Chimaera lights front and back help needed

[paulskel]

Hi there,

Need to replace both front lights to fit Swedish MOT standards, basically need to change all light unit to face left. How do I remove the 1998 Chim front lights ?

Also need to change position of reverse light and fog lamp in rear light cluster, they are the individual ones so swapping them over will not be to difficult except. . .do I have to take off the plastic cover that covers the lights, and if so how do I do it with out breaking the plastic and how do I put it back?



Paul




Any pictures would be helpful thanks

[kevin63]

Bare with me on this, as it's 11years ago since I stripped the Chimeara down a little.

To access your front lights there is sometimes an access panel in the wheel arch, on your model I suspect there won't be one.
If there is no inspection panel then you will have to take the front grill off, then working through the front grill area you will have to put your arm in and up under the back of the lights, there then should be a couple of wing nuts. These wing nuts hold in the light bezel surround. Take the light surround off very carefully and this should give you full access to your lights.

The rears will be a little harder. The back of the light cluster is I think bonded in from the boot side, this could be easy or hard to remove depending how well it's been done. The other way would be to remove the Perspex glass cover, this I found was fairly easy to remove with the use of a Stanley Knife, putting it back on neat was a challenge.

[estutjaweh]

The pics here should help a bit:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Reach though front grill and undo the 2 butterfly nuts which hold the bezel on.
Cut through the chewing-gum tat at the top of the bezel.
Remove bezel.
Cut silkaflex back to remove lens revealing lamp adjustment screws (butterfly nut on rear of each - accessible from behind).
Hold new lens in position with gaffer tape temporarily whilst adjusting the lamp.
Glue lens in position with silkaflex.
Refit bezel with silkaflex and butterfly nuts.

Drink beer with appreciative look in eyes.
Go to MOT station.
Collect list of other issues.

Rear lights will be simply glued in with silkaflex from behind (remove boot carpet for access).

I don't think I've missed anything...?...

[phillpot]

estutjaweh said:

lamp adjustment screws (butterfly nut on rear of each - accessible from behind).

Hold new lens in position with gaffer tape temporarily whilst adjusting the lamp.

Unless you're very lucky (or Ed China) those screws/wingnuts will probably be siezed solid.

[paulskel]

Thanks everyone I will start the work tom now I have the info


Paul

[M@H]

Depending on how keen you are you could do a Lupo conversion instead as you'll have half of it apart anyway - you can buy the lights from Ebay AG for under £100 a pair that are for LHD.

[paulskel]

Wish I knew that yesterday already ordered lights will put them in tomorrow


Paul

[M@H]

...ah, sadly you joined PH a month too late - I was just remembering this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=10&...

Anyway - I trust your replacement goes well.

[paulskel]

All is going well at the front end and will fit new lights tom, problem is now the back, need to swap fog lamp to reverse light position and Visa versa. I have the individually light units at the back so this job started out OK, took plastic cover off slowly with sharp knife. Problem is how to take these lights out so I can swap them over, any suggestions??

[M@H]

The rear lights are fitted from the inside IIRC - and I'm not sure you'd even have had to remove the rear outer covers. Have you had all the carpet off the inside back of the boot. I am sure they are "stuck" in place from there.

[paulskel]

Have now finished back lights swapped the fog light withe reverse light which you must do when importing to Sweden. Was not difficult to do just time consuming take off the light covers.

Now I am waiting for the new head lights that I have ordered from a site in Germany.
The lights I have ordered are exactly the same as the standard Chimaera bosch lights but made for left hand drive cars. If anyone else is importing their car in to mainland Europe the French Tvr forum is very useful.

So hopefully this week will finish everything and then complete the registration into Sweden.

[pbaker43]

I brought a my Tiv in to France a couple of year’s ago got the LHD lens and light units from ‘Clever Trevor’ and the silkaflex (not silkaflex but similar used for boats) from Castorama.

The bezel’s were a PITA, all the threads were rusty and way too long after cutting too length, re-attaching the fixings with a 2 pack epoxy glue I copper greased all the threads. After I slid on some sheathing from electrical cable to stop the threads become clogged and drying out..

I never swapped the reversing or fog light, took the car to the test station passed first time, for me if it has passed one time the French can never say it does not comply (famous last words)..