The news about headlight covers was, perhaps, a little premature.

While we have indeed tracked down the original buck used to manufacture the acrylic headlight covers for the F2, and could soon be in a position to have a fresh batch made, the first quote we've received is not exactly attractive. In fact, it works out at £141 per set. To put this in perspective, the original price from Latham Sports Cars fifteen years ago was £85 per set, including VAT. The last time a batch was done, almost five years ago, the figure had risen to £117. In that context, perhaps £141 isn't so bad.

The basic reason for the high cost is that the headlight covers for the F2 are not as simple as they might be. They incorporate a series of compound curves, and because of the nature of the buck used to create them, cannot be made using the quicker and easier vacuum form method. Instead they have to be drape-formed, and each cover must be processed as many as five times to achieve the correct curvature. This means that every cover is fairly labour-intensive, and this is reflected in the price.

Having said all that, the more we order, the cheaper the unit cost will become. If you are not put off completely by the figures above and are looking for a replacement set - or never even had any - then get in touch as soon as possible and we will try to refine the quote. In the meantime, we are also trying to source an alternative manufacturer. If you have any suggestions, please contact the Register at The Register