Purchased original headlight buckets
Couple of questions
Right side headlight bucket has 2 slotted holes
1) radiator support hole
2) lower stone guard mount
Left side
1) jagged edge to radistor support
In judging should I repair these areas or leave be?
I know its an owner preference but want to make sure it is correct.
Pete
Quote from: cob428 on October 08, 2026, 10:43:01 AMPurchased original headlight buckets
Couple of questions
Right side headlight bucket has 2 slotted holes
1) radiator support hole
2) lower stone guard mount
Left side
1) jagged edge to radistor support
In judging should I repair these areas or leave be?
I know its an owner preference but want to make sure it is correct.
Pete
Holes only from the factory. No slots needed because when buckets were first attached a single hole was made into the the radiator support. Slots are what restorers do when the original radiator support holes do not line up with the bucket holes because of the way they adjusted the fenders and what not. Make the jagged edge side match the other headlight bucket side. While you are at it I would suggest making both buckets match in color on the back side . Ether the pink (with appropriate tinted paint of course) or white depending on what the other fiberglass in your car is .
Thanks Bob appreciate the help. I started stripping the black off of the buckets and found the following.
Black paint sprayed over the gray.
Questions about paint.
1) would the mounting area of the bucket have any paint at all, weren't they installed prior to the front clip being painted?
2) shouldn't body color be evident prior to the gray being painted?
I am finding that the bkack was sparayed over the gray(po preference) but there in no body color under the gray.
Pete
Quote from: cob428 on October 12, 2026, 11:11:55 AMThanks Bob appreciate the help. I started stripping the black off of the buckets and found the following.
Black paint sprayed over the gray.
Questions about paint.
1) would the mounting area of the bucket have any paint at all, weren't they installed prior to the front clip being painted?
2) shouldn't body color be evident prior to the gray being painted?
I am finding that the bkack was sparayed over the gray(po preference) but there in no body color under the gray.
Pete
It depends on the painter. Yes it was all assembled together ,yes it was painted body color . The painters didn't try to paint that headlight bucket area but overspray got onto that area during the process of painting the fenders. Any body color paint on the front side visible when looking at the front will be covered by the grey grill paint typically. You will see body color overspray typically in some areas on the back side of the headlight buckets because of this process also .Because of the human element there is a spectrum of how much was possibly painted or overspray carried. The backside of the headlight bucket does not get covered with the grey grill paint and consequently that is where you will see body color overspray in varying degrees. Envision the process given the information I provided along with AO Smith pictures that coralsnake has on his website and do it the way they would have done it would be my advise . try not to overthink it too much.
Just to be clear the black was not done at AO Smith. The black is a later owner /restorer done.
Your pink headlight bucket is more correct with the slotted hole from what i remember as well as the upper fender slotted hole both needed for adjustments.