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GTS Light Conversion!

R

Retro_Boy_G

New member
Has anyone ever done it? I'm looking at a kit on eBay just now, I'm just not sure how easy it is to do and if the kit is everything I will need.

This is the kit - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GTS-Headlight-Kit-Fiberglass-for-Porsche-924-944-944-S2-turbo-/251654735794?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a97ca87b2
 
tHE BUCKETS ARE ALRIGHT, BUT ITLL TAKE A LOT OF WORK OR A MIRACLE TO MAKE THAT FLAT SQUARE OF PLASTIC LOOK LIKE AN ORIGINAL LAMP COVER...
 
I have GTS style fixed headlights in mine:

CSMA090513176_zpsdccaa735.jpg


A couple of observations:

1) The kit on ebey does not appear to have moulded covers (if you look at the contour of the metal cover on a standard pop-up headlight you'll see that it has a 'fold' that follows the shape of the badge panel)

2) You'll have to play around with brackets etc to fix the fibreglass buckets into the car - may require a bit of fiddling.

3) You'll also need to source the headlight units to install into the buckets - I could only find LHD headlights for mine so I had to tape-off part of the lens.

I made mine from scratch and the fit and finish is OK (good enough for a track car anyway). Deutschnine make some also that are supposed to be high quality (and have moulded covers):

http://www.deutschnine.com/mm5/merc...=porsche-transaxle-944-turbo-s2-aero-dynamics

Good luck!

Mick
 
After some of the issues that I have read about, I have grave concerns about D9 now and wouldn't deal wit them...

I would probably opt for projection lamps, either single dipped lamps or doubles including a main beam. Better light output better able to cope with the covers and able to use HID lamps without scatter, too (the lights in the original 937 GTSs were terrible at night, remember). The covers can be made by heating the plastic in an oven and then placing it on a metal lamp cover, then placing a pillowcase full of damp sand on the top and allowing to cool.

I have done this in the past and Id expect to cook a lot of acrylic before you get two good covers... Remember as well that a bucket which suits a 924/944 may well be too short for a 951 lamp, which you will need.
 

ORIGINAL: 944 man

The covers can be made by heating the plastic in an oven and then placing it on a metal lamp cover, then placing a pillowcase full of damp sand on the top and allowing to cool.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much how I made mine (I put metal lamp cover, polycarbonate and pillowcase full of sand in oven, heated carefully and then removed to cool) and yep it took several attempts (with a fresh piece of plastic each time) to get two decent ones! - not sure that I would bother again...

IMG_4185_zps2841ef27.jpg


IMG_4191_zps6fa6a721.jpg


Mick
 
Did you cut the acrylic to pattern first Mick? I made a paper template from a metal cover and allowed a little extra length for fettling.

I would be interested to hear which thickness of material you used and how you cut it.
 
My biggest issue with the kit talked about is their claim for the weight of the original lights, motor and bar is out by more than a factor of 2. Its only something like 7kg or so for the whole lot, I know this as I have taken it all on and off twice (a real pain and weighed twice to reconfirm the hilarious claims for how much it all weighs) so you have to seriously ask is all that time cost and grief really worth it to save a handful of Kg.

If one is serious about track use you can always get a fibreglass badge panel that gets rid of the lights completely, its road legal if day time running only. On a related note I when I did drive my car on the road it still had the pop up lights and I drove home once from Silverstone using only the MSA required running lights in the front bumper (Ring driving lamps, £25 from Halfords used on pretty much all racing 944s). These kick out more than enough light for driving at dusk and are great for winding up nobbers who like to flash at you for driving with the fogs on.
 
Simon - I used 2mm UV-resistant polycarbonate which I cut to size before moulding - I tried to keep the plastic the same size as the metal lamp cover to avoid any 'overspill' when the plastic became flexible. To cut it I used a dremel with a small cutting wheel to rough it in and then finished-off using a file - this took quite a while so my patience was wearing thin as a cocked-up moulding several times! (the trick I learnt is to get the oven temperature and time in oven spot on, and to get it right first time - multiple attempts create air bubbles and a rippled finish!). I'm pleased with the result but it was a lot of hassle (and we haven't even mentioned moulding the fibreglass buckets....)

Neil - a few years before my ownership my car had a 'daytime only' MOT due to lack of headlights but I wanted a car I could drive home after dark - I didn't think of replacing the main beam units in the bumper with full headlights (side / dip / main) - it would have been an easier solution!

Mick
 
Similar to my experience Mick, except that I used acrylic. I have a Dremel cutting bit which resembles a drill bit, but it isn't as easy to use as they would have you believe...

What temperature and time did you settle on for 2mm polycarbonate?
Did you use a 924 sized lamp cover or did you use a 951 type (924 mostly similar with the swage in the same place - only the nose differs)?
How did you fix the polycarbonate to the car? I was thinking about including tabs on the next ones, but they'll be difficult to bend.
 
Simon - the temperature / time took a bit of trial and error - I did a bit of online research to get an idea of the process (in particular that polycarbonate needs to be 'dried' first to remove trapped moisture and reduce risk of bubbles) - the temperature for forming was around 180C IIRC - the plastic took about 10 mins to take on the shape of the metal light cover. The link below gives some useful info on working with polycarbonate:

http://www.plasticsmachining.com/magazine/199609/polycarbonate.html

My car has 924 sized headlights. I fixed the polycarbonate cover to the bucket using button-head allen bolts, with nyloc nuts bonded onto the reverse side of the edge lip of the bucket:

IMG_4412_zps4ce248d9.jpg


A lot of man-hours went into these headlights!!

Mick
 
Those look good Mick.
I think the bumper is too low for legal headlight placement, so not ideal.

I seem to recall in the early days of conversions Metro headlights were used, they are probably getting hard to find now!
Tony
 
Tony - thanks - finding headlight units was quite tricky - Metro ones were slightly too tall for my buckets, and I reckon that early Sirocco ones might fit but I couldn't find one to size-up. The units I went for came with a housing for mounting on roll bars of dumper trucks and similar but do the job!

Good point re height of bumper - I don't feel so bad about the labour of love now!

MIck
 
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