Headlamp reflectors
Discussion
Thought I'd share my headlamp restoration pictures. After deciding to get the originals refurbished after an MOT advisory I went with Silchrome in Leeds and they did a great job for £150+VAT. I could have gone for new LHD reflectors and re-drilled them but wanted to keep the original ones. A bit silly in some respects but I decided on the refurbishment route.
Before:
After:
Apparently, it's a silver electroplate they do and not chrome as I thought. The new reflectors have a slight yellow tinge as compared to chrome but the plating must be quite tough and thick as with all the manoeuvring I did to get them back in there were no scratches on the sides when I'd finished. I was just careful to wear gloves to avoid fingerprints on the bowls.
I'd also found the previous owner of my car had used 100/80W off road headlights (illegal?) to get more brightness out of the worn reflectors which must have stressed the wiring a bit.
Anyway, just with standard Philips headlight bulbs the headlights are now spot on. Another job done!
Before:
After:
Apparently, it's a silver electroplate they do and not chrome as I thought. The new reflectors have a slight yellow tinge as compared to chrome but the plating must be quite tough and thick as with all the manoeuvring I did to get them back in there were no scratches on the sides when I'd finished. I was just careful to wear gloves to avoid fingerprints on the bowls.
I'd also found the previous owner of my car had used 100/80W off road headlights (illegal?) to get more brightness out of the worn reflectors which must have stressed the wiring a bit.
Anyway, just with standard Philips headlight bulbs the headlights are now spot on. Another job done!
Nice job. I considered this on my last Chimaera but all the adjusters were seized up so I'd have had to pay to have them removed / replaced. I hardly ever drive my TVR in the dark so it was the MoT I feared, but the MoT tester seemed not bothered by the severe 'brownness' of the bowls.
I remember putting higher wattage bulbs in an old Lotus Excel because the lights were so poor. As you say, not the way! Just better quality would have done.
I remember putting higher wattage bulbs in an old Lotus Excel because the lights were so poor. As you say, not the way! Just better quality would have done.
Another endorsement for the re-silvering after mine were commented upon at MOT time - the lower half of the reflector bowls were quite scabby. I sent mine away to a guy called Keith Ardley who's based in Cambridgeshire - I'd picked up his details at a car show. Cost was £75 plus postage. What a difference it made.
To try to keep the damp off the back of the new shiny bowls I fashioned a silicon shroud for the back of the light - the idea was to create something like what modern cars have. I used two cheap 8 inch silicon cake baking pans, cut small holes for the electrical connectors and fitted them over the back of the reflectors - it also covers the ends of the adjusters. It's secure enough with the edge of the pan pushed onto the protruding fibreglass of the light pod. I meant to write up something properly for Sprint with pics - I'll put more on here is there's interest.
Eric
To try to keep the damp off the back of the new shiny bowls I fashioned a silicon shroud for the back of the light - the idea was to create something like what modern cars have. I used two cheap 8 inch silicon cake baking pans, cut small holes for the electrical connectors and fitted them over the back of the reflectors - it also covers the ends of the adjusters. It's secure enough with the edge of the pan pushed onto the protruding fibreglass of the light pod. I meant to write up something properly for Sprint with pics - I'll put more on here is there's interest.
Eric
In my opinion some sort of surface protection is essential or you will only ever repeat the short life of your original reflectors, the Chimaera headlight arrangement is not a sealed unit so moisture collecting on the reflector is inevitable!
This is accelerated because the bulb warms the reflector, as the reflector cools any moisture naturally present in the air all around it condenses and sits on the surface which is why the unprotected reflectors corrode so readily, you can never stop this as moisture travels suspended within air meaning there's very little point trying to seal up the back of TVR's multi-component headlight arrangement.
The UK is not a warm country and for 8 out of 12 months of the year level of moisture in the air is very high, our cool ambient temps and high humidity levels mean anything metal you warm up will condense water from the the atmosphere on it's cooling surface. To fight the problem a durable barrier is needed so back in 2014 I prepped two new reflectors by applying three coats of HB Body HS-496 2k clear coat.
