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Thread: The further adventures of #2613

  1. #51
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
    Join Date:  May 2011

    Location:  Fort Lauderdale

    Posts:    4,740

    My VIN:    02613

    Club(s):   (DCF)

    Quote Originally Posted by Farrar View Post
    Once the third brake light (from a C4 Corvette) is installed and working I will upgrade the headlights to H4 housings (the ones Tom Neiland used) with LEDs inside (Hikari 9600s). I have already purchased ceramic headlamp sockets to replace the cracked OEM sockets and will likely replace the terminals as well with fresh brass.
    The third brake light has been re-wired and LEDs installed. I verified it works. However, it hasn't been stripped, painted, and installed yet. I decided to go ahead with the LEDs up front.

    The H4 sockets take terminals slightly larger than the 1/4" brass ones I have on hand, so I didn't replace the terminals. Instead I went the more circuitous route of snipping off the OEM connectors and splicing the new H4 pigtails on, using my now customary crimp-solder-heatshrink method. I now have a few more inches of wire at the end of each harness, but that's OK because there's plenty of room for the extra length to be tucked away.

    But I only have three of the four installed. Here's why:

    The LH low beam wiring barely has any slack in it. When I follow it rearward with my fingers, it seems to be stuck, pinched between the headlight bucket and the bracket behind it. I'd like to free the wires (and make sure the insulation hasn't been damaged!), but I'm not sure how to do so. Are the adjusting screws and springs the only point of attachment for the headlight buckets? If so, I'm going to have a devil of a time trying to remove and replace the bucket in order to free the wiring.

    Everything there is so terribly rusty anyway I am tempted to just replace the whole assembly, but I'm not sure I can do that without removing the fascia. This is an area of the car I don't normally work on, and I'm nervous about taking things apart that I might not get back together again.

    Edit -- I guess photos would be useful.


    IMG_0602.jpg

    IMG_0611.jpg

    IMG_0603.jpg

    IMG_0607.jpg

    IMG_0608.jpg

    IMG_0614.jpg

    Oh, did I mention my engine compartment lighting? I added engine compartment lighting. Here's a "before and after."

    engine compartment lighting before and after.jpg
    Last edited by Farrar; 02-09-2020 at 12:22 AM. Reason: added photos
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  2. #52
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
    Join Date:  May 2011

    Location:  Fort Lauderdale

    Posts:    4,740

    My VIN:    02613

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    OK, so it is possible to remove the headlight buckets without removing the fascia: the adjusting screws and spring are the only points of attachment.

    But I'm not putting rusty fasteners back in. New adjusting screws, captive nuts, and springs have been ordered and should be here next weekend.

    I haven't driven the car since October, so I guess another week or two won't hurt...
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  3. #53
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
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    My VIN:    02613

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    Photo of new headlamp connectors

    LH lights.jpg
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  4. #54
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
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    You may have noticed the missing headlight adjustment screw and captive nut in the photo I posted. Well, the screws got messed up and I removed the nut to get a better look at it.

    After taking measurements and doing some research I ordered replacement screws, nuts, and springs. They're GM parts and the screws are slightly thicker than stock, but the nuts fit into the holes in the brackets just fine. A set of two adjustment screws and nuts cost between $12 and $13.

    I also bought a box of 25 springs for a few dollars more. Considering I damaged one of the OEM(?) ones just by removing it, I figured it would be good to have spares.

    It looks like #2613 was in a front-end collision some time ago, albeit a very gentle one. The headlight brackets appear to be bent. I'd like to remove and, if possible, straighten them. (Houston no longer has both sides in stock, I don't want to buy used, and DPI doesn't have stainless replacements available at this time.)

    But the outer nuts are inaccessible as long as the fascia is installed... So it looks like the fascia is going to have to come off. I'd like to get rid of the "eyebrows" while it's removed, but I'm not sure I'll have time for such a project, and besides which my garage is pretty small. I may just have to remove it, set it on the workbench, get the headlight hardware done, and then replace it again. The fascia is pretty badly beat up, so at least I don't have to worry about scratching the paint in the process.
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  5. #55
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
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    I think I found a way to remove and reinstall the headlight brackets without pulling the fascia: turn the outer hole of the brackets into a slot. That would allow me to start the nut by hand, then insert the bracket, and tighten the nut down.

    The headlight adjusting hardware I bought fits - just - so I ordered some slightly smaller. Nothing wrong with experimenting, but it takes time: the new hardware will arrive next week.
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  6. #56
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
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    While I wait for headlight adjustment hardware to arrive in the mail, I have started with some paint work.

