How to Fix a Broken Headlamp – Brett Hit a Deer with Fannie the Fleetwood

So I have had Fannie the Fleetwood for.... uh... 2 months.  And it's already wrecked.  Thanks deer.  People keep asking me... is the deer okay?  Since I didn't stop after hitting the deer I'm not exactly sure.  If you would like some advice on how to fix your headlight in the event of a deer collision.  I can help.

Stage setter ---> Highway 66 in Indiana, 60mph limit (I'm doing 63 or 64), dark, five thousand pound Cadillac, deer... not good.

I only saw it for a brief half second.  As soon as I did, my girlfriend Jessica gasped and I decided to retort a profane phrase that cannot be released at this time.

Instinct kicked in.  It is truly amazing how quickly the human body can react to things like this.  BRAKE PEDAL.... Plus a minor lane change swerve.

The first lesson we have here isn't about mending headlamps.  It is in fact... DON'T SWERVE FROM A DEER.  It can be catastrophic.  However, if I hadn't changed lanes in a dramatic fashion then my car would be way worse off than it is now.

One of my favorite quotes.

If you ever miss one it's because the bullet is moving too fast.  Slow the bullet down to 55 miles per hour, put some headlights and a little horn on it... the deer will actually jump in front of the bullet.
Ron White.

Couldn't have said it better myself Ronnie.  Why on EARTH do deer think it is necessary to jump out in front of cars?  The one I hit actually had some sense joggling around in it's head because it ATTEMPTED... I'll say it again.  ATTEMPTED.  To turn around and go the other direction but it was too late.

Like I said, I was heading East in the mid 60's and when I saw this doe I slammed on the brakes.  People slam on brakes for red lights or a turn that they missed but I... SLAMMED, on these brakes.  I wouldn't be surprised if my brake rotors were glowing red hot after this episode.  I SLAMMED on those things.  The swer... I mean dramatic lane changing was handled well by my Yokohamas.

Sympathy for the deer.

Bills, Bills, Bills.  Here's another bill, pay this bill, electric, insurance, phone, gas, plumbing, trash, internet, rent, petrol and food.... I don't have time to hit a deer.  Nor does anyone in the world.  But it happens and that is life.

So why don't we get down to the reason I brought you here in the first place.  Fixing a headlight so your car is legal to drive... for heavens sake.

Here is Fannie pre-surgery.  I have glass headlamps and if a deer slams into it then it breaks all over the place.  God bless the person that was behind me because he was squirreling around as much as I was on 66 East.  Also if you hit a deer like I did then your fender gets HAMMERED on and it costs a trillion dollars to fix. Give or take a few dollars.

Uh...yea.

Now lets get down to the fix.  I realized that this thing isn't going to get fixed immediately so I have to improvise for the time being.  Using the word "improvise" I mean buying two pieces of plexiglass and having a little art class moment.

Cut the plexi to fit the frame of the headlamp body, poxy resin, and duct tape... a lot of it.

Honestly I think that Cadillac should give me a design award.

I sent a picture to my friends saying "you can't even tell"... they said... "yeah you can't even tell, except for the part where it looks like where you hit a deer."  Well gee.

Ingredients for a new headlight

2 pieces of PlexiGlass - $4.00

Duct Tape - Shouldn't you already have some?

Razor: Should have those too.

Time:  This isn't some automatic computer stuff.  You have to work.

So once the plexi is cut and the duct tape is fitted you have yourself a piece of art that looked basically the same way it did before you had a collision with something you didn't want to have a collision with... except for the part where you had a collision with something you didn't want to have a collision with.   It's science.

Finished Product... Check it out.