Actually it was a five step process:
1. Intensive three step degrease using U-Pol System 20 panel prep
2. Three coats of HB Body HS-496 2k clear coat (1 day between each coat followed by a five day cure)
3. Polish clear coat - using Novus 2
4. Polish clear coat using - Mer Ultimate Shine Polish
5. Seal using two coats of Prima Epic synthetic wax (apply, leave 2 hours for polymer bond, buff off, x 2 applications on each reflector)
The nature of the Chimaera headlight design and our climate are such that you'll never eliminate moisture condensing on the reflector, so instead of trying to seal the un-sealable arrangement from water ingress and moisture in the air which is impossible you are way better off accepting it's a battle you'll never win and solving the issue by clear coating the reflectors to properly protect them from the effects of moisture.
I also bonded circular mirrors inside the bulb shields to make the setup more light efficient.
If you then use the latest technology LED H4s in your clear coated reflectors you'll enjoy amazing levels of light and Chimaera headlights that will last for many years without corroding, full details here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
New reflectors are expensive so restoring your originals is a good option if it can be done in a cost effective way, and as clear coating is the only way to protect their delicate surface it may be worth exploring the latest chrome wet paint systems rather than using a traditional hot dip electroplating process.
If I was doing this again I'd definitely be giving these people a call you see what they'd charge to 'chrome paint' and clear coat my original reflectors:
http://www.chromespray.co.uk/process/
The end result looks as reflective as genuine chrome and once sealed with a two pack clear coat it will almost certainly be way more durable than an electroplated chrome surface.
My coated reflectors now belong to a friend as in the end I converted to Mk3 faired headlights that use proper factory sealed headlight units from the German headlight giant Hella, this completely solves the corrosion issue for good and the Mk3 faired headlights improves the look of the car while not straying from originality as its what TVR did themselves with the Mk3 Chimaera.
It's not a cheap solution but the Mk3 headlight conversion is better on so many levels it's definitely worthy of consideration if you can afford it, if not clear coating the vulnerable reflectors is essential in my opinion or you'll just be repeating the short life of your unprotected originals.
This is accelerated because the bulb warms the reflector, as the reflector cools any moisture naturally present in the air all around it condenses and sits on the surface which is why the unprotected reflectors corrode so readily, you can never stop this as moisture travels suspended within air meaning there's very little point trying to seal up the back of TVR's multi-component headlight arrangement.
The UK is not a warm country and for 8 out of 12 months of the year level of moisture in the air is very high, our cool ambient temps and high humidity levels mean anything metal you warm up will condense water from the the atmosphere on it's cooling surface. To fight the problem a durable barrier is needed so back in 2014 I prepped two new reflectors by applying three coats of HB Body HS-496 2k clear coat.
Actually it was a five step process:
1. Intensive three step degrease using U-Pol System 20 panel prep
2. Three coats of HB Body HS-496 2k clear coat (1 day between each coat followed by a five day cure)
3. Polish clear coat - using Novus 2
4. Polish clear coat using - Mer Ultimate Shine Polish
5. Seal using two coats of Prima Epic synthetic wax (apply, leave 2 hours for polymer bond, buff off, x 2 applications on each reflector)
The nature of the Chimaera headlight design and our climate are such that you'll never eliminate moisture condensing on the reflector, so instead of trying to seal the un-sealable arrangement from water ingress and moisture in the air which is impossible you are way better off accepting it's a battle you'll never win and solving the issue by clear coating the reflectors to properly protect them from the effects of moisture.
I also bonded circular mirrors inside the bulb shields to make the setup more light efficient.
If you then use the latest technology LED H4s in your clear coated reflectors you'll enjoy amazing levels of light and Chimaera headlights that will last for many years without corroding, full details here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
New reflectors are expensive so restoring your originals is a good option if it can be done in a cost effective way, and as clear coating is the only way to protect their delicate surface it may be worth exploring the latest chrome wet paint systems rather than using a traditional hot dip electroplating process.
