The 'E' Type Forum

Can any one tell me how to remove the headlight chromes from my bonnet so i can respray it. They are in very good condition and i do not want to bend or destroy them. I have tried to slide them off the rivets and gently prising them with flat bladed tools both without sucess. Do i need to be more agressive or is ther a better way? Any suggestions please

Nick,

The main problem with prising them from underneath is you can easily flatten or widen the lip as it turns in, which then makes re-fitting them more difficult.

If you take the 'eyebrow' chrome trim off you may be able to slide a screwdriver down inside the trim and then gently twist to pop it off one side of the upper rivet head. If that works it might then be possible to it slide off the remaining rivet heads, pushing towards the front of the car.

You could try starting with the shorter inner halves as the upper rivet is only a few inches from the top and it has one less rivet:

They should just lift off the riveted holders. Maybe some helpful PO has glued them on?
Regardless they have to come off. If you damage them they can be reshaped. IIRC they are chromed brass. If you heat them with a torch the brass becomes very malleable and is easy to reshape. Then rechrome. Your panel beater should be able to do this for you.

Thanks for the tips, I had to hammer the trims off using a block of wood against the ends till they cleared the studs. The PO had made up his own method of fixing the trims with metal strips with small threaded studs attatched,which slid inside the groove on the back of the trims and bolted through with nuts on the inside of the headlamp scoop.Not a clever idea me thinks.I wont be using this method when i refit them.I did manage to get them off without too much damage however. Nick