# AFX Porsche 917 Windshield Removal



## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Hi Guys,
Bought a couple $2 bodies at the Allentown show last week. I picked up two Aurora Porsche 917s - one of which is in excellent shape but has a broken/missing headlight, the other has good headlights but I now notice the body is badly cracked.

So, I want to remove the good windshield/headlight assembly from the bad body and put it in the good body. Before I break something, can you give me any tips on the best way to remove that one piece windshield/headlight assembly?

Thanks...Joe


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## fuddmiester (Dec 26, 2003)

There are two little melted tabs/posts just ahead of each headlight on the inside I believe.... you have to beak off the melted part and CAREFULLY pry the headlight/window out


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

melted mounting posts can be carefully grinded(ground?) down with a moto tool and a fine grinding tip.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Like Al sez, 

I usually use the grinder carefully (quick touches... buzz let off buz let off buzz let off buzz let off) so you dont just continue to melt the plastic. A little patience goes a long ways. Than a blob of white goop (er whatever the color is) after the exchange and tickle it with a hot iron. Looks pretty factory after you do a few. 

Sometimes you can just pick around the s'melted part with a good pick and it will flake away-you do your glass exchange-AND if you've been a really good boy...there's enough stub left to re-s'melt with the iron.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Thanks guys.

The transplant surgery was successful. With an X-Acto knife I was able to scrap away enough of the glue/melted plastic from the little post which freed up the windshield. I then put the good windshield into the good body with a little glue on the post. Came out looking great. I don't think there's enough glue to make removal a problem in the future. May even pop out once I start to use the body.

Thanks...Joe


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## gobucks1a (Mar 5, 2011)

little different question...i have a 917 that is missing one of the headlights..any advice on how to fix?


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## plymouth71 (Dec 14, 2009)

You could try what I did... Make your own with your printer.


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

*Replacing Missing Headlight - Part I*

*UPDATE* - I had trouble with the epoxy in these headlights yellowing and darkening over the following years. If I were doing it again, I think I'd use clear polyester resin instead of epoxy, or light-curing clear plastic of the kind used for making fishing flies. If I _were_ to use epoxy, I'd be sure to use absolutely fresh-from-the-store slow-setting epoxy, and go on the light side when adding catalyst. *Details are here*. 
------------------------

*ORIGINAL POST -*

I can tell you how I did it. The pictures turned out very bad, though, so I'm only showing a couple of them. Most were very out of focus.

I started with two abused bodies. The white one had both headlights, the yellow body was missing the left one.










I turned over the white body and made a press-mold by pushing a big lump of oil-based modeling clay onto its left headlight.










I carefully removed the mold and placed it in the yellow body, trying to make sure that it was sealed to the body all around. Then I propped up the body with more clay, so that the headlight covers were sitting approximately level.










I mixed up some clear 5-minute Epoxy, going a little heavy on the hardener (catalyst) and dripped it off the mixing stick into the headlight opening, letting it fill until it was humped up slightly above the level of the body. When still liquid, it forms itself into a smooth even glossy surface. I adjusted the angle of the body so that the epoxy did not sag to the top or bottom of the hole.

As it cured, it formed a few dimples at the edges which I tried to pull out with a toothpick which had a bit of liquid epoxy on the tip. Early in the cure, this will smooth the epoxy out and make the dimple disappear. If you wait too late, the epoxy will be too stiff to relax back into an even surface and you'll get a plastic zit.

Since this body had the headlights with the big ugly dimple in the middle, I repeated the same process on the remaining headlight, filling the dimple until its shape matched the new headlight.

That's the basics of the process, but I made some mistakes and learned some things in the process. I will write about these in Part II tomorrow. Please wait to read them before trying to duplicate the process.

-- D


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

Now that you have it fixed,paint one like this!


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

philo426 said:


> Now that you have it fixed,paint one like this!


Not very likely, I'm afraid. Historical importance and Steve McQueen notwithstanding, I consider the Gulf-Porsche powder-blue-and-orange to be one of the ugliest racing liveries in the history of motorsport (prior to the NASCAR explosion-in-an-ad-agency styles, of course).

Besides, I have one already.

Cheers,
-- D


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

*Replacing Missing Headlight - Part II*

I finally got a decent photo of the Porsche with the replaced headlight (body at rear).










