Early headlights - Replace those cracked rubber grommets w/ Home Depot hardware!

[kenikh]

Regarding what are invariably badly cracked rubber grommets on your early headlights, your options are pretty limited when restoring the headlights. You can:

1. Try like hell not to ruin the old and brittle grommets
2. Replace them - but the only way to get parts is by buying a full 356 headlight bucket from Stoddard at $65/ea. OUCH.

So what about buying or making your own grommet - something has to work, right? Well, finding rubber tube stock with as thick a wall as the grommet is pretty much a futile effort. I tried. You can also go buy rubber pipe or stopper and shape/drill them to fit, but that is a PIA that is not worth the effort.

So what's an enterprising SWB owner to do? I'll tell you:

1. You need to go to Home Depot and buy these parts per hole that needs a grommet:

• 9/32" Rubber Grommet
• #8-32 x 15/32" Expansion Nut
• #8 Rubber Screw Protector

2. Place the rubber grommet in the hole on the light ring. There appear to be two types of these grommets at HD: A thicke one and a thinner one. Both work, but the thick one is easier to install.


3. Take the expansion nut and tear the brass nut inside cleanly off of the piece.


4. Get the remaining piece of the Expansion Nut wet and work it into the grommet that is installed on the light ring, from the outside.


5. Take the rubber screw protector, wet it and place it closed end down, into the hole in the expansion nut and use a blunt rod to press it into place.


6. Press it in until the closed end of the screw protector is flush with the rubber on the inside of the ring.


7. Cut the screw protector off flush with the rubber surface on the outside surface of the ring.


8. Now comes the time to mount the ring into the light housing. Align the grommet you made with the respective area it mates to. For this example, I am showing the section on the housing where the gormmet actually is pinched into the housing. Make sure to slide the metal into the opening between the two rubber pieces, so it works like a track.


9. Locked in place:


10. An example of the grommet in one of the non-locking guide tracks:

[kenikh]

11. To assemble the lights, you have to align the housing with the rings, so the spade connectors can go into their respective grommet.



12. Voila!

[endo911rs]

Kenik, you should replace that front metal lip which holds the bumper to body seal. They are super easy to replace, especially while you are doing some paint work. Stoddard sells them...less than $100. Otherwise, lights look good...hoping to hook some power up to mine tonight!

[kenikh]

Kenik, you should replace that front metal lip which holds the bumper to body seal. They are super easy to replace, especially while you are doing some paint work. Stoddard sells them...less than $100. Otherwise, lights look good...hoping to hook some power up to mine tonight!

$66 from Stoddard - already on order.

[jhora]

Very good tip!..

[preS]

Kenik, you should replace that front metal lip which holds the bumper to body seal. They are super easy to replace, especially while you are doing some paint work. Stoddard sells them...less than $100. Otherwise, lights look good...hoping to hook some power up to mine tonight!

Is that lip from Stoddard correct for a SWB?

The one Porsche sells is different than the one that currently (if original) is on his car.

Richard

[kenikh]

If not, I can fabricate a piece or section one from a donor. we will know soon enough.

[t6dpilot]

Kenik, I have an addition to your great thread. I am restoring three SWB buckets and replaced those grommets with vacuum line from Advance Auto Parts. They sell an assorted vacuum line package for $2.99 and one of the lines fit just about perfect. The ID was a little larger than the original, but still seems to work great.

Now, I need to figure out how to polish out sandblasted lens covers. Not successful yet...

[john rice]

I was going to add a tounge-in-cheek suggestion that this is a lot harder than glopping in a bunch of RTV sealant to hold it together before it finally all falls apart again.

Nice work and other nice suggestions also. You guys always make me feel like an amateur.
JR

[Soterik]

Now, I need to figure out how to polish out sandblasted lens covers. Not successful yet...

Scott,

There is occasionally the correct SB 19-20-21 glass on ebay NOS (or the newer repop). A good alternate is the VW replacement glass, no ID on it, but it does fit, and it's cheap.

Kenik, Did you get the hood prop at Lowes/Home Depot as well?


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