67 bus headlight overhaul

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I am overhauling my headlight assembly's on my 67 bus as they were quite rusty inside. Would anyone have any idea what kind of paint VW used on the inside of the headlights? It appears to be somekind of flat silvery/gray color? Thanks
Mark H.

[Friedpotatoes]

hmm there was 2 kinds there was a flat gun metal kind of grey and then there was a grey with w pink hew

just go with a flat grey or possibly light grey primer

[RCTScott]

Hello Mark H,


By any chance did you take any photos of the process? Would love to see any documentation you might have. Even if it is a finished product picture. Thanks!!

Scott B

[EverettB]

Mark H hasn't visited since 2003 so...

Check out this thread though:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=372189

Maybe this too
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=119187
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[BonTonRoulet]

A couple years ago, I refurbished the headlights to my 66 standard Microbus. For the paint, I used Rustoleum "Painters Touch 2X Ultra Coat Paint + Primer in Satin Stone Grey". Just a spray can from the local Ace Hardware. I masked off the blue lettering on the back side of the bucket to paint, and once the masking was removed I deemed the color match to the original to be quite acceptable.

I will say this about the rubber involved in the task: I sourced the rubber seal that fits around the headlight glass lens that fits into the front of the (Headlight assembly) bucket from Wolfsburg West. And even though I had NO issues with how the original seals around the lens fit in the bucket, before and after painting, the new ones simply were too thick. The lens with the new seal wasn't going to fit inside the lip of the bucket. I was stunned that the old seals, actually stamped "Hella", must have been original to the headlight assembly from 1965, and they were still very pliable and stretchy. Probably could have just used them again, but I sourced another set from West Coast Metric and they allowed the lens to fit in the bucket just fine.

I want to say there was a similar problem with the rubber seal that fits around the headlight bucket on the nose of the bus that seals the nose sheet metal to the chrome ring of the headlight assembly. Again, Wolfsburg West too thick, West Coast Metric just right. And I've run across this issue in the past with 356 and 912 Porsche, where the seal that did work was sourced from International Mercantile.

Good Luck!
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[RCTScott]

Great responses. I now have answers to all the questions and all the right places for color and seals and was ready to start taking my buckets apart when my new knowledge shows that my buckets are a mish-mosh of parts from different years. Ugh!

The lenses are correct.

The trim rings are of the "2 & 7 O'clock" style, but the actual bucket is of the "5 & 7 O'clock" style. The ring is held on with the adjusting screws and string! The bucket is of the type that uses a 7" sealed beam lamp and has the parking light socket on the side of the bucket where it has push pin attachments for the wires as opposed to the screws. So I think I first better start over and figure out what headlights are correct for a US spec 1967 21 window bus. I did ask this question a few years back and found only a reference to the lenses and found that my lenses are correct. But I wasn't able to find a reference to the actual bucket style. Perhaps my bucket is correct, but with the string holding things together, well I definitely have some work to do. Is there a reference to the US spec Deluxe bus headlight style?

Thanks for the help!

Scott

[hitest]

Paint tip: I found more recently than the sticky threads that there is a spray can paint that very closely matches the light gray color: Ford Gray- available in the TRACTOR paint section of Ace Hardware and Tractor Supply stores (farm stores). It's very light and looks great.
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[basic_bear]

These were removed from a 1964. What it the best way to determine right and left while on the bench. Thanks

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1958 Panel, Dove Blue
1969 beetle purple

[BonTonRoulet]

Rust pitting would be on the lower side of the buckets and the rings. Tabs for bolt on chrome trim rings towards the center of the bus and the drain hole in the chrome ring would be on the bottom of the trim ring.
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[BarryL]

Regarding the chrome rings in the bottom photo the one on the left is the right side based on the drain.

[Mile High Puma]

I just went through this. The headlight rings are marked left and right, the buckets themselves are the same. As far as color I tested on some 1962 Bug buckets but they were the same color as my 1965 bus ones. After taking some paint polish and cleaning them up I tried different spray paints. I thought that most I tried (including the Ford tractor gray) were too light, the stone gray was the closest even though it was still tool light and had a pinkish hue. One day I might respray them if I come across the right color.

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1990 Westfalia Syncro