The other cars show types of AFX headlights, the flat ones (these have silver paint on the inside surface), and the dimpled ones. The dimples, I believe, are Aurora's attempt to catch the light from the central bulb and channel it forward.

I allowed the epoxy to build up into a kind of low rounded dome. This isn't accurate for the 917 headlight covers, which were flush with the fenders, but it offsets a flaw in the AFX body. The AFX headlights are flat ovals on the flat tops of the fenders, instead of curving with rounded fenders and coming partly around the sides, as the actual early 917s had.










When you look at an actual car, you see reflections in the headlight covers that clearly indicate curving shapes. My version may not be scale-accurate, but neither are Aurora's, and at normal racing distances mine shows curved-shape reflections and look at least as good as the original AFXs, (I think, better). If you disagree, just drip in a little less epoxy.

It's a bit difficult to get exactly the same shape to the headlights. I ended with one slightly higher than the other and had to file/sand it down a little, and apply a new top coat of epoxy to get the shine back.

I would like to do a more realistic 9i7, with better headlight shapes, now that I've tested the basic headlight techniques on a clunker. 










Razzfazz!! Out of time again!:freak: Well, wait for part III to see the problems and tips for the epoxy experiment. Sorry.

-- D


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I am very impressed with the results D!!! The epoxy lenses are, from my viewpoint, crystal clear! I'm always looking for stuff that carries light efficiently. I had high hopes for clear hot melt glue and was sadly disappointed. The red stuff I found worked so good. There are a number of car bodies that I sweated over the tail lights , only to find out the head lights were the bigger challenge. The 59 Chevy I did for Joez is a prime example, as the head lights came out horrible, while the tail lights came out sweet. If you can, when you get to part 3, can you point me in the right direction for this epoxy?


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

A high quality tute D!

Great technique. I'm seeing serious potential here...and always grateful to add something new to the bag of trix.


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

like Felix the cat?


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

It still rocks!


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## Rolls (Jan 1, 2010)

D, your epoxy headlight idea is excellent. 

Can't wait to see what you do in your efforts to improve on the ubiquitous AFX 917K body, which for some reason the AFX boys really took some liberties with. Mind you, I've seen it so many more times than genuine 917s that I've come to accept it as is, or maybe sort of a derivative of the 917. 

Your efforts to see what can be done to right things, with your artistic eye, are going to be really fun to follow. 

Really good stuff! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Rolls


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

*Replacing Missing Headlight - Part III*

*Lessons Learned and Tips 
for Making Headlight Lenses *

*Epoxy*
I used regular clear 5-minute Epoxy in the small tubes from the hardware store. The brand was Loctite Quick Set Epoxy, but that was just because I had some lying around. I haven't seen much difference between brands, so if all the store has is Devcon or something else, go ahead and gamble the $3.50. It will probably work fine for lenses, and if it doesn't, it's still handy around the house. (The stuff is also available these days in a double syringe for a couple of bucks more. They may be phasing out the small tubes.) 

*Making the Press Mold*
Oil-based modeling clay is cheap, and works, but has drawbacks as a moldmaking material. On my first try, it disintegrated when I pulled it off the pattern because I used too little. The solution is to use an enormous gob of the stuff







to give the mold structural integrity, and to give you a handle to pull it off in one piece. Rubbing the pattern first with vaseline or oil as a release agent, would have helped a lot - the clay was very sticky and left bits to be scrubbed out.

*Placing the Mold into the Recipient Body*
When my first pour of epoxy leaked out, I learned it is essential that the mold be sealed tightly to the body. Squish down the clay at all the edges, and look at it from every angle to see any daylight or gaps. Also, cover your work surface. Just in case.

*Oiling the Body*
Sounds like more fun than it is. I lightly coated the outside surfaces of the body around the headlights with Pam Cooking Spray (the traditional mold-release of the home caster). Oil discourages the epoxy from flowing out onto the body, and if it does, it will come off easily, even after it has hardened. Glad I did.

*Propping up the Body*
I did it wrong. I had more clay sitting around, so I used that to prop up the front. Once I dribbled in the epoxy, it started to run towards the back, so I adjusted the body angle by pushing the front down to squish the clay support. The squishing support pushed against the clay mold, already in place, and shifted it. Second pour of epoxy leaked out. Did I mention covering the work surface?

A better way is to prop the front on something solid that doesn't contact the clay mold, then place a wedge under the *back* of the body to level the headlight openings by raising and lowering the back.

