Cornering Light Housing Repair

[mgm1986]

Hello restoration experts! Any thoughts or suggestions on how to repair this cornering light housing? I am searching for a replacement but if I can't find one I would like some ideas on how to repair what I have.

You can see in the picture, when I removed the badly rusted light socket, part of the housing came out with it. Any tips or ideas are greatly appreciated!

 

[3175375]

Hello restoration experts! Any thoughts or suggestions on how to repair this cornering light housing? I am searching for a replacement but if I can't find one I would like some ideas on how to repair what I have.

You can see in the picture, when I removed the badly rusted light socket, part of the housing came out with it. Any tips or ideas are greatly appreciated!


View attachment 637995

I’m certainly not a restoration expert, but maybe you could make a new ring out of sheet metal that accepts the socket, then bond it to the housing with a combination of pop rivets and J-B weld?

It appears that there’s enough material outboard and inboard to attach the new metal to the housing?

It wouldn’t be pretty, but functional.

 

[mgm1986]

I like that idea, @3175375

I was thinking about fiberglass but didn't love the idea. Using sheet metal is probably the best bet, thank you!

 

[3175375]

I like that idea, @3175375

I was thinking about fiberglass but didn't love the idea. Using sheet metal is probably the best bet, thank you!

You’re welcome. Keep us posted on how things turn out.

Steve

 

[sprice]

I just did mine from a 68’ 300. I would suggest using the JB Weld option. Don’t think mine were as bad as yours however the bulb sockets were toast. If you could put tape on the backside and lay a coating of JB over, then trim with die grinder or file to accept a snap-in socket (part # attached). Sand the inside and paint with chrome or gloss silver paint to improve reflection. I put a sealant on my socket.

 

[cbarge]

On the old Dry Dock I wrote a how-to thread on this subject,lol.
Forums / General Tech / How to fix unrepairable bulb sockets - C-Body DryDock

 

[mgm1986]

From your post: "Typical of the times,the majority of the sockets are pressed or stamped into the housings which doubled as a source for grounding the lights in"

Had I known this I probably wouldn't have been so aggressive trying to remove the bulb socket and not caused so much damage.

Either way, thank you all for the tips, I can work with this!

 

[live4theking]

I just did mine from a 68’ 300. I would suggest using the JB Weld option. Don’t think mine were as bad as yours however the bulb sockets were toast. If you could put tape on the backside and lay a coating of JB over, then trim with die grinder or file to accept a snap-in socket (part # attached). Sand the inside and paint with chrome or gloss silver paint to improve reflection. I put a sealant on my socket.

View attachment 638016

View attachment 638017

This is what I would try. I bought a motorcycle that came with a top box, some call the trunks. The bottom of it was full of holes from some hack mounting job. I put tape on the outside and filled all the holes with JB. Then sanded and painted it worked great.

 

[mgm1986]

The JB Weld option worked to get the socket firmly seated. I then soldered the contacts inside the housing to get a solid ground and it works well. Just need to clean it up and reinstall.