WTB BRE Clear Headlight Covers

[Galaxybj]

I know I am looking for a needle in the haystack, but thought I'd ask anyway.

Does anyone have a set of the BRE clear headlight covers for the 240Z that they will sell?

[moelk]

Do you have a pic? Have never heard of Bre head light covers and would like to know what it is.

[Galaxybj]

Not sure if you can zoom in on the photo to see the headlight covers clearly.  The headlight covers sold by BRE (Brock Racing Enterprises) back in the 70's were similar to what MSA sells today, except they had no rubber seal on the edges and the mount tabs installation was different.

The mount tabs were installed by removing the headlight buckets, determining the location of each of the three mounts per side, drilling a series of very small holes at the mount location, filing the holes to the size of the mount tabs (which resulted in a narrow slit for the mount tab to slide in from the back side of the bucket), and epoxying the tabs on the back side of the bucket.  You then filed the edges of the cover to fit the bucket, and then marked where the mount holes needed to be drilled in the covers.  Covers were held on using the hex head stainless steel bolts like used with the MSA covers.

I can dig out the original headlight buckets and take a photo of the mounts installed if needed.

[moelk]

Thanks!

Had never seen those before!

[Terrapin Z]

Looks like BRE is still offering these for sale. Spendy though.

http://www.bre2.net/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=B&Product_Code=010C02&Category_Code=lightcovers

[Galaxybj]

Unfortunately only for the Daytona Coupes.

I talked to Gail Brock last year about the possibility of "resurrecting" the ones for the Z's.  She said they would look at the feasibility and if there is interest. So..... we'll see.

[psdenno]

Good luck with the search.  I installed the BRE covers in the early '70s and they held up well for a few decades.  I've got an old BRE catalog somewhere and don't think the covers were too expensive when they were offered in the '70s.  I still have the headlight pods with the metal mounting tabs like Galaxybj mentions above.  I've got a spare set of pods and will be mounting factory style covers with metal trim rings before too long.  They've rested in a box way too long. 

Dennis

[Galaxybj]

I've thought about the factory style with the metal rings.  Never really liked them before, but at looking at current pictures of Z's with them installed they are starting to appeal.  Maybe I'll run across a set of those someplace, even though I understand they are $$$$$$.

[psdenno]

7 hours ago, Galaxybj said:

I've thought about the factory style with the metal rings.  Never really liked them before, but at looking at current pictures of Z's with them installed they are starting to appeal.  Maybe I'll run across a set of those someplace, even though I understand they are $$$$$$.

They are a little pricey, but they often sell for less than the current BRE covers which go for $579.

Dennis

[Gav240z]

I would like to see someone successfully reproduce the chrome trim ring headlight covers for an S30Z. NOS is over $2,500 USD at this stage.. Good original ones close to $1000 USD.

I've never been interested in the rubber ring ones or just clear covers.

[psdenno]

18 hours ago, Gav240z said:

I would like to see someone successfully reproduce the chrome trim ring headlight covers for an S30Z. NOS is over $2,500 USD at this stage.. Good original ones close to $1000 USD.

There have been many tries over the years.  Lots of "announcement" threads, followed by eager and enthusiastic potential customers pledging to buy a set or two, followed by silence.  But, the chrome trim always turns out to be more difficult to reproduce than the well-intentioned fabricators realized.  It would be interesting to see what the original factory fabrication process involved.

Dennis

 

 

[moelk]

Iv done some research on this subject (without starting a thread)

It can be done if you have the tools for it but not many people have that and then it will be very expensive to make them.

I had to make batches of 100 at the time to get the company I talked to to even consider making them and it was still expensive as hell.