openinverter forum

manifold wrote: ↑Sat Nov 01, 2025 8:50 am Yes it does looks amazing. I like the retro look and that midnight silver type colour looks awesome on that shape of car and with those wheels. You must be proud of how far its come. I would be. You now need a garage to keep it like that!

A garage is the dream! But this is very much a daily driver. So it'll have to live outdoors for the foreseeable.

Alibro wrote: ↑Sat Nov 01, 2025 10:39 pm Awesome looking mate.
Are you planning to fit E type like glass on the headlights?

Cheers!

I have the glass (well, plastic) but no way to fit it at the moment. I need to find the right shape rubber profile and design and print some mounts for them. Will get to it eventually.

bobby_come_lately wrote: ↑Sun Nov 02, 2025 10:23 pm Cheers!

I have the glass (well, plastic) but no way to fit it at the moment. I need to find the right shape rubber profile and design and print some mounts for them. Will get to it eventually.

How do others that built these kits fit them?

Alibro wrote: ↑Tue Nov 04, 2025 6:13 pm How do others that built these kits fit them?

In a hundred different ways!

Welcome to the world of kit and component cars. every one is different in some way. Probably some self fabricated tab/ears out of bits of a4/316 stainless steel will hold a lens cover in place. Quite retro too. 4 or 5 would suffice and be minimalistic.

manifold wrote: ↑Tue Nov 04, 2025 7:57 pm Welcome to the world of kit and component cars. every one is different in some way. Probably some self fabricated tab/ears out of bits of a4/316 stainless steel will hold a lens cover in place. Quite retro too. 4 or 5 would suffice and be minimalistic.

Yeah. I was semi joking with Alibro. I have already 3d printed surrounds for the headlight mounts out of carbon fibre. The plan is to modify those to make them a bit more robust and extend them out a bit with 3-4 threaded inserts. Then add a second part at the front.

Honestly getting the right rubber profile is the much harder problem as I want a few pieces to test but last time I looked it was quite pricey online and nowhere around me sells it.

bobby_come_lately wrote: ↑Tue Nov 04, 2025 8:04 pm
Honestly getting the right rubber profile is the much harder problem as I want a few pieces to test but last time I looked it was quite pricey online and nowhere around me sells it.

Worth doing a 2 / multi piece bolt together 3D printed mold with uv stable mix and pour silicone and a pressure pot? Likely not cheap, quick or easy though.

bobby_come_lately wrote: ↑Tue Nov 04, 2025 8:04 pm Honestly getting the right rubber profile is the much harder problem as I want a few pieces to test but last time I looked it was quite pricey online and nowhere around me sells it.

Might be worth masking off and using a marine sealant like black pu40 or sikaflex . Similar to when they bond windscreens in. Strong stuff. Used it to part bond a 2m cast iron keel to bottom of a boat. Can get quite creative with it. Gloves a must.

https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/p/d/b40066983/

I was thinking a chrome surround with visible screws might look good.
You could probably bash a bit of tin into shape and get it chromed.

Or maybe not.

Alibro wrote: ↑Tue Nov 04, 2025 9:34 pm I was thinking a chrome surround with visible screws might look good.
You could probably bash a bit of tin into shape and get it chromed.

Or maybe not.

Nah - no chrome on this one. Wouldn't fit with the restomod style.

manifold wrote: ↑Tue Nov 04, 2025 8:31 pm Might be worth masking off and using a marine sealant like black pu40 or sikaflex . Similar to when they bond windscreens in. Strong stuff. Used it to part bond a 2m cast iron keel to bottom of a boat. Can get quite creative with it. Gloves a must.

https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/p/d/b40066983/

No - need to be able to get in there and adjust the headlamps when it comes to MOT time as they're bound to move around a bit. Want it all to be removable.

Fair enough. I have 5.75 nch headlamps using morette rings which are spring loaded and adjustable with wingscrews from the rear inside the engine compartment.

manifold wrote: ↑Wed Nov 05, 2025 7:44 am Fair enough. I have 5.75 nch headlamps using morette rings which are spring loaded and adjustable with wingscrews from the rear inside the engine compartment.

Interesting. I probably could drill out the captive nuts on my mounting rings and weld bolts on the front then have a similar arrangement with nuts on the back. Worth thinking about.

They are quite handy because it will reduce the need to take the lamp covers off every time you need to adjust the lights. Eg for an MOT.

Heres a few images of them to give you an idea of what they look like to fabricate.

The spring presses against the back of the headlamp pod housing/moulding with a hole drilled through it for each bolt. - the wing nut and a spring locking washer is on the other side (engine bay side).

You can see on the orange car the little holes drilled out for the adjusters in the headlamp housing area. I hope that helps give a picture of the idea.