[C2] Headlight bucket gap
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 784
Likes: 228
From: Salt Lake City
I agree with what others have said that it is not that hard to fix if you have lots of free time. I bought a hand laid front end for my drivers quality car. It took 2 months of fitting to get the headlight buckets to fit well, but they do. These cars are big boy plastic model kits. You can cut them apart and glue them back together. It is not expensive, but takes lots of time.
That said, if they did that crappy of a job on the headlight, what did they do to the rest of the car?
I think purchase decision depends a lot on your expectations. Lots of people on the forum have incredible cars that are better than GM ever produced. You could not make this car good enough to meet their standards. I just wanted a fun car to drive that wouldn't make me worry about where and when I drove or parked it. I specifically did not want perfect.
That said, if they did that crappy of a job on the headlight, what did they do to the rest of the car?
I think purchase decision depends a lot on your expectations. Lots of people on the forum have incredible cars that are better than GM ever produced. You could not make this car good enough to meet their standards. I just wanted a fun car to drive that wouldn't make me worry about where and when I drove or parked it. I specifically did not want perfect.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,721
Likes: 3,706
From: Central Arkansas
I’ve been preaching this for years. Just follow a few simple rules for surface preparation and the use of fiberglass and resin and what looks horrific damage originally can be sculpted back to perfection. And the plastic model analogy, particularly considering these full size plastic models are originally built of dozens of panel pieces glued (bonded) together, goes a long way towards explaining why anyone looking for perfect side-to-side symmetry and panel fit and gaps in these cars is going to be disappointed.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 331
From: Indy Indiana
i fought a gap that was too close.. turns out that the lower front bar of the clip.. under the grill.. had been split apart and glued back together too close.. pulling the side running lights too close. squeezing the headlight bucket gaps too close.
looking at the assembly manual, I saw that the space between them should be 60 inches.. they were 59 something.. same might be for you the opposite.. your distance is too far, opening up your gaps. set your distance correctly.
you can grind out, or build up your gaps with VPA or exoxy/fiberglass.. it is tedious work but rewarding.. my gaps are great..
this is all work that will exist for the car somewhere in the body work details.. headlight gaps, door and hood gaps, shimming needs.. setting the doors, rear exhaust panel... all of this is common and tedious part of the work to get your body straight before you even apply primer, let alone paint.
and is the price basis of most of the paint shop's charge.
i would rather work on it myself instead of the car sitting in a body shop for a year with the charges piling up for a year and causing my hair to get more gray.
and do it as well as the factory did it.. which isn't really that good... getting that small extra amount of perfection requires an exponential greater amount of work..
looking at the assembly manual, I saw that the space between them should be 60 inches.. they were 59 something.. same might be for you the opposite.. your distance is too far, opening up your gaps. set your distance correctly.
you can grind out, or build up your gaps with VPA or exoxy/fiberglass.. it is tedious work but rewarding.. my gaps are great..
this is all work that will exist for the car somewhere in the body work details.. headlight gaps, door and hood gaps, shimming needs.. setting the doors, rear exhaust panel... all of this is common and tedious part of the work to get your body straight before you even apply primer, let alone paint.
and is the price basis of most of the paint shop's charge.
i would rather work on it myself instead of the car sitting in a body shop for a year with the charges piling up for a year and causing my hair to get more gray.
and do it as well as the factory did it.. which isn't really that good... getting that small extra amount of perfection requires an exponential greater amount of work..
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,200
Likes: 4,187
From: Kannapolis NC
i fought a gap that was too close.. turns out that the lower front bar of the clip.. under the grill.. had been split apart and glued back together too close.. pulling the side running lights too close. squeezing the headlight bucket gaps too close.
looking at the assembly manual, I saw that the space between them should be 60 inches.. they were 59 something.. same might be for you the opposite.. your distance is too far, opening up your gaps. set your distance correctly.
you can grind out, or build up your gaps with VPA or exoxy/fiberglass.. it is tedious work but rewarding.. my gaps are great..
this is all work that will exist for the car somewhere in the body work details.. headlight gaps, door and hood gaps, shimming needs.. setting the doors, rear exhaust panel... all of this is common and tedious part of the work to get your body straight before you even apply primer, let alone paint.
and is the price basis of most of the paint shop's charge.
i would rather work on it myself instead of the car sitting in a body shop for a year with the charges piling up for a year and causing my hair to get more gray.
and do it as well as the factory did it.. which isn't really that good... getting that small extra amount of perfection requires an exponential greater amount of work..
looking at the assembly manual, I saw that the space between them should be 60 inches.. they were 59 something.. same might be for you the opposite.. your distance is too far, opening up your gaps. set your distance correctly.
you can grind out, or build up your gaps with VPA or exoxy/fiberglass.. it is tedious work but rewarding.. my gaps are great..
this is all work that will exist for the car somewhere in the body work details.. headlight gaps, door and hood gaps, shimming needs.. setting the doors, rear exhaust panel... all of this is common and tedious part of the work to get your body straight before you even apply primer, let alone paint.
and is the price basis of most of the paint shop's charge.
i would rather work on it myself instead of the car sitting in a body shop for a year with the charges piling up for a year and causing my hair to get more gray.
and do it as well as the factory did it.. which isn't really that good... getting that small extra amount of perfection requires an exponential greater amount of work..
