TR6 Headlight size

[Tybalt]

Looks good!

 

[Healey Nut]

I’m going to try butt welding a second one but then add a bridge stiffener on the inside . The first one I trimmed off the edges on one side and just bent and overlapped the bridge piece inside and it tends to create a slight peak in the circumference so it’s not truly round .
I will, juse tack solder the edges then add an inside bridge piece and fully silver solder it all and see if it gives me a better more rounded joint .The secret will be making sure the butt joint faces match exactly . So precision cutting filing/prep will be key .
More experimentation .
Stay tuned .

 

[Frank Canale]

Another approach would be to solder your backing piece to one side. Once cool you can do your alignment and the butt joint will be supported. This may make the alignment process easier. Can’t wait to see how it turns out, good luck. Frank

 

[Healey Nut]

So I tried again and 2 attempt with a reinforcement piece was a dismal failure . So back to the drawing board with number 3 . I spent lots of time preparing the joint and decided to go with a butt joint no reinforcement to keep the amount of brazing and heat/warping down .
I impressed myself , this one is good enough for me if my chrome guy says it can be chromed .
now I need to dig around in the spare parts boxes and see if I have a 4th I can do as well .
If this works out they will for sure be expensive trim rings but I will be happy .

 

[Healey Nut]

Update .
headlight buckets retainer rings and light units all finally arrived from the UK .
It looks like my ideas may work . I may have to cut and further reduce my original 7” trim rings a little bit more and also use a second lamp retainer ring as a filler piece so you can’t see into the unit around the edge of the actual glass lamp section
I have some old 7” lamp retainer rings that I plan on reducing in diameter and together with the reduced trim rings it should all work together to achieve the desired look .
Not going to be cheap and my chrome guy will be happy with the extra work , no one said restoring these old girls was ever going to be easy or cheap .

 

[Frank Canale]

Or fast. Frank

 

[Healey Nut]

• #20

So I decided to have another play with the parts while I’m waiting on some more stuff from AutoFarm to continue with the car build .
I had to reduce the main outer trim ring a bit more , I also used a 7” headlight unit retainer ring which I reduced in diameter to fit around the 5 3/4” headlight . It acts as a filler ring so you can’t see the gap between the headlight and the main trim ring .
some more tweaking to get the shape a bit more exact but I’m generally pleased with the results so far .
What do you think .

 

[Frank Canale]

Absolutely beautiful !!! Excellent fabrication, great to see you stick with it to get the lights looking just right, way to go. Frank

 

[Healey Nut]

So here they are finally assembled and mounted . The trim rings still need some final tweaks and fitting before going for rechroming but my rally look is coming along nicely .

 

[Healey Nut]

Finally got my you know what in gear and took all my parts for rechrome in today . The guy told me he should have no problem just dressing up what I did to them and chroming them .
Now I just wait for the sticker shock for the estimate .
Grill surround ,eyebrow , windsheild frame , hard top latches ,gearshift , trim rings and retainers , going to be expensive I bet .

 

[Healey Nut]

Well look what I managed to find …….
I contacted a guy in the UK who restored an Austin Atlantic who I found by chance on Twitter .
He had some of the original Lucas pinch ring trim rings in his attic .
Cost me a small fortune including an arm and leg but they arrived and are .
Now I have a choice , do I go with the self fabricated ones or the Lucas originals .

PS , the Tri-Carb is at the paint shop now .

 

[Tybalt]

Other than the hole in your bankbook and the missing appendages, looks like you made out OK on this. Just out of curiosity, did these headlamp doors come in Lucas boxes and if so, what is the part number?

 

[mezy]

look for a landrover part, these are standard Lucas headlights as fitted to most old cars, I should imagine they would be readily available in the US, they are advertised in the UK on ebay

ebay number 282518937059

 

[Healey Nut]

Lucas 552822 , original boxes etc . They are stunning

 

[Tybalt]

Lucas 552822 , original boxes etc . They are stunning

That confirms what we discussed on the previous page. I'm not going to try and bamboozle you saying this has been keeping me up at night, but will say it crosses my mind periodically and wondering about it being resolved.

 

[Healey Nut]

So now I have choices , here are my custom made by me headlight trim rings . .
they are not such ratchets they are my greasy finger marks from unpacking them .
Can’t even see the join .

 

[Healey Nut]

For those interested in how this ended here’s the front of the car with the headlights and rally lights all done . At the moment the rally lights have the made by me modified Healey trim rings on .
Im trying to obtain a pair of three adjuster 5 3/4” headlight buckets so I can use the “rare as hens teeth” pinch ring trims I got from the guy in the UK .

 

[Healey Nut]

So just to update this , after a lot of searching and considerable $$$ spent I ended up finding dry rare original Lucas pinch ring trims and retainers and original Lucas headlight buckets and here they are all done .
So hens teeth can actually be found if you look hard enough .

 

[Tybalt]

Glad you were able to chase down the headlamp buckets and the pinch trim rings/headlamp doors. It looks very nice, hopefully the hen doesn't miss those teeth.