Re: Headlights (Plating / Resilvering) of reflectors

[CFritz7001@aol.com]

My TC is equipped with a set of Lucas "Tripod" headlights, which
originally were fitted to XK120 Jags, but were not acceptable to licensing
authorities in some states in the US, since they are not "sealed beams".
These units are 7 & 1/2 inches across the face of the FLAT
(non-prismatic) lenses, and have a chromed bulb-shield, which is supported by
a tripod-shaped mount. I THINK that they are called "P-700s", but I'm not
sure what the correct nomenclature REALLY is.
In any event, the reflectors on all of the units I have are beginning to
show dullness, if not outright tarnishing. I'd re-polish them myself, but
the metal reflectors are "crimped" over the edge of the flat lens, and I
can't figure out how to separate the two without danmaging either the lens,
the reflector, or both.
Any suggestions?

[Bob McKarney]

Carl- I posed an identical question to Gene Roth, who accomplishes
remarkable restorations in his garage located in the high desert of
California. His reply began: "first you break the glass..." whereupon my
eyes glazed and my interest in the project vanished into the night. He
concluded with replacing the lenses using a silicone adhesive, but by
then I was checking my oil level to appear properly concerned with
basics.
I put the entire unit in the dishwasher and it came out ok. Of course I
don't show my car, just drive it. Haven't been stopped by any
California smokies, but then again I seldom drive at night.

[Frank O_ The Mountain]

We have a similarly made lamp on the Arnolt...it is made by Marchal of
France. They are hard to find and expensive becasue they were used on
Ferrari's and Maser's. Some folks has successfully pried the folded over
metal up enough so that the glass can be removed and the reflector
re-silvered, the the glass is crimped back into place. Not a job for the
faint hearted!!! But worth saving a rare item. You might try swishing
"Tarnx" silver rrestoring solutin on the reflector and give it the dishwasher
treatment per McCarney....
Good luck
Terry

[Lawrie Alexander]

We had a TC foglamp with a badly tarnished reflector that did not "swish"
clean. We gave the unit to a caring, ultra-careful machinist who chucked the
unit in a lathe and cut the reflector away where it met the glass (having
first carefully noted some indexing marks so it would go back in the same
place.

Then we had the reflector re-silvered professionally. After it came back, we
placed it in position on the glass and epoxied it back in place with a thin
layer of JB Weld around the outside. After several years of use it is still
holding up well.

Lawrie
British Sportscar Center
www.britcars.com

-----Original Message-----
From: TATERRY@aol.com
To: bmckarney@thegrid.net ; CFritz7001@aol.com

Cc: mg-tabc@egroups.com ; mg-t@autox.team.net

Date: Sunday, January 30, 2000 11:55 AM
Subject: Re: [mg-tabc] Re: Headlights (Plating / Resilvering) of reflectors

>We have a similarly made lamp on the Arnolt...it is made by Marchal of
>France. They are hard to find and expensive becasue they were used on
>Ferrari's and Maser's. Some folks has successfully pried the folded over
>metal up enough so that the glass can be removed and the reflector
>re-silvered, the the glass is crimped back into place. Not a job for the
>faint hearted!!! But worth saving a rare item. You might try swishing
>"Tarnx" silver rrestoring solutin on the reflector and give it the

dishwasher

>treatment per McCarney....
>Good luck
>Terry
>