One headlamp bucket and another headlamp bucket.

Yeay! On Wednesday, my headlamp rubber gaskets arrived from the UK!! They were all nice and clean and smelly like they should be. They are reproductions not NOS.

Three years ago I restored two headlamp buckets which have been sitting on the shelf patiently awaiting their day to get put on the car. Here they are posing with the old crusty rubber ring and rusty original screws. They almost seem to be smiling.

The new rubber gaskets fit them very nicely, although one seemed a bit "off" and I could not figure out why.

I thought I would do the passenger side one first because the driver's side one would need a bit more work. This one would give me practice and a good reference for the other one after it was installed.

The new #10 x 3/4" screws had to be poked through the round divits of the gasket then fit into the body hole for fitting.

I had to drill two new holes because they were filled with paint. Three of the five screw holes were perfectly aligned with the screws in the headlamp bucket making it very easy to reference and mark the other two.

Once the holes were drilled, I just screwed all five screws in. The procedure went very smoothly and quickly. Finally one headlamp bucket is installed! I do have to change the wire harness in it because it is for an Austin America not and MG 1100. I know, I know...yes, I am picky but little details like this matter to me.

On to the second one on the driver's side. Well, maybe not so fast. Come to find out, the second headlamp bucket I restored was also for the passenger's side!! It was then that I learned why the rubber gasket was a bit "off". So now I have to restore this one which is the correct one for the driver's side off the original parts car. I am lucky that I saved it after five years! Notice how the headlamp bulb socket is different from the other one. Lucky that I saved both of the original correct harnesses, too, and I am happy that they are in excellent condition.

Here we go again. Just when I thought I was done sanding, priming and painting!

I will work on it this weekend and post pictures once it is restored and installed. All five holes on the driver's side body have to get drilled because Al filled in all of them on that side! But at least now I know I have one nicely restored headlamp bucket from the passenger's side of an Austin America to put up on eBay.

Thank you for visiting!
Toddy