Where can I get the prismed lens material? I need a piece about 46" long and 1" wide or so. I bought an old 80's ford tailgate panel and the lens looked good until I cleaned it up, then the cracks showed up. I would prefer new. Thanks ahead of time.

That's a reflector, not a tail light. You'll be way ahead of the game by simply buying a repop.
They're easy to find.

(That's the advantage the Ford guys have over us. )

There is no re-pop. This is for a custom job. Where do the big name car crafters get the material for their one-off creations? I don't need anything curved or complex, just a straight flat piece.

There is a repop for that truck.Its 699.00 from LMC truck.There was a guy on my local craigslist selling a ton of tailgates.Those with that panel are hard to find in good condition.I dont know where to buy such a thing,but even the custom guys have to start with something that is MADE for something,then THEY modify it.

No, the lens is NOT for my Bronco, lol. I am making a custom panel for another car and will run LEDs behind it. I need the piece to be 46" long to fill in the slit opening. I've seen pieces of the stuff in 12" length and 18" length on custom made aluminum LED turn signals and stuff for the hot rod world, but all I need is the taillight lens material. I could probably just use red tinted Lexan or Plexiglass, but would rather have something like the OEMs use that would be more durable and also match the color of my taillights also.

Not trying to be a wiseazz but you did ask:

Lenses are normally made of Polymethylmetacrylate.
It's part of the acrylic family.
Look in the Yellow Pagees. You have to buy it from a Plastics distributer. They usually don't sell retail but they usually will pull a pc. out of the trash for you if they have it. How do I know. Family member has been in the Plastics industy for 30 years. An no, she doesn't have any laying around. I asked.

Quote:

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Lenses are normally made of Polymethylmetacrylate.
It's part of the acrylic family.

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Yep, Acrylic based for sure. Most of it is not offered in anything but pelletized form (primarily used in plastics injection molding) especially in custom colors, or in small quantities. Acrylic resin is one of the more expensive resins, example, it may cost $5-$7.00 a pound in pellet form while common lower cost materials like PVC, ABS, PET, etc. are typically under $1.00 a pound.