Front end help! 1968 small block convertible
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
Front end help! 1968 small block convertible
Today while driving my front passenger side headlight dipped an inch into the car. The driver side is flush with the hood and the headlight socket, but the passenger side is recessed an inch. When I popped the hood, I noticed there was a snapped support bracket attaching the assembly to the frame. On one side, the metal brace holding the headlights appears glued/bond'd to the fiberglass, but on the other side it was only being held up by this brace.
How is this headlight assembly normally held to the car? You can see little rivet holes throughout the metal where it looks like it's supposed to be attached. I'm guessing the previous owner smashed the front end and had Bubba put it back in place with the bracket on one end and bondo on the other. How is this assembly normally held to the vehicle?
This is the bracket that snapped. You're seeing the brace where it attached to the frame in front of the radiator.
This is the closed headlight from the front. You can see the holes in the metal where it looks like it should be attached to something, but it's not.
How is this headlight assembly normally held to the car? You can see little rivet holes throughout the metal where it looks like it's supposed to be attached. I'm guessing the previous owner smashed the front end and had Bubba put it back in place with the bracket on one end and bondo on the other. How is this assembly normally held to the vehicle?
This is the bracket that snapped. You're seeing the brace where it attached to the frame in front of the radiator.
This is the closed headlight from the front. You can see the holes in the metal where it looks like it should be attached to something, but it's not.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 780
Likes: 1
From: Shelby NC
My experience in the past means you have a task ahead. Remove both light assy's and remove the header bar clean real good and then resecure (bond) the header back to the surround panel. Someone on the forum who is currently in the resto business can direct you as to what materials are the best today.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
My experience in the past means you have a task ahead. Remove both light assy's and remove the header bar clean real good and then resecure (bond) the header back to the surround panel. Someone on the forum who is currently in the resto business can direct you as to what materials are the best today.
What's the surround panel you're referring to? The underside of the fiberglass front end? I'm assuming the header bar is the metal bracket that holds the lights, correct? That's currently bondo'd to the underside of the front clip on one side only (the body of the car in front of the headlights), and it looks like this snapped bracket was holding up the other end. Are you saying I should remove that bar, clean, bondo the whole thing to the body right in front of the headlights, and then remount the headlights? Did some searching and found a thread stating aluminum rivets usually hold it in place and that folks reattach it with bondo. If that's the case, what's the best way to break it free of the bondo on the one end without ripping anything off? I tried pulling it flush with the body and it feels like there's about a 1/2" to 1/4" gap between the bracket and the underside of the fiberglass, but you can see where the same brace used to be riveted to the fiberglass body.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
Can anyone recommend an epoxy to mount that headlight bracket to the underside of the body efficiently? Has anyone done a similar project that can offer some recommendations or advice? I'm going to have a buddy fabricate the rod that broke, which looks like it was holding it in place previously. That will get me back to where it was, but I'd still like to get it properly mounted to the underside of the body.
