Fiberglass Headlight Buckets

[TomoHawk]

I saw some headlight buckets on ebay, and the seller says thery're not glass.

What's wrong with glass headlight buckets? As long as it's the same shape & size, and has reinforced screw holes...

thx

[Zedrally]

I don't think there is anything "wrong" with glass. I believe that they where used primarily in racing (weight) and in the early series before production of the metal stamping occured.

[MikeW]

If anything they're better since they don't rust.

[Zedrally]

If anything they're better since they don't rust.

So true........

[geezer]

The only thing I've noticed is, over a period of several years the paint will age differently because of the different effect heat has on metal & glass.

[26th-Z]

In 1969, the technology didn't exist to press the sugar scoop fender extension for the headlights in metal and if I remember correctly, the metal fender extensions are two piece welded. The technology that was used to make the original headlight bucket (or fender extension) was fairly cutting edge at the time. The material is really fiber reinforced plastic - FRP - the same technique and material used for outdoor seating. The company that made the prototypes for the S30 was in the business of manufacturing stadium seating at the time.

[TomoHawk]

Stadium seating? I think I'll take the Z in with me the next time I go to a ball game.

thx

[bigoak]

Optional uses for the buckets at the ball game..

(Note: these were ripped from the Suncoast Z Car Club site without consent...hope I didn't offend anyone)

[Bonzi Lon]

My 73 has the metal buckets and as 26th-Z stated they are of 2 peice construction welded up, very nicely I might add, the seam can be seen from the back side only.

Bonzi Lon

[Carl Beck]

I saw some headlight buckets on ebay, and the seller says thery're not glass.

What's wrong with glass headlight buckets? As long as it's the same shape & size, and has reinforced screw holes...

thx

What was "wrong" with the fiberglass headlight buckets, was that they would not meet the US Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (MVSS) related to frontal impact at 10 mph for the 1973 Model Year here in the US. While the MVSS required that the front bumper had to remain in serviceable condition after a 5mph frontal impact, the headlights had to remain in working order after a 10mph impact. So to add impact strength to the front fender horns, the headlight buckets were produced in steel.

FWIW,

Carl B.

[HS30-H]

What was "wrong" with the fiberglass headlight buckets, was that they would not meet the US Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (MVSS) related to frontal impact at 10 mph for the 1973 Model Year here in the US. ...........

.......... So to add impact strength to the front fender horns, the headlight buckets were produced in steel.

That's more than somewhat 'cart before horse'.........

Chief Designer Matsuo relates the story rather differently. As 26th-Z alluded to in his post, Nissan Shatai struggled to make the headlamp buckets from steel initially ( due to their complex shape ) and one of the design team had the brainwave to get them made from FRP. This brainwave came whilst sitting on a railway station platform, on seats that had been moulded from FRP by a company called 'Kotobuki'.

Kotobuki made the headlamp buckets from FRP for Nissan, but in the meantime ( during 1970 ) Nissan Shatai's press tool designers managed to devise an economical and practical way to make them from steel. This allowed them to drop Kotobuki as the supplier, who had proved to be fairly slow and expensive - which was understandable considering the process involved.

The intention always was to make them from steel. It just took a little time to sort it out, that's all.

Alan T.

[bigoak]

That's more than somewhat 'cart before horse'.........

Chief Designer Matsuo relates the story rather differently. As 26th-Z alluded to in his post, Nissan Shatai struggled to make the headlamp buckets from steel initially ( due to their complex shape ) and one of the design team had the brainwave to get them made from FRP. This brainwave came whilst sitting on a railway station platform, on seats that had been moulded from FRP by a company called 'Kotobuki'.

Kotobuki made the headlamp buckets from FRP for Nissan, but in the meantime ( during 1970 ) Nissan Shatai's press tool designers managed to devise an economical and practical way to make them from steel. This allowed them to drop Kotobuki as the supplier, who had proved to be fairly slow and expensive - which was understandable considering the process involved.

The intention always was to make them from steel. It just took a little time to sort it out, that's all.

Alan T.

Very detailed. Where did you glean such information?