If I was doing this again I'd definitely be giving these people a call you see what they'd charge to 'chrome paint' and clear coat my original reflectors:
http://www.chromespray.co.uk/process/
The end result looks as reflective as genuine chrome and once sealed with a two pack clear coat it will almost certainly be way more durable than an electroplated chrome surface.
My coated reflectors now belong to a friend as in the end I converted to Mk3 faired headlights that use proper factory sealed headlight units from the German headlight giant Hella, this completely solves the corrosion issue for good and the Mk3 faired headlights improves the look of the car while not straying from originality as its what TVR did themselves with the Mk3 Chimaera.
It's not a cheap solution but the Mk3 headlight conversion is better on so many levels it's definitely worthy of consideration if you can afford it, if not clear coating the vulnerable reflectors is essential in my opinion or you'll just be repeating the short life of your unprotected originals.
Mine are at Silchrome at the moment, they quoted £75 +VAT the pair before I sent them??
So far I have sourced some of this to replace the rubber mounts as it seems to be job of many obsolete parts.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3mm-x-9mm-1-8-RETARD-VA...
In regards to bulbs I remember reading that 80/100W was the standard TVR fitment?
So far I have sourced some of this to replace the rubber mounts as it seems to be job of many obsolete parts.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3mm-x-9mm-1-8-RETARD-VA...
In regards to bulbs I remember reading that 80/100W was the standard TVR fitment?
dogbucket said:
Mine are at Silchrome at the moment, they quoted £75 +VAT the pair before I sent them??
So far I have sourced some of this to replace the rubber mounts as it seems to be job of many obsolete parts.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3mm-x-9mm-1-8-RETARD-VA...
In regards to bulbs I remember reading that 80/100W was the standard TVR fitment?
Standard is 60/55 watt as far as I am aware, The Ring ones I mentioned are 60/55So far I have sourced some of this to replace the rubber mounts as it seems to be job of many obsolete parts.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3mm-x-9mm-1-8-RETARD-VA...
In regards to bulbs I remember reading that 80/100W was the standard TVR fitment?
dogbucket said:
they look a bit dull/matt or is that just the photo?
They aren't as shiny as compared to a modern chrome type. I was a bit surprised at that but they do the trick. I also sent pictures to Silchrome beforehand to get an accurate quote so the prices must have gone up over the years.So long as the plating is thick and it last and lasts then I'm happy.
Dalamar said:
They aren't as shiny as compared to a modern chrome type. I was a bit surprised at that but they do the trick. I also sent pictures to Silchrome beforehand to get an accurate quote so the prices must have gone up over the years.
So long as the plating is thick and it last and lasts then I'm happy.
hmm, I am slightly worried now. I was expecting a new mirror like finish particularly if it costs double the original quote. So long as the plating is thick and it last and lasts then I'm happy.
By way of an update I got mine back and the finish is the same as the OP, but was charged the original quote of £75 + VAT for the pair. Coating looks fairly thick and I suspect directly onto the metal rather than having the brown base coat as per the original. Perhaps more durable I dont know.
I am sure they will be better than the car has ever been and with LED bulbs should be fine. I just want to get it back together so I can use it.
I am sure they will be better than the car has ever been and with LED bulbs should be fine. I just want to get it back together so I can use it.
Piece of piss its putting them back you have to be careful 
depending on how fussy you are of course 
i.e bonding the glass back Vs gaps around the painted surround inc possible repairs to its fasteners , really brighten up the front end after they are done did mine with new reflectors and lenses way back in 2007 they still look like this, a good solution to fading lamps on this thread 
depending on how fussy you are of course i.e bonding the glass back Vs gaps around the painted surround inc possible repairs to its fasteners , really brighten up the front end after they are done did mine with new reflectors and lenses way back in 2007 they still look like this, a good solution to fading lamps on this thread Edited by Sardonicus on Monday 13th May 13:42
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