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Metal headlight bucket?


kurtwwalters

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The restoration shop is still waiting for the parts for the collision repair for my 72 and I am not sure if there is not some confusion here.

The fender extension mentionned above is called a headlight case from the original parts book from Nissan. The damaged one is a kind of fiberglass and I know that it is the original one.

MSA has ordered one from Japan and also the complete metal headlamp assembly which is metal.

I have been told that there is a reproduction of the headlamp assembly made of plastic or fiberglass.

Am I correct?

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The restoration shop is still waiting for the parts for the collision repair for my 72 and I am not sure if there is not some confusion here.

The fender extension mentionned above is called a headlight case from the original parts book from Nissan. The damaged one is a kind of fiberglass and I know that it is the original one.

MSA has ordered one from Japan and also the complete metal headlamp assembly which is metal.

I have been told that there is a reproduction of the headlamp assembly made of plastic or fiberglass.

Am I correct?

We all know when someone says headlight bucket, sugar scoop, etc that they are talking about the headlight case, not the headlight assembly that the headlight is in.

As stated above, the early ones were moulded plastic, as nissan had trouble forming the correct shapes out of metal. But they figured it out and started making metal ones.

I dont know if there is a plastic/frp reproduction.

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vin 11546 was fpr built in oct of 1970.

when i removed them for body work one threaded stud out of three on each side broke and later another eventually fell out. i have replaced them with metal for the ease of getting them to fit properly. my original fpr set is available.

cd

How much are they available for? I have one FRP and one metal. Want to go back to FRP for both I think.

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1970-72 used glass head light cases. The 1973 and later cars were the steel units from the factory. This is based on my experiance parting out about a dozen Z cars....... Of course collision repair parts were typically later steel versions. Thats why you may find a mixed set on your early 240Z

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Hi Gang:

rzola is correct. 70-72 240-Z's used fiberglass headlight nacelles.

Nissan switched to metal for the 1973 Model Year cars because they were necessary to pass the test requirements, for the 2.5mph bumper standards for the US.

I'm learning more about fiberglass now - so I'll pass this on FYI.

"Fiberglass" and "Fiber Reinforced Plastic" as used in the context of this discussion - are both simply common terms, that refer to a broad spectrum of materials, that fall into the general "composite materials" category. The most common term used in the USA is Fiberglass, and more commonly used in Europe/Japan seems to be FRP, they are one and the same. Other common composite materials are things like Carbon Fiber and Kevlar

Composites are materials made up of two individual components who’s combined physical strength exceeds the properties of either of them individually. The reinforced plastic composite consists of a fibrous reinforcing network embedded in the cured resin matrix. The thermosetting type resin is a plastic that cures from a liquid to a solid through a chemical reaction of its two components. Once this reaction occurs, the material can not be reformed.

Fiberglass: a fiber made of glass; a mixture of glass fibres and resin that when cured (hardened) produces a very light and strong material. It is used to build boats, car bodies, repair damaged areas, etc. It can also be spelled "Fibreglass."

"Fiberglass Cloth" or "Fiberglass Mating" - are materials "woven" using Glass Fiber.

Fiberglass Cloth can be laid-up in layers and when it is done in that manor it's usually referred to as "Laminating". Laminating originally referred to applying a thin protective coating of resin and reinforcement over a surface such as wood. The term’s use has broadened to include virtually any finished composite part, molded or otherwise

Chopped Fiber fiberglass is usually used in a casting process. Casting refers to pouring a large mass of resin into a cavity. The cavity can be a mold when casting parts, or it can be the backside filler for a tool when making the mold itself. Specialized casting resins are necessary which generate less heat during their cure and thus create less distortion in the final part. Fibrous fillers can be added as needed to strengthen the casting.

The fiberglass headlight nacelles and the simulated wood steering wheel are most likely produced using a casting process. Nissan used wood fibers to make the simulated wood steering wheel...that is why it takes a stain, after sanding

See: http://www.fibreglast.com/ for more info., video's, articles, etc.

FWIW,

Carl

Carl B.

Clearwater, FL

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