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Help with 1936 Airstream headlight install


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Good morning all,

 

I am trying to remove the sealed beam conversion kit on my Airstream and installed the original headlight lenses and reflectors.  I could really use some close up images of how the original headlight lenses and reflectors mount for a 1936 Chrysler.  My maintenance manual is virtually worthless.

 

Can anyone assist?

 

Thanks so much,

 

Joe

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On 12/6/2020 at 5:28 AM, Joe West said:

Good morning all,

 

I am trying to remove the sealed beam conversion kit on my Airstream and installed the original headlight lenses and reflectors.  I could really use some close up images of how the original headlight lenses and reflectors mount for a 1936 Chrysler.  My maintenance manual is virtually worthless.

 

Can anyone assist?

 

Thanks so much,

 

Joe

Here is a little information for the 1936 DB lamp....similar....

post-37352-143142811069.jpg

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Thank so much Keiser.  My Deluxe Airstream is different than this, and I am uncertain if any of the parts I have are original other than the lenses and maybe the headlight chrome rings.  The reflectors I have do not seem to match the headlight chrome ring.  I need someone who owns an airstream to upload images of their reflector, chrome ring, and headlamp lens.  One would think that assembly of the headlamp would be easy, but