Headlamp bowl fittings

[gs.davies]

Rivets or nylon inserts and self tappers? Can’t remember for the life of me what was on my car when it came sort and the Somerford site seems to list both fittings?

[TECH396]

Nylon inserts and self tappers on my 68 originally.

[gs.davies]

I had another look at these last night; if I understand it right the headlamp bowls use the same nylon fitting as the control box. The control box fittings have three square piercings in the inner wing. On the headlamp bowls I just have four smaller round holes. Does this mean I should use rivets ? Or do I use the nylon fitting as a ‘nut’ and simply position it behind the wing (as opposed to the fitting being retained by the piercing in the wing as per the control box?)

[Peter Laidler]

Nylon inserts and self tappers ends any metal to metal contact of any sort. The nylon inserts hold the bowl away from the body by 1mm or so and the rust-inducing self tapper doesn't touch the bodywork either. Square off the holes to take the square shape of the plastic inserts before painting the area.

Pop rivets are just as bad. They crack the new paint and being an alum-alloy start to corrode the steel the day BEFORE you insert them!!!!!

[Herbert]

I found out the hard way, that if you use pop rivets on the later plastic bowls it cracks the bowl. Original plastic inserts dont fit in new wings In the end I used rivnuts. R

[6604KF]

Just fitted mine with plastic number plate bolts and nuts, works a treat!
not very original though!!

[gs.davies]

I found out the hard way, that if you use pop rivets on the later plastic bowls it cracks the bowl. Original plastic inserts dont fit in new wings In the end I used rivnuts. R

I quite like the rivnut idea though does this it introduce the same corrosion problems as a pop rivet? What size rivnut did you use? Would stainless ones alleviate the corrosion problem? I don’t feel confident in opening those eight holes out to a square to fit a nylon insert to be honest

[gs.davies]

Just fitted mine with plastic number plate bolts and nuts, works a treat!
not very original though!!

And this is a genius idea!

[surfblue63]

What about these?

https://www.bresco.com/acatalog/M5-Rubb ... F270P.html

https://www.bresco.com/acatalog/M6-Rubb ... F271P.html


Bresco have various solutions

https://www.bresco.com/acatalog/Snap-In ... er-p1.html

[1071bob]

The heritage wings come with round holes, file them out to 7mm square to take the original nylon fittings. Don't forget to paint the exposed metal.
13H226 from Somerfords.

[Peter Laidler]

A PERFECT pictorial example from Bob. While you're there Gary, do the same with the grille fitting and anything else where self tappers screw into (and eventually screw-up) the body.

Everyone contemplating a restoration of any sort that involves self tappers or pop rivets in the future ought to look at Bobs pictures

Thanks for the great illustrations Bob

[111Robin]

I found out the hard way, that if you use pop rivets on the later plastic bowls it cracks the bowl. Original plastic inserts dont fit in new wings In the end I used rivnuts. R

I quite like the rivnut idea though does this it introduce the same corrosion problems as a pop rivet? What size rivnut did you use? Would stainless ones alleviate the corrosion problem? I don’t feel confident in opening those eight holes out to a square to fit a nylon insert to be honest

Rubber rivnuts so no metal to metal contact, at least that's what I would use. I'm using them extensively on the Elan, saves having to find a method of holding a nut inside the car when you're in the engine bay.

[gs.davies]

Ah, do you have a link to those rubber riv nuts?

[Ronnie]

Rawlnut's most GOOD nut and bolt suppliers should have them > https://www.rawlplug.co.uk/product/rawl ... ith-screw/ Available at Screwfix. https://www.screwfix.com/search?search=rawlnuts
Used on Lotus seven's.

[surfblue63]

Ah, do you have a link to those rubber riv nuts?

I posted a link on the first page of this thread

https://mk1-forum.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34257

[AndyPen]

With those little draper files it must have taken me all of 30 mins to square up the holes and paint them. Well worth the effort I'd suggest

[Andrew1967]

With those little draper files it must have taken me all of 30 mins to square up the holes and paint them. Well worth the effort I'd suggest

I did the same Andy .. hold the other end of the file through the headlamp aperture to save it coming out and scratching the lovely new paint or preferably do it before paint.