've checked with the usual Airflow gang. I have some contacts among them if you need any assistance let me know and I'll put you in touch. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 (edited) Right about now I am wondering if you can "reverse engineer" (make a right side lens from the left side lens pattern) a lens with a 3D printer. Edited July 27, 2016 by keiser31 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Pay the $2500. It would be cheaper. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLYER15015 Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I'm with Restorer. Your house and $2500.00 might get you started on a set of glass molds. Then you could sell the production parts to 3 other people. Keep in mind, you would also need the garnish to go with the lenses, = more $$$$$$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer09 Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 and then there is China, for making the lenses..................... would still cost a small fortune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjamin j Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 there is a fellow in the north east part of the country that has a business selling headlight lenses and chrome headlight bezels. I bought the last set of 1934 L34 lenses he had. I found him through Heming's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Mr. Anonymous, since I know who you are shed some of those big bucks and pay the price! Seriously, whatever you end up paying goes under the saying "it is what it is" and before someone else needs them you might as well buy both and maybe sell the other one someday or use it if you need. Have you ever heard this hobby can be expensive? Almost like a room at the Ritz, huh? good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Agree with Steve here - now that the cat's out of the bag on how rare these are it's only a matter of time until - the owner sees this thread and ups the price - or someone will snap them up and try to flp them at Hershey. Don't be the guy wandering around listening to everyone tell you where they spotted them in the swap meet only to find the price has now doubled! Don't make this mistake of thinking all this PR this will shake a few more out of the barn anytime soon. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest John Heimerl Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I can assure you that these are very, very scarce as they were basically one-year Canadian production of one-off lenses used in Airflow prototypes. You can convert your lamp assemblies to American SE DeSoto Airflow for a lot less but then you have reduced the value of the very rare CY. My counsel: make the deal. You will not only fix your current problem, but you will be ready for a stone to take the other one out. If it is simply not affordable, one of the members of the Airflow Club will have the SE lamps and lenses, and you'll probably spend under $500. Casting a new one? As others have indicated, unaffordable. J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Someone with a Pebble Beach restoration in progress had a standing offer of $20,000 for a pair of missing lens a few years back, so I guess tooling up to make repops is spendy. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Response from the OP is deafeningly silent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer09 Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 and also.................. one could always sell the car as is....................................! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 The sting of the high price will go away before the remorse of passing on the deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Ya, as we get older and look back thru life, the remorse is not what we did do, but what we didn't do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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