3D Printing ‘78 Taillight Backing Plates

[Pre10der]

I know there are a few people with 3D printers on this forum. Has anyone modelled the original backing plates for the square Hella tail lamps that were fitted to the 78 Moke’s (and willing to share their model)? I’m going to give it a go if nobody else has given it a shot.

Ian

[Pre10der]

OK, so I have created the 3D model and its come out pretty good. I made it to take a standard hex head bolt instead of the square end bolt that is in the original back plates.



I have also printed the first prototype and its a nice fit. Printing prototype #2 now with some minor tweaks...the end product should work out well.

Ian

[Pre10der]

This is the first prototype. The final model will be closer aligned to the original with the appropriate rounding on certain faces etc.

[Terry]

Hi,

that looks good.

Did you buy up the remaining stock of lenses?

Terry

[Pre10der]

Nope

I just always wanted to put the real deal back on my Moke. Good used or old stock lenses aren’t too hard to come by, but good back plates certainly are.

The cheap $25 moke tail lights that are readily available just don’t do it for me.

This would also work for the HQ One Tonner which shares this tail light also (however they have ‘Holden’ embossed in the lens).

[Halfpint]

I think it looks great Ian, Top stuff.

Ironic that even the humble tail light backing plate for the MOKE has a smile incorporated on it 

[Canadian Moke]

Is this the same lamp holder that my 82 Moke would have had?  There is a 3D Printing, rapid prototyping business across road from my place.  I’ve often wondered if they could do the lenses for my 82.

[Pre10der]

It’s a good question - I am not sure. The earlier ones were different (much like the indicator lights on the front).

@Terry - what year models had these particular Hella tail lights fitted to them? I know the rear guards were formed to suit this particular tail light. One of the main reasons I am keen to get mine back on as it doesn’t look right without them.

[Pre10der]

This is the result. I'm pretty happy with it actually and fits like a glove.

The blue is just for prototyping, and original colour of these was a type of grey (see earlier photos). I think I will print the ones for my Moke in black.



Ian

[Canadian Moke]

Great work!  Those are the same lamps as my 82.  I have one that is original like the one you have done, and a smaller replacement that looks out of place.  Are you willing to send the print code over so I can see about getting one printed here? as The social distancing lifts I will ask the printers across the road about doing lenses.

Canadian Moke

[Samm]

Ian! Still lurking around mate- how cool are 3D printers. There are some clever people like yourself out there making some neat things.

Would be worth knocking up a couple of sets- not a huge amount of purists out there for the Moke tail lights nor the One Tonners to be fair but you never know!

Thanks
Samm

[Sharks]

We have been hoping to put the original Moke / HQ taillights on ours, but the backing plates were brittle and cracked when we removed them. Really glad to see that you've used your initiative to find a way around the issue! Well done.

[Terry]

Nope

I just always wanted to put the real deal back on my Moke. Good used or old stock lenses aren’t too hard to come by, but good back plates certainly are.

The cheap $25 moke tail lights that are readily available just don’t do it for me.

This would also work for the HQ One Tonner which shares this tail light also (however they have ‘Holden’ embossed in the lens).

I have quite few in Holden boxes and never noticed an embossed Holden in the lens. The only difference I see is the missing contact for the reverse lights, they have a dual and a single filament globe. Hella in Europe have a twin globe dual contact backing plate that is the same as the one fitted to Mokes with a slightly different lens but still the same shape.  They are/were used on some mining equipment if I recall correctly.

I think it is great what you are doing.

Terry

[Terry]

It’s a good question - I am not sure. The earlier ones were different (much like the indicator lights on the front).

@Terry - what year models had these particular Hella tail lights fitted to them? I know the rear guards were formed to suit this particular tail light. One of the main reasons I am keen to get mine back on as it doesn’t look right without them.

I think they first come into service on some models around 1977-78 until 1982, but as you mention the rear guard kick out is modified at the top to accommodate these lights but not necessarily all Moke used the square Hella variety.

Terry

[Terry]

Ian! Still lurking around mate- how cool are 3D printers. There are some clever people like yourself out there making some neat things.

Would be worth knocking up a couple of sets- not a huge amount of purists out there for the Moke tail lights nor the One Tonners to be fair but you never know!

Thanks
Samm

I would say there is a reasonable amount of people who would be interested in these backing, a lot more than a few sets at least. The last complete good set went for over $250 on eBay last year someone on here posted and I have had to remove quite a few because the backing plate crumbled but the lens were fine. A good lens was available retail for $35.00 a long time ago.

Terry