    I didn't relish the idea of putting rusty headlight buckets back on the car, so I decided to sand them down and paint them. I bought a small can of black Rustoleum enamel to brush on. I'll just do a couple of coats, because I don't want to cause any fitment problems.

    While I was at the paint store, I also bought some chemical paint stripper to get the red off of the Corvette third brake light housing. I stripped some paint off with the first application, but it looks like it will take one or two more rounds to get down to the cast aluminum. It's easy enough to use: goop it on, wait 15 minutes, and wipe it off, then repeat if necessary.

    I also bought some spray cans of self-etching primer and black paint. (Rustoleum makes a "black automotive trim" semi-gloss; I wonder if they're trying to compete with the famous SEM Trim Black.) Once the third brake light housing is stripped and cleaned, I'll paint it black to match (or nearly match) the louvres, which are also a semi-gloss black.

    To be honest, the louvres could also use some paint, but the last time I re-installed them, I ended up catching the back edge of the louvres on the T-panel, damaging them both. I don't want to do that again!
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  7. #57
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
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    Pictures of the new headlight adjusting hardware and painted buckets.

    new headlight spring.jpg

    new headlight adjuster.jpg

    painted headlight buckets-new ceramic H4 sockets.jpg

    Testing my new headlight wiring to make sure the LEDs work:


    That's all for now.
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  8. #58
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
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    Finally put the front end back together. It was a long project that started with "I think I'll upgrade the headlights" and ended up with wiring modifications, paint, new hardware, and other fun (ha!) stuff. But anyway, it's all done and now I can clean up.

    IMG_0690.jpg

    On to other things: the third brake light. Ordinarily, these go for over $100, but I got mine for $80. That's because it's slightly damaged: one side has a little dent in it and is not perfectly straight at the bottom.

    I used Rustoleum self-etching primer. After laying down five coats, I sanded it with 400 grit and added two more coats. Here is it right after sanding.

    IMG_0686.jpg

    Then I painted it black with five coats of Rustoleum trim and bumper paint. Maybe I got an old can of paint, but I am very dissatisfied with it. It took forever to get the can to start rattling, and even after shaking it vigorously for five minutes, I got a very trashy spray from it. I put on five thin coats.

    IMG_0688.jpg

    After that, the wind picked up (I was painting in the back of the garage, but with the door open to vent fumes) and now there's lint in the paint.

    A4D29422-5DDC-4B07-8AF7-8EC6E0A8FCC8.jpg

    I wasn't expecting a perfect paint job, but this looks *TERRIBLE*. I know it's possible to get better quality than this from a spray can.

    Then again, the louvre looks pretty bad, too -- so maybe if the third brake light also looks bad, it will kind of match...?

    Anyway, I don't recommend the Rustoleum trim & bumper paint. I was very impressed with the primer, but I will never buy this paint again.
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  9. #59
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
    Join Date:  May 2011

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    The third brake light has been installed. The paint eventually evened out to a sort of "satin black" which doesn't look entirely terrible on the car (even though it's blacker than the louvre). The trash in the spray isn't as noticeable from a distance.

    I placed the housing flush with the rear edge of the top level of the louvre. This seems to be quite unpopular in the DeLorean community: either the light is placed further toward the front of the car, or lights are placed underneath with adhesive rather than holes drilled through the louvre to fasten a housing and run wires. Good thing it's my car, then.

    Since the back of the light housing is concave I used unusually thick gasket material: 1/4" black neoprene foam. It's easily cut with a pen knife, and it melts slightly with a heat gun to give the edges a more professional appearance. Because it's so compressible it works perfectly to fill the gap in the middle of the back of the housing while being quite thin at the corners.

    Running the wires was easy so it's not worth mentioning, except that I obviously put a connector to facilitate louvre removal/replacement.

    When my wife was in the garage confirming that the light came on when I put my foot on the brake pedal, she pointed out that two of the four OEM brake lights were not functioning: one that I keep having problems with, plus another. This would seem to indicate to me that the circuit boards are on the way out (even though the previous owner replaced one of them with a fancy PJ Grady one umpteen years ago, nothing lasts forever). I'm going to replace them with something more reliable. I already have LEDs installed, but they're several years old and brighter LEDs are available, so they'll be replaced, also.
    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

  10. #60
    Owner since 2007 Farrar's Avatar
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    Done with LEDs for now.

    Here, have a video.

    3.0L, automatic, carbureted

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