I've got some T3 style tail light lenses that are missing the rectangular reflectors. I think they weren't glued in very well and fell out.
Fixing stuff is a game to me. Yes, replacement lenses are available for thirty or forty bucks. But I'd like to fix these if I can. They work as is, but they're not right. So I've looked into solutions like finding junk lenses I can scavenge the reflectors from, 3D printing replacements or making something from scratch.
So far, I haven't found any junkers so I'm kinda losing hope on that approach.
I looked into 3D printing and the technology isn't really up to a quality duplicate at this point. They're not clear or have the same look. Not even close. At least, that's what I've found in the research I've done. If you know different, please let me know.
I'm thinking it might be possible to reproduce the part with all the little pyramid bumps and then enclose that in some 1/8" clear red acrylic sheet. Seems like a lot of work though. But I might try it one time depending on how the pyramid part turns out. I've got a friend who has 3D printers.
As far as I can tell, the only way to really reproduce tail light lenses and parts is with injection molding or the use of silicone molds, vacuum chamber, using the proper (expensive) resin and then baking under pressure for an hour. Not at all cheap or suited for one-off or just a few examples.
When time and expense are factored in, the economical solution is buying a new tail light. Not the answer I was looking for. :-)
