ShawnOk

iTrader: (1)

Hey team,
So as many of you might know, I'm really craving some clear bumper mounted sided marker lights for The Lex and I'm not ready to pay $1000 for a full set of them from Clear Corners. So I decided to find a new, solid way to do them. I know there's a DIY on this forum for the SC300/400 but I don't want to go and destroy my current marker lights to do it. Better safe then sorry. There's been a lot of news lately about 3D printing, and so I thought I would contact a couple of companies and see what can be done about making these specifically for our SC430s. I'm in the process of having a 3D rendering done. Currently the companies I've contact are estimating them at a fraction of the cost when compared to Clear Corners. Unfortunately, I have eat the cost of the rendering but once it's completed it will never have to be rendered again. I will keep this thread updated as things come together. Also, if anyone is interested in a pair of these once we have a finished product, please let me know through this post and we can possibly work something out. Good talk, see ya out there.

mandyfig

Good luck to you. This seems to be a viable buy if the price is right.

ShawnOk

iTrader: (1)

Wow, I thought these would generate a little more interest. Preliminary estimate is about $300 for all four lamps in ABS plastic with clear nonreflective lenses. But the lenses can be sprayed with a 3M reflective product to add reflectivity.

bacardi11

iTrader: (1)

shawnok..
this is what I paid 850.00 for my led duel front markers and my led rear markers. its like I said to you. you get what you pay for. the markers you talk about are not the real thing. spend the extra 500 and have the real thing. my self and others spent the extra 500 and you can not go wrong. just my 02 cents

ShawnOk

iTrader: (1)

I understand where you're coming from and even if they cut me a deal for $850 for all 4, that's still ridiculous. I don't understand why one company owns the entire market on clear markers for our cars and asks $500/pair for some pressed plastic. Normal OEM markers are $60.35 retail from Sewell. Their asking price is a 4 fold markup. If some else is able to make them, then maybe they will place a more realistic cost on their product. Competition drives prices, right? That's just my two cents, also. IMHO, I would never spend or charge anyone anywhere near $500 on a pair. That's just pure greed and taking advantage of people in my book. So I feel that I've come up with a better solution then the hard reality of feeling like I got robbed on a deal as well as the eventual buyer's remorse that would follow. Whether they are the "real deal" or not, is a different conversation entirely. I'm not looking for the Gucci of side markers and as you stated I might just get what I paid for. I'm not made of money but I take advatnage of a good deal when I see one. ClearCorners is def a bad deal in my eyes. But for a fraction of the cost, I believe whole heartedly that the professionals that use 3D printers everyday will be able to come up with something that will make me happy. Fingers crossed.

bacardi11

iTrader: (1)

shawn
I understand what your saying. everyone put body kits on there cars I went with all clear corners lights. what I spent for all the lights would have cost me for a great body kit unpainted. so I look at it I have great looking lights. depends how you want to look at it.

jasone36

ShawnOK, I am very interested in this concept. I too have been wanting to get the clear corners but there is no way I'd pay what that site is asking. That is just crazy, even if they are super 'high quality'.

Please keep us updated on the progress, I am sure many others will be interested as well.

Thanks!

bacardi11

iTrader: (1)

jasone
crazy is only how you look at it. others guys here have them on there car to. i'm not the only one. I say it again you get what you pay for. if they are so easy to make I guess we all would have them.

pvong713

http://l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=2446 what about these? not sure if this is what you talking about.

ShawnOk

iTrader: (1)

Pvong, I actually contacted L-tunedparts about these 6 months ago and they said they are smaller than our bumper mounted lights. These are for the quarter panel behind the front wheels not for the bumper mounted side marker lights. They do look good though, I was thinking of adding them or something similar at a later date. Thanks though.

Bacardi, well I'm hoping this 3D modeling project will make them cheap enough for all the SC430 owners that want them to be able to afford them. Your's do look great, there's no comparison for the price but I'm hoping to make a quality product that will last and not cost even half as much as CC.

texsexlex

iTrader: (3)

...lol...well that answers my question...I was wondering if they were direct replacements for the bumpers

robertrios

iTrader: (11)

did anything come of this...I want clear corners, but still cant justify spending 1k on them. Just dropped 740 on headers, 340 on beatsonic, 750 on a pioneer head unit...now i need installs and I want to still do clear corners and maybe some fender vents....decisions decisions.

ShawnOk

iTrader: (1)

I just finished glossing them down today. They are not exactly as I imagined them, but I am happy with the results. They ended up being a three piece unit made of proper ABS plastic and they are flush mounted with the exact same dimensions as our OEM markers. They have true clear lenses as opposed to the frosted reflective plastic that clear corners uses, but this can easily be made with a 3M reflective spray paint. I did this purposely to see which look I prefer. I will post photos tomorrow after the paint cures and then photos after they are installed with the LED's that I bought to replace the halogen bulbs. Total cost with the bulbs came up to $200 + cost of the 3D mapping. We'll see what you all think after I post the photos.

robertrios

iTrader: (11)

Yea if it looks good, set me up with the company that made them for me man!

ShawnOk

iTrader: (1)

photos pre-install; one of four, Naturally housing can be done in any matching OEM color (I used color code matched spray paint and clear coat from AutoZone). As you can see one end is a little more "pointy." The new Gen2 3D maps have fixed this error, but I will give these a try with a test fit before requesting the new ones at no charge from the printer.