D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained - Part 2 Custom Rear Cove & Taillights

[Bob Brandle]

D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained - Part 2 Custom Rear Cove & Taillights

As with Part 1 Side Windows Reshaping, the rear cove customization was intended to introduce a RepliMod version with a more modern look while still maintaining much of the heritage look.

Here is my completed Coupe.



I reviewed online views of many real existing and creative design proposals of Type 65 / Daytona Coupes.
Here, FFR Forum contributor VINMAN posted in the mid-2010s various rear end feature arrangement versions for the Gen 1 & Gen 2 Type 65 Coupes.




I also found interest in the taillights of these and similar cars.



I then Photoshop developed a number of rear cove layouts of my own using the FFR Prototype / 1st Show Car and chose my "go to" version on the left and below. At least this was on 2D Photoshop.



Here's the Photoshopped "Look" that I decided to try to implement.




To Be Continued

[Bob Brandle]

Continued - D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained - Part 2 Custom Rear Cove & Taillights

I chose the modern Round LED-Ring Taillights of GRP (Greg Racing Products) that were at the time purchasable aftermarket direct replacements for Lotus Elise, Exige and Evora model cars. They're GRP GT version 2 Taillights. They're offered in a few versions with white or yellow reverse lights and with or without reflectors, all built in, and can be bought as a pair of two units or in double pairs, which is what I bought. Here’s a comparison with the (2018) FFR supplied smaller round LED taillights.



Also, part of my custom rear cove was a centered license plate and one that would be inset (Frenched-In) and oriented vertically. I just happened to have an unused plastic front license plate mount from my Jeep Grand Cherokee that was both minimal in size and had nicely angled sides. Since I wanted to have a deeper inset than what just this mount provided, I created a wood mold to create a fiberglass piece. This mold was made with deeper sides but with the same angles and corners.

Here’s a few steps of the process to make a fiberglass mold and then from the mold the usable fiberglass license plate recess frame. The fiberglass frame was positioned on the rear cove and cut down to the desired recess and mounting.






Here’s a mockup of the GRP Taillight in one of the front fog lamp recesses, just to view the taillight in a “similar enough” top edge forward slanted surface with recessed hole.

For creating a fiberglass cup to hold the taillight, I was lucky to find the perfectly sized paint/epoxy mixing cups to act as molds. I layered the fiberglass mat and (Ester-Vinyl) resin to the outside of the cup so that the inside would be close to perfection smooth. Those were then cut to depth and at the desired angle. This took quite a bit of pre-fitting and measuring to get it right. Only one time to cut or else a new cup or cups would have to be molded. Got it correct for each cup, whew!





To Be Continued

[Bob Brandle]

Continued - D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained - Part 2 Custom Rear Cove & Taillights

Here’s location and laying out the exact locations of the cups on the rear cove slanted surface. The location and arrangements are personal choices. I desired to keep the historically correct (or as it appeared to me on most original Daytona Coupes) locations or “look” with a slight offset alignment. This was instead of aligned them vertically or horizontally.





As for the license plate recessed mount, on the centerline was my predetermined choice, but the vertical location was a personal choice and what I thought looked the most appropriate and balanced to me. Higher or lower could be choices other may choose.



A look of making the sausage with the inside of the body fiberglass mounting of these parts. In the finished car, this whole inside area would be coated in Black Upol-Raptor bedliner.
First look of some mounted taillights



There are just two threaded posts that mount each taillight to the body. This works in more precise Lotus bodywork. In the final mounting onto the Coupe, as needed, I decided that I would add washer spacers to each post and glued on spacers above and/or below to fine-tune the vertically & left/right alignment of the lights to shine straight back.



To Be Continued

[Bob Brandle]

Continued - D8YTONA Build Custom Features Explained - Part 2 Custom Rear Cove & Taillights

Final mounting onto the painted car, electrically tested, aligned and secured.




The recessed license plate mount has two rectangular LED lights mounted in the top surface of rectangular openings. They’re replacement license plate lamps for a Euro Ford Mondelo MK2. They were just perfect sizes and would mount to the rectangular opening I created. As it turned out, THEY’RE BRIGHT. So, I added covers to reduce the brightness and to reduce the angle of the lights that spilled onto the ground. Too much ground was being lite up.





Here’s some Rear Cove Completed Lighting overall lite up views.
Note that the crescent vents and ducktail rear spoiler still need completing to finish the rear.

[Bob Brandle]

I'll strongly add Many Thanks and Kudos to Jeff Miller / Jeff Miller Customs for his expertise in the final body prep. and painting of these custom fiberglass features so that they would turn out looking Factory Originated., which I believe they do.

[JimStone]

Amazing stuff. I love your tail lights. Wish they weren't quite so expensive or I'd be following your lead

[Jkviper]

Great job, looks terrific!

[GoDadGo]

Excellent Execution!
.Love The Concept!