bought covers for the headlights, but how @# to fix them?

[keesiev]

Hi, I bought new covers for my head lamps, as I had to replace the lamps for driving on the left side to driving on the right side of the road.
Thought it would be an easy job to do, but after a whole weekend of trying, fitting, breaking my arms, I still do not manage to fit the pods and the covers in such a way that they fit in a nice way, like the old ones did.
I tried the new covers without the pods and they seem to fit nicely, but when put together with the pods I keep having a big opening on the front. To big to fill with the sealand anyhow.
Is there a trick, method to do it right or is it just a matter of fitting 100 times and have some luck?

[TVR Beaver]

You may have to trim the covers to fit... how do they look against the old ones?... were these cut around the flange area at all?

[keesiev]

Old ones where cut. The funny thing however is, that the new covers do fit nicely when I hold them in place. But when I put them together with the pods, I obviously do something wrong and I do not seem to be able to fit the whole unit in nicely.

[TVR Beaver]

I would at least cut them the same as the old ones.. these are factory fit and cut to match the inside shape of your wing.. that due to the laying-up process of the glass fibre can vary quite a lot...
I'm assuming the actual shape is the same as the old ones?.... You can also use heat to flex / bend them a bit but don't go mad with the heat gun!

Edited by TVR Beaver on Monday 18th October 11:40

[Colin RedGriff]

There was an article on the old Griffith pages site about how to do this but I'm not sure that it is fully available on the new site www.tvrgriffith.com

try contacting Ballistic Bananna who owns the site (in his spare time). He may be able to send you a copy.

Regards

Colin

[keesiev]

Thanks for the info.
I'll contact ballistic banana, as the website is not really working properly. I checked before.
I think the main problem is the fitting of the cover to the bottom part (the pod?). That either deforms the covers or missplaces them in comparisson to the original position...

[Colin RedGriff]

Can you not reuse your old ones? If they fit then why go to the hassle of trying to make new ones fit?

They don't have any effect on the beam so I don't think you need different ones for lhd or rhd cars.

[Barreti]

I wrote an article for TheGriffithPages showing how to remove the headlight pods. I know I'll still have the pictures if they are any use, I'm not sure about the words I put around them but I'll have a look.

There is another article out there, or at least there was, because I used it when I took my headlights out.

Can't say I'm looking forward to it, but both my headlights are coming out (again) this winter.
Drivers side has popped off the sealant and the passenger side while I have another go at the dreaded heater.

[BliarOut]

Two tips, use Prussian Blue to fit or try aviation perspex hood polish to refurb your existing ones if you can't get the new ones right.

[keesiev]

Thanks for the tips... if I had known, what I know now, I probably would have reused the old ones. The were however a little damaged and had tiny cracks in it.

Photos would be of great help. It is a pitty the search engine on the forum does not work anymore. I have been looking for hours on this subject, but found not photos.

Cheers

[Hoover.]

Barreti said:

I have another go at the dreaded heater.

can you keep some piccies.... as you know what happens when I start pulling things to bits