*Dribbling*
_More_ fun than it sounds. Make sure you mix the epoxy well and thoroughly. Wipe off the mixing stick to get rid of any clinging unmixed resin. Then run it through the mixed epoxy and dribble epoxy into the headlight holes, adjusting the body angle if the epoxy wants to run in one direction or the other. Do one headlight at a time and wait until it has set to do the other.

*Checking for Dimples*
Once the epoxy has begun to set, so it's not liquid enough to flow easily by itself, pick the body up off the leveling props and stick it closely under a light bulb. Look at it from all angles to find any little dimples at the edges. Use a toothpick with a touch of epoxy on the tip to pull the main blob out to fill the dimple. You will have a very limited time to do this. Once it sets too far, it will not settle back, and you will have a little clear nib that will need filing off later. Reset the body on its props, and leave it about 15 minutes, before pouring the other headlight or doing anything else.
*Note* - after 15 minutes, the epoxy is set and seems hard, but it's easy to scratch. It will take 4 to 5 hours to cure fully. So - don't touch the first lens while fiddling with the second.

*Removing the Mold*
I did it wrong. I pulled off the clay too soon - right after the epoxy had set but before it had cured. The red clay left bits of itself all over the back of the casting. Alarmed, I scrubbed it out with naphtha (lighter fluid) and an old toothbrush. There was still a pink tone to the light coming through. I scrubbed more. Result - got out all the pink but the bristles scratched up the back of the epoxy casting until it looked frosted. I had to wipe a thin coat of newly mixed epoxy over it to get the smooth, clear surface back. Moral - wait until tomorrow to remove the clay mold.

*What I'll Do Differently Next Time*
- I'll ditch the clay. Too much trouble for the few cents it saves. I may try Alumilite's "synthetic" clay, advertised as being formulated for moldmaking (about 4 bucks a pound). Or may go all the way and use Alumilite's *Mold Making Putty*. It's a two-part silicone putty that you mix and press onto a pattern. It's $30 a pound, but that's only $18 with the 40%-off coupon at Hobby Lobby (which is where I got mine). I've used it to make simple molds, such as the motor detail on the 917 (missing on the yellow body also), the stacks on the AFX CanAm McLaren, drivers, Baja Bug light-bars, etc. It's quick and easy to use and releases cleanly from the pattern without any mold-release compound. However, I'd Vaseline the heck out of the mold before placing it in the recipient car, in order to goo-seal the mold to the fenders, so the epoxy won't leak out (I hope).

- I may not even make a back-mold at all. I wanted the back of the replacement headlight to have the same shape the original headlight on the other fender, so the light would come through it the same way and not look different. Now I'm thinking I'd rather poke out the remaining good headlight, tape small pieces of oiled cling-wrap or poly-bag over the holes on the _*outside*_ of the fenders, then pour a thin lens from behind. I hope to end up putting LEDs behind them anyway, and could use all the room back there that I can get.

There it is. The process is pretty easy, even though the first time was a comedy of errors. I suspect just about anyone who needs to replace a headlight lens can manage it. As long as you oil those fenders, even the worst screw-ups won't be permanent.

Good luck.:wave:

-- D


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Nice tutorial D, but we wouldn't expect any less from ya! :lol:

The clear I experimented with was a two part, and the mixing tube was part of the double syringe. I didn't have very good luck with it... Tons of bubbles in the part I attempted to "cast", it never fully cured and was sticky and soft for days after I poured.. no.. squirted.. hmm... injected it. To add to my frustration, since the mixing chamber was part of the injection system, while waiting for the results to come in, (and it seems the only place where it happened correctly) the epoxy hardened up in the mixing chamber, rendering the remaining epoxy in the syringe useless. 

I'll see if I can find a relatively fast curing 2 part clear that you have to mix the old fashioned way... That self mixing stuff is good for one shot... maybe two if you get a replacement mixing tube with the purchase and figure out how to put it on without the epoxy getting into it after replacement is made. What would be a good thing if it could be found ( at least for my use) would be a low cost, disposable syringe for injecting the stuff after mixing it. 

