Cut out headlight bucket?

[jimdubs]

I picked up a pair of 1966 front fenders that someone cut the headlight housing (bucket?) out of. The lip is still on the outside of the fender.

Are replacement pieces available? Can I simply install a headlight assembly and not drive through puddles??

Just curious about what options are available.

[grandpa pete]

The buckets were probably cut for an extremely lowered bug ; which means they were probably driven that way for a long time in and out of puddles ; spray some paint/sealer on all the wires .
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63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery

[Busstom]

Two more options:

1: Shop The Samba, CL, or swap meets, for some otherwise beat up fenders, then cut the buckets off and weld them to those sweet German fenders you bought;

2: At a crazy $200 bucks each, buy some new fenders (crappy Italian, I believe) and cut those buckets off.

For sure, if your '66 fenders are clean, they're worth saving (needless to say), whether you return them to original is your choice. I think you could tack weld them in 10 or 12 places, then just seal the joints with body sealer/caulk.
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My name's Steve and it's pronounced "Bust 'em" (cuz people think I'm Tom) 😏

[jimdubs]

[Zwitterkafer]

Headlight buckets are available at Stoddard Porsche, part # NLA-631-151-10. But cheaper to salvage some from swap meet fenders.
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"Criticism comes easier than Craftsmanship"
- Zeuxius, 400 BC

[63Ragtop NZ]

I removed one of my buckets a while back.

was a 50's fender which was held in with four small welds and was a tight fit.
I ground the welds down with a dremmel and knocked the bucket out, as yours have already been butchered, it should be pretty easy remove.
I'd replace with proper buckets as suggested above or new fenders.
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If you can't join them, beat them!

[jimdubs]

So I sourced a couple of buckets and welded them in. One of them moved a bit, so I just want to see if it's a problem. I'm not sure how critical the exact fit is because I don't have headlights yet. Will this small gap matter?

I'm pretty sure it's fine, but it'd be much easier to fix now if needed.

[Zwitterkafer]

The small gap should preferably be the right height and even all around if you plan to fit a headlight-to-fender seal. The position of the tab at the top of the bucket will determine how much the headlight assembly will slightly compress the seal nearby. If omitting the seal, the fit may be slightly loose but acceptable.
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"Criticism comes easier than Craftsmanship"
- Zeuxius, 400 BC

[hitest]

Huh? Omitting the seal is acceptable? No sir.
If you intend to paint that fender a color and not have the headlight shake and rub a halo all around that hole- all the while causing the headlight to lose aim and shake it's internals loose- then indeed that seal is necessary.
It's metal to metal contact between two independently shaking pieces. Every part of a VW's body has similar isolation from wear and vibration damage.

I partially agree in this regard- the unevenness of the rim to fender gap. The most important part is that the rim is a perfectly flat plane. You must be able to place a flat plate of something on the rim and see no gapping- no potato chip wave to it. Otherwise the chrome ring (and the rest of the assembly) will fight you when tightening to the fender.
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[jimdubs]

Thanks for the replies. I suppose the smart thing to do would be to take the time to make it as uniform as possible now to avoid troubles later.

What's a little more grinding and welding in the grand scheme of things right?

[Sharp64]

Unless someone has the gap spec, I would suggest trying to scrounge up a headlight bucket and seal to make sure you have the gap right. Too many times I have guessed at something, done a lot of finish work only to have to take it all back apart, finish the mistake and redo all the work. Patience isn't a virtue for me, so I can relate.
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1960 Indigo Blue Ragtop (Blue Barry)
1967 Ghia
1985 Westy Money Pit
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” - Michael Caine

[jimdubs]

Here's the thing though. I don't recall seeing any gap at all when i cut the remnants of the old buckets out. Not only that, i have a hard time believing that some guy was measuring gaps when these fenders were made. I feel that if a gap was necessary, the Germans would have devised a way to quickly stuff the buckets in while maintaining it, such as little nubs to keep them from bottoming out.

It's my opinion (and just an opinion) that the lips ARE the placement set point. They just pushed the buckets in till they bottomed out and tacked them.

[Sharp64]

I don't have any fenders laying around with empty buckets, but looking at all the classifieds the gap looks pretty uniform. You could be right about the bump out being the guide. Looks like it would be about right.
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1960 Indigo Blue Ragtop (Blue Barry)
1967 Ghia
1985 Westy Money Pit
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” - Michael Caine

[Zwitterkafer]

[hitest]