Aside from using after-market lenses like those from MV, has anyone else tried to scratch-build or fix-up the in-box pieces?
I have had some success by drilling out the lense part of the light, painting it silver, than adding a drop of clear gloss to simulate the glass. Looks pretty good when done.
Has anyone else tried this or another method?

I've done similar, drilling out the headlight, paint the hole silver and dropping some Elmer's Glue in it. Only works for some types of headlights.

Hi!
Instead using the silver paint try to glue a piece of thin aluminum foil ( type used on kitchen) and for the lenses I use to heat form it using a piece of clear styrene plastic heated over a candle flame and formed against a back tip of a painting brush, let it cool and cut it until the desired size, the efect is terrific!
HTH
Cheers

another way i've made clear headlight lens, is to take the clear plastic that comes inside of the collar of a new shirt. then with a simple hole punch, you can punch out a clear round lens. and these punches come in a various sizes. Just another way to skin the cat. This doesn't work if you only wear tee-shirts! :-)

Hi Mrs Rufus Leeking!
That's my main source for clear plastic too!
And I also use this method, but it works if your headlight is flat, otherwise you have to try my recipe!
Cheers!

I have seen this done with taking the foil, shiny side out and using a swab to push the foil into the light housing. After forming, carefully remove the foil. Trim away the excess to leave the formed shape and push it into the light. White glue the lens in place. You can't see the creases in the foil and it looks pretty good.

Brilliant thought on the shirt collar plastic for lenses!

I use MV lenses but before I twigged on using them, like Paulo suggested, I used to hollow out the light fixture to get the right curved inner surface shape, then carefully form into the cavity a small piece of Ultra-Bright Bare Metal Foil. Bcause it's actually a very thin metal sheet and self adhesive, with care it can be 'persuaded' with a cotton bud to take on the shape and curve of the inner part of the light fixture. Once it's carefully trimmed, you can add the bulb inside with a piece of clear sprue if you like or just finish it off with the kit clear lens if there is one or a disc of clear acetate (that's the 'sirt collar' plastic). As an alternative, I've heated clear sprue against a candle flame until it forms a lens shape (very carefully mind you, it's kind of like glass blowing but in miniature....). Then you can carefully trim it off and glue that in place with some white glue or Kristal Klear.

This is what the effect generally looks like with a bit of bare metal foil inside and the kit clear lens. It catches the light just right:






Bob

Generally I hollow out the light, paint it silver inside and use hot glue to make the lenses. Here are some samples. I hope they help

Deck lights for the revell North Sea Trawler.



Searchlight on a 1/72 Vosper MTB



Searchlight on a Crusader.