Fitting New Headlights

[CMA]

I currently have the porsche outer bowl with sealed beams and they are so naff I can see better using a torch at night so I thought i would go for some nice Wipac Freeform halogens with a view to go to the nice new look with the perspex covers, so off I go and buythe lights, basket and chrome finishing ring.

I come to take off the existing lights and see an immidiate problem, the whole is too big and on the wrong angle to fit the lights like I was expecting, so if I did fit them they would be pointing at the sky.

So what I'm after is does anyone have any photos of a vertical fixing hole without a headlight in it and any advice how to turn my sloping hole into a vertical hole. (So it ends up like the headlights fitted to the J15 http://www.sylva.co.uk/j15.html )

I have no expierence with fibreglass or bodywork so I might have to pay someone to do it as I dont want to mess the car up or it might mean I have to ditch the idea and go back to using the Porsche units but with the halogens in

[kevp]

I guess your new lights come with a bowl. How much smaller is it than the revealed light aperture?

I think you will have to prop the bowl at the right position in the hole, (ally tabs). Then from the wheelarch, fill the gap with rolled up wet fibreglass. Leave overnight, remove taps & fill as required so the front looks neat.

To avoid wheel contact on the inside of the unit the Stylus manual (dont know about the current version posted on this site) suggested using a hot air gun/hair dryer to warm the bowl up then collapse it so the light just fitted. I have seen that Lotus cut a section out of the bowls & silkaflexed them back together. This may not be a requirement if the bowls are smaller.

Just Had a look at your lights. The units SVC sell look like they need a bowl. http://www.s-v-c.co.uk/prod/light-bowls.html

I think Rob had the Porsche style & changed to the newer twin light set up. So he may well have experienced your problem.

[CMA]

Thanks for the reply Kev,

My body shell has bowls already fitted to the back of the headlamp "holes" so when i ordered the lights I didnt order the full bowls that you linked but the half bowls so they provide points to fix and adjust the lights.

For now i have jnust replaced my sealed beams with the halogens and kept the porsche covers.

I guess my main problem is making the bodywork changes to get the lights to fit as I wanted, how do I chop and adjust what I have to get what I need (I know thats vague but no pics at the moment)

[MattD]

Hi

For my uncle's V8 Stylus build I made a mould from the porsche type shell (the metal duck-egg green bit which hold the lamp), with a wooden insert to form the vertical mount needed for the new plastic back shell.

Used this as the former for some GRP fibreglass, which was then bonded into the light aperture.

This was for a car that doesnt have the headlight bowls fitted, but already had some huge holes cut in the front light faces.

I'll take some pics of the mould & the end result (which is still in its rough state), so you get the idea.

Rgds
Matt

[hearbear]

I cut out the whole headlight area and formed new ones using discs which take the 7" headlight and cut these out to take the light bowl, http://www.skcc.co.uk/smf/index.php?page=page1321 there is a pic showing this, this was before the large hole was cut and the filler applied.

George

[CMA]

Thanks for the replys peeps.

Just found and had a read of the Build Manual on here and it looks like I need to make an insert like in this pic to hold the light.

Hmmm Might just leave it with the Porsche covers for now as my glassing skill is not good.

On a side note, how should the porsche bowls be fixed in place? Mine only seem to have one bolt at the bottom and nothing else holding it in.

[hearbear]

Thanks for the replys peeps.

Just found and had a read of the Build Manual on here and it looks like I need to make an insert like in this pic to hold the light.

I had those inserts but couldn't use them as the headlamps didn't fit into them so they were skipped.

[MattD]

Sorry, meant to reply earlier, but couldn't find the right lead for the camera !

Anyway... looks like we re-created what George binned !

Rgds, Matt

[MattD]

Just about to have a go at this conversion on mine

I'll be going for 5 3/4" lights rather than 7" though, in an effort to reduce the rear bowl size.

Will post a few pics along the way!

[MattD]

Made a start...

Uncle made me some inner surrounds off his Porsche/Beetle metal frame (as per previous post)

Took the old light unit out to see how I fitted it 10 years ago !
Will cut the old rear bowls off & bond in the new over the weekend.

My question is... how does the GRP meet under the light lens.
Looks straightforward enough
I presume I need to trim my painted surround back flush to meet the shape of lower semi-circle half.
ie - not leaving any outer overhanging edges. But what about the top half ?

As can be seen above the V8 body had oversized holes cut that needed a lot of back filling, but look good now they're painted purple , so I can easily copy the style. Just wondered if any one has done anything different or had some practical tips !

And.. If anyone is interested in a good pair of Porsche headlights, complete ready to go, send me a PM.

[MattD]

Hmmm Might just leave it with the Porsche covers for now as my glassing skill is not good.

On a side note, how should the porsche bowls be fixed in place? Mine only seem to have one bolt at the bottom and nothing else holding it in.

Mine have/had a fitting through the top of the headlight mounting edge (the hole at the top in the pics).
This was just an industrial racking item I found 2 of in the shed during build.
But you could copy it by welding a thick penny washer on the end of a bit of studding. The studding goes right through the GRP rim & rear bowl, with a nyloc/washer on the other end.

Basically, the top edge of the chrome rim hooks over the edge of the washer stopping the top of the headlight tilting forward. The bottom is held in place throught the normal bolt hole. Has been fine for 12 years

Alternatively - use the third universal tool (after the hammer & large screwdriver) - SIKAFLEX & bond them in..

[MattD]

OK, perhaps I was thinking too much

Should be relatively straigtforward swap, just a bit sticky

[MattD]

Now all done...

Cut off old inner shield, & remove all the GRP mat

Tape the premade mounts on, then bond in place all the way round

Smooth over all the gaps with filler

Fit the bowls & headlights

Test fit the lense covers