One other footnote. My dismal results might have been caused in part by what I used for the mold making material. As I recall, I used automotive silicone for the mold...which also didn't cure as I anticipated it would...  :lol:


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

*Thin-poured Headlight Casting*

Here's a headlight cover for AFX Ferrari 512 (the far fender) cast in place from a thin layer of Devcon 5-minute epoxy. A small piece cut from a poly bag was taped tightly over the opening, and epoxy drizzled from the inside of the body.










Some of the epoxy did escape onto the body; note the aberration at the lower corner. The inside surface of the cover was not flat on the first pour. Any detail inside the headlight nacelle will be too distorted to see. It's possible a second layer will even it out.

The final cover seems hard and strong enough to take the normal abuse of racing.

-- D


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

That's perfect D!! Crystal clear, and contour fitted... Way better than the original!! Wow!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Okay, I'm SOLD on this stuff!!! I'm going hunting for some on my next shopping trip. 

P.S. Food for thought.. The latest thing with LEDs are the SMD types. These go to micro sizes, about the same size as the resistors I'm using, or even smaller. They are flat mount, meaning they solder flat on a circuit board, with no prongs as found on a typical thru hole type LED. I've seen sizes as small as.... ready for this???... 1.4mm X 2.0mm.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Avago-Technologies/ASMT-TWBM-NT902/?qs=SKeH2zfWwUDKe45SEIJZfw==

What I'm thinking is taking a slim single sided copper clad board, and hand etching the circuit for either 2 or 4 of these LEDs with a small full wave bridge rectifier and an SMD capacitor and resistors. The board can be attached to the body, just ahead of the pick up shoes, and trimmed down to the barest minimum for weight concerns. As a bonus, I think one or two colored LEDs can be attached to the back of the body, or inside the cockpit ( in different colors so "your" car can be distinguished from the others in a low light race situation). This is just a mental exercise at this time, but it does kind of fit what I think you're looking for. 

The only other think I would suggest is making a thin base out of black styrene channel for a light blocker between the circuit board and the front of the body. The body would have to be either painted silver on at least the inside, or have some BMF so the whole nose of the car doesn't glow. It will pick up light from the edges of the body around the headlamp holes and transmit it through the surrounding plastic.


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

slotcarman12078 said:


> Nice tutorial D, but we wouldn't expect any less from ya! :lol:


Thanks, Joe,
And thanks to all the folks who made positive comments.



> The clear I experimented with was a two part, and the mixing tube was part of the double syringe. I didn't have very good luck with it... Tons of bubbles in the part I attempted to "cast", it never fully cured and was sticky and soft for days after I poured.. no.. squirted.. hmm... injected it. To add to my frustration, since the mixing chamber was part of the injection system, while waiting for the results to come in, (and it seems the only place where it happened correctly) the epoxy hardened up in the mixing chamber, rendering the remaining epoxy in the syringe useless.


I've only used the double-syringe once years ago. It seemed to work okay for me, but I generally use the two tubes.

I can't imagine why a manufacturer would make a mixing chamber as part of the syringe (unless it's just to force you to buy a new one every time you want to use epoxy. I don't see how the two parts could mix effectively in a chamber. 

Maybe that was the problem. If you were counting on the chamber to mix the parts, and so you didn't do the usual thorough mixing with a stick afterward, I can understand why the epoxy never cured well.

By the way, you needn't throw away the rest of the epoxy when the nozzle or tube plugs up. I just make a small cut in each tube body and squeeze the stuff out of there. When I'm finished, I put a piece of tape over the cuts. You could do the same by drilling holes in the plugged syringe bodies.



> I'll see if I can find a relatively fast curing 2 part clear that you have to mix the old fashioned way...


Yesterday I found a card of Devcon 5-Minute Epoxy in the small tubes at my local True Value Hardware. I tried it out and it works great. (My Loctite stuff was nearly gone, and it was very old. It took extra hardener to get it to set well, so I dumped it and got new Devcon).



> That self mixing stuff is good for one shot... maybe two if you get a replacement mixing tube with the purchase and figure out how to put it on without the epoxy getting into it after replacement is made. What would be a good thing if it could be found ( at least for my use) would be a low cost, disposable syringe for injecting the stuff after mixing it.


I think pharmacies carry "oral syringes" that are affordable. They don't have the metal point. I have several. They came from my vet when I needed to give my cat liquid medicine. 



