Hello,
I was trying to see how the issue of the headlights rubbing on the body was solved? Does anyone have any close-up pics or suggestions on how to deal with this?
I am aware that Bugs and 356's have a small lip protruding around the headlight that holds a gasket. My car doesn't have that lip.
BT
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I am attaching photos of my car back when I was swapping the headlight lens seals. Hopefully you'll be able to see how the seals you mention fit on the car and on the headlight rings.
Impala, thanks. Does the white seal in the second picture prevent the headlights from touching the paint? That seal looks too small.
The White seal goes between the glass and the housing. The Black seal, that you see on the chrome ring, is what goes against the paint.
Any closer pics of the black seal( I didn't even notice it)? Maybe a part number?
Is that seal something that that particular manufacturer came up with?
The white seal comes with the headlight assembly. The black "seal" is a "C" shaped door edge type of universal seal, and is not of the same type Porsche actually used. But it will protect the paint.
On a slightly unrelated note, I have been running headlight grilles with no glass. I pulled the headlight buckets out to change LED bulbs and found a lot of dead bugs behind the buckets. There is a gap between the headlight and the bucket they go through.
Those are what mine came with. T-shaped profile.
What you need to get is a headlight to body seal for a 56 - 66 VW sedan because that is what your headlights are. The VW part number is 111941191 and they come from Asia/China 
and Germany 
Most VW parts places have them, or you can see what's available from Bugcity.
https://www.bugcity.com/shop/s...query=headlight+seal
There are two different versions available that I know of (three, if you count Danny's "C" shaped version). One is "L" shaped, the other (and better) design is "T" shaped. The "T" is placed around the outside of the chrome trim ring and up against the body/paint such that the top of the "T" is flat against the body with one side of the leg of the "T" up against the trim ring.
The "L" shape goes around the trim ring with the flat bottom of the "L" tucked under the trim ring. Yes, they're a PITA to get on there and you may have to fiddle with the tab at the top of the headlight bucket in the body to make everything fit right, but that's how they work.
SoCal VW, CIP1 VW and others have these besides Bug City, but you may encounter other designs (like Danny's). They're called a headlight outer seal - body mount.
Good luck.
FYI, I have the T shaped seal. But I've seen a bunch of cars with the C shaped rubber on the headlight lip.
Ok, I have some seals from Sierra Madre(the "T" style)but I still can't conceptualizing how it works.
Do you put the headlight on car first and stretch the seal over it(obviously on the inside of the bottom bolt)? That doesn't seem to prevent the headlights from touching the paint.
It does fill up the gap but I'm sure the headlights still touch the paint.
Anyone have a link to the "C" style gasket?
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@bt , My VS came with the 'C' style seal, but I've never seen it advertised at any VW supplier.
On my car, it's not a 'ring' like the VW part Gordon mentions. It looks like a hardware store edge trim product that comes on a long roll and was cut to a length to match the circumference of the chrome trim ring.
For that reason, it's a pain getting to stay in place while fitting the headlight back onto the car. I've now hit on taping it to the chrome ring with masking tape until the light is mounted, and then removing the tape.
Once in place though, it does protect the paint. A quick check on Amazon found this, which looks like it's the right size and should work. You can get more than you need for $8, so it might be worth the risk, but maybe check your local hardware, first?
Cheers!
.
Exactly what I've seen on various cars, Mitch.
@Sacto Mitch posted:.
@bt , My VS came with the 'C' style seal, but I've never seen it advertised at any VW supplier.
On my car, it's not a 'ring' like the VW part Gordon mentions. It looks like a hardware store edge trim product that comes on a long roll and was cut to a length to match the circumference of the chrome trim ring.
For that reason, it's a pain getting to stay in place while fitting the headlight back onto the car. I've now hit on taping it to the chrome ring with masking tape until the light is mounted, and then removing the tape.
Once in place though, it does protect the paint. A quick check on Amazon found this, which looks like it's the right size and should work. You can get more than you need for $8, so it might be worth the risk, but maybe check your local hardware, first?
Cheers!
.
A dot of super glue in a few places will make the seal stay put while you install the headlight.
I can't do that, Jim. If I used Super glue then I'm sure the "dot" would stick both me and the seal together.
Then, if I tried to get them apart, another finger would get stuck to the first (usually, but not always, from the same hand) and then as I pressed the seal in place those two fingers (and the seal) would get stuck to the body or trim ring or both.
No, with Super Glue, it's best to let sleeping seals lie.....
@bt The "hat" of the "T" goes flat against the body, and the inside of the "T" trunk fits up against the trim ring. Put the headlight bucket onto the hanging tab at the top but only install the screw at the bottom finger tight for now.
Start the seal at the top, pulling it around both left and right sides equally while moving the bottom screw tab closer to the body. Once you get things mostly together, you can do a final tightening of the screw.
While you do this you can adjust the seal by pulling it here and there to get it even all around. It takes a couple of tries to get it right (more, if you're OCD like me) but it should fit around and look sharp.
You may have to adjust the top tab on the body to get it to fit right at the top. Bend the upright part of the tab in or out to get a good fit at the top and then work your way around to the bottom equally on both sides.
Gordon, I never had much use for that super glue. I do have some experience gluing my fingers together; usually at least 3 at a time. Sometimes both hands glued together about the time you need to pee. The secret is the DOT!
This is really one of only two things I've ever found super glue useful for.
@Sacto Mitch posted:.For that reason, it's a pain getting to stay in place while fitting the headlight back onto the car. I've now hit on taping it to the chrome ring with masking tape until the light is mounted, and then removing the tape.
That's exactly what I do Mitch. Works great.
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That's what I thought, Troy.
I tried Jim's super glue once and spent all that summer with a headlight ring on my elbow. This is awkward in restaurants that require a dinner jacket.
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Y'all too funny
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