The Headlamp Saga
Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:21 pm
Right, I've been sorting out my headlights, trying to get a more professional finish in the headlight buckets using texture coat. When we last left the action, this is where I had got to...
Once I had got the surface nice and smooth, I put on some etch primer and then shot texture coat over the inside of the bucket. I top coated it as well but the finish was to spikey, which caught on the cloth fibres when I tried to clean it. So I had to smooth off the rough edges with some fine wet’n’dry before top-coating again.
After a bit of a clean-up, the lights went back in…
You can see the 6mm OD/4mm ID brass inserts that I used to locate the headlamp covers, plus the black Nylon countersunk screws that I am using to fix the covers in place. I think I will need these as the combined heating effect from the lights causes the covers to expand on the inside, curling up and potentially debonding any adhesive. Keeping everything black looks reasonably unobtrusive…
...Drivers side with the cover in place.
Gratuitous shot. You wouldn’t think the bodywork is covered in overspray would you?
The edges of the headlamp covers were roughed up on the inside and then windscreen bonding body primer was applied to black them out. As you can see, they keep the lights well shaded, almost like a tint, but the polycarbonate is clear…
Main beams on. I’ve wired the headlamps so that the dips stay on at the same time.
More progress coming soon!
Lauren
Once I had got the surface nice and smooth, I put on some etch primer and then shot texture coat over the inside of the bucket. I top coated it as well but the finish was to spikey, which caught on the cloth fibres when I tried to clean it. So I had to smooth off the rough edges with some fine wet’n’dry before top-coating again.
After a bit of a clean-up, the lights went back in…
You can see the 6mm OD/4mm ID brass inserts that I used to locate the headlamp covers, plus the black Nylon countersunk screws that I am using to fix the covers in place. I think I will need these as the combined heating effect from the lights causes the covers to expand on the inside, curling up and potentially debonding any adhesive. Keeping everything black looks reasonably unobtrusive…
...Drivers side with the cover in place.
Gratuitous shot. You wouldn’t think the bodywork is covered in overspray would you?
The edges of the headlamp covers were roughed up on the inside and then windscreen bonding body primer was applied to black them out. As you can see, they keep the lights well shaded, almost like a tint, but the polycarbonate is clear…
Main beams on. I’ve wired the headlamps so that the dips stay on at the same time.
More progress coming soon!
Lauren
