How can I preserve these rubber light housings?

Just picked up a pair of relatively minty front-corner indicator housings for my Samurai.

These are made entirely of rubber and normally turn into a black goo with a crumbly outer crust and fall apart at around 15 years old. Any tips on how I might prevent this from happening? Maybe slather some RTV onto the back to reinforce it and seal away the stock rubber from one side?

Edit: Think I should put aluminum tape on the bulb side to make a better reflector?

Did the aluminum tape mod:

This should help to boost the normally dim glow of the lights.

Seems like ozone an UV rays are the two things that damage rubber...though I could be wrong. But I suppose your goal would be how to protect the housing from those two things. Plasti-dip maybe?

Make a silicone mold of each then just make new ones out of fiber reinforced silicone?

I'd be hard pressed myself to not replace them with led markers on a sammi.

oldopelguy wrote: Make a silicone mold of each then just make new ones out of fiber reinforced silicone?

I was just thinking about something like that this morning...good idea.

oldopelguy wrote: I'd be hard pressed myself to not replace them with led markers on a sammi.

You mean these?

http://www.trail-gear.com/led-lights

Maybe if they're a direct fit. But one of those is almost as much as I paid for two of these, and that's before shipping and duty.

I guess I wouldn't be too worried about direct fit on a Sammy. I'd be torn between a small chunk of aluminum with a 3/4" hole in it for the small round lights dell city sells and using a 2" panel punch or hole saw to make a perfectly round hole for a grometted 2" semi trailer light, also available from del city.

http://m.delcity.net/store/LED-Mini-Marker-Lights/p_797830

http://m.delcity.net/store/LED-Side-Marker-Lights/p_797820

I usually clean them first w/ citrus solvent and a nylon brush, then soak 'em in Armor All.

That was my fallback option, guess that's what I'll do.