Fitting grills and head lights

[jerryasi]

So 20 years ago I purchased a new core support and grills for my 1972 2002. Just now doing a nut and bolt resto, car on a rotissory. I just reassembled the head light buckets and fit them in the core support with grills and they don't mesh. I have "sunkin lights". Please tell me there's a cheaper fix than a pair of euro buckets from W & N. Also need to know the "how to" of up loading pictures to this site, have some parts I'd like to sell and all I get is "There was a problem uploading the file." Help!

[ray_]

Do you have deep grilles and need the grille inserts that take up space around the headlamp bezels?

 

GL,

['76mintgrün'02]

5 minutes ago, ray_ said:

the grille inserts that take up space around the headlamp bezels?

Are you referring to these, Ray?

[ray_]

I may be! ;-)

['76mintgrün'02]

I think that is what these are, based on prior FAQ discussions.

Funny thing, I went looking for the photos and it turns out I took them exactly two years ago today, on 2/13/16.

 

k.  not very funny.  coincidental though.

[ray_]

Post them again in 2020 ??

[Conserv]

3 hours ago, '76mintgrun'02 said:

Are you referring to these, Ray?

 

The asymmetric rings (above) lock into the sealed beam retainer rings and are one way to solve the sunken headlight issue on U.S.-spec '02's, by filling the "gap", as Ray mentions.  But U.S. cars, in approximately January 1972, began receiving "shallow grilles", which obviated the need for the asymmetric rings, allowing the lower outer corners of the sealed beam to protrude a bit from the grille's trim ring. So shallow grilles are another way to solve the sunken-headlight problem.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2018 by Conserv

[Simeon]

I was thinking about making appropriately sized spacers to insert between the bucket and the car body behind. This would bring the whole lamp forwards and better fill the grilles. 

[jerryasi]

Now that this is irrelevant, those eye brow asymmetric rings don't close the gap to stock 1972 head light buckets into deep grills. I'm going to have some fresh restored buckets for sale to help recover from ordering euro buckets from W&N.

[bmw_e30]

the fact that the sticker says mobile tradition means its pretty old

 

all the parts i've bought in the past few years all now say bmw classic on the box

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, jerryasi said:

Now that this is irrelevant, those eye brow asymmetric rings don't close the gap to stock 1972 head light buckets into deep grills. I'm going to have some fresh restored buckets for sale to help recover from ordering euro buckets from W&N.

Well... the original U.S.-only sealed-beam headlight buckets worked with deep grilles and asymmetric rings originally, so something has changed since 1972. Obviously there are a few possibilities. Are you, for instance, fitting the grilles to the nosepiece with both their Phillips-head screws and the outboard hook and thumb wheel, which pull the outboard corners of the grilles tight to the nosepiece? Is the mis-alignment equal on the left and right sides of the car? Are the headlight buckets on their correct respective sides: they are handed?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited October 20, 2019 by Conserv

[jerryasi]

The core support/grills (not the headlight buckets, they're 1972) pictured, are all 18/19 year old "mobile Tradition" bits that BMW offered at the time they were building a new 2002tii, I think? The core support as you see is on my bench, not on the car (I'm working with a slow "pit work" body man) so brought it home to sort the headlight grill issues and the new radiator and cooling fan mounting. I thought about using spacers behind the buckets to bring all parts into focus. I was hopeful that someone else may have tried to incorporate these parts. The core support made in Italy . . . really, how will that fit?

[Conserv]

10 hours ago, jerryasi said:

The core support/grills (not the headlight buckets, they're 1972) pictured, are all 18/19 year old "mobile Tradition" bits that BMW offered at the time they were building a new 2002tii, I think? The core support as you see is on my bench, not on the car (I'm working with a slow "pit work" body man) so brought it home to sort the headlight grill issues and the new radiator and cooling fan mounting. I thought about using spacers behind the buckets to bring all parts into focus. I was hopeful that someone else may have tried to incorporate these parts. The core support made in Italy . . . really, how will that fit?

 

I see, Jerry. Are you able to measure the depth of the headlight bucket’s seat (on the core support) from the front fascia? You could compare this dimension to another ‘02 having good-fitting stock grilles. Your test fit suggests the seat is approximately 1/2” deeper than it need be (but the grille itself is not quite tight against the fascia and the un-evenness of the gap made me suspect the handed buckets were reversed).

 

The U.S.-spec headlight buckets, incidentally, are identical from 1966 through 1976, save for the asymmetric filler ring with deep (aluminum) grilles and black retainer rings on square taillight cars. 

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited October 21, 2019 by Conserv

[JsnPpp]

Learned something new today - I've never even heard of the filler rings until today. Great photos and thanks for posting.

 

I'm still having trouble differentiating shallow and deep buckets. Both of my '73s have the same grill, ones an early '73 and one is a late '73.

 

Wish I could offer guidance to you but I'm curious how this all works out.

 

Jason

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

I do believe that the headlight retainer ring is particular to each side also. The notch in the retainer coincides with the tab on the filler,so that the filler fits in its specific position.