> One other footnote. My dismal results might have been caused in part by what I used for the mold making material. As I recall, I used automotive silicone for the mold...which also didn't cure as I anticipated it would...  :lol:


Air-drying silicone for autos or household is inexpensive and handy, but it use can take a very long time to cure all the way through if it's in a lump (like a mold) instead of a thin bead or layer. The Alumilite Mold Making Silicone I mentioned is in two parts and cures all the way through in 15 minutes or so.

I think you need to give the clear 5-Minute Epoxy another chance. Get the tubes and mix them longer than you might think you need to. It's really pretty good stuff.

-- D


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

Hi, Joe.

Sorry for the delayed reply. I've been reshaping fenders, creating and poking out headlight covers, and testing LEDs for the AFX Ferrari and Porsche, as well as dealing with computer problems - my Mac laptop took a case-denting bang on the corner where the video card lives. I'm writing on a rat-rod Mac (parts machine) right now.



slotcarman12078 said:


> ... The latest thing with LEDs are the SMD types. ... They are flat mount, ... with no prongs ... I've seen sizes as small as ... 1.4mm X 2.0mm.


I've seen the surface-mount micro-LEDs, but I've never played with them. It appears that conventional 5mm and 3mm LEDs (after a bit of motortool modification) are going to serve well for the current project, but I ruined a fair number before finding the right mods. 



> What I'm thinking is taking a slim single sided copper clad board, and hand etching the circuit ... The board can be attached to the body, ... and trimmed down to the barest minimum ...


I have some special requirements and I'm taking an unorthodox approach with these cars, so the circuit board concept won't be as helpful for me as for you. I _have_ played with the idea of running strips of copper-foil tape along the insides of the body to minimize wires. But I think I'll end up soldering up a prefabbed wiring frame of very thin hard-brass wire for permanent mounting in the body. I want the chassis to be unmodified, if possible. 

When (or if) I have a lighted car performing well and reliably, I'll do a writeup with photos.



> ... The body would have to be either painted silver on at least the inside...


I've never had much luck with paint - silver or black or silver-over-black - for light-blocking. Aluminum foil is cheap and stops it all. If weight isn't important (as in buildings), duct tape is handy and works well, too.



> ... or have some BMF so the whole nose of the car doesn't glow. It will pick up light from the edges of the body around the headlamp holes and transmit it through the surrounding plastic.


Umm ... not sure I understand that bit. 



> ... LEDs can be attached to the back of the body, or inside the cockpit (in different colors so "your" car can be distinguished from the others in a low light race situation).


Neat idea, but - heck, line the body with tinfoil and hide the colored LED's inside so the car moves along over that spiffy little pool of color, like the street tuners do. 

Thanks for the comments and the compliments. Hope the 5-min epoxy works for what you need. :wave:

-- D


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I was digging through my storage bins and found my antique Devcon clear epoxy tubes, so I will be checking them out. It takes 2 hours to cure, so I guess I need to shop around for new stuff. :freak:

The BMF does seem to help; I've used it in my last 2 builds. I have been toying with the idea of colored LEDs on the car sides for a neon look. I just haven't tried them yet. Once I get past my driver's license hurdle at the end of the month I can do a little more R+D in that department. 

Snap on bodies have been a struggle for me as far as coming up with a way to transfer power from chassis to body. I toyed with copper tape myself, and didn't consider it durable enough. I also had my doubts I could get a good electrical connection through the snap mounts. What I hadn't considered though is a combination of copper tape in the body, and soldering braid on the chassis... hmmm.. Must give this more thought.. One other thing to consider.. Magnet wire ( from a dead armature ) might be a consideration for your framework instead of brass. It's lighter than brass, you need resistance in the circuit anyways so a few more ohms won't hurt, and it's self insulating. It can get squirrelly when you're working with it though.. :lol: 

Oh, and to explain this:


slotcarman12078 said:


> "... or have some BMF so the whole nose of the car doesn't glow. It will pick up light from the edges of the body around the headlamp holes and transmit it through the surrounding plastic."





Dslot said:


> "Umm ... not sure I understand that bit."



I'm anal about unwanted light. Light can leak from the head light lens into the surrounding plastic of the body through the edges of the head light holes. It probably wouldn't be much, but enough to bug me. The lighter the body color, the worse it can happen. If the body is painted, is usually eliminates most or all of it.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

It was decided long ago that there would be no "lame throwers" allowed on Joe's watch.


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Yeah!!! Unless that car is powered by flubber, that is!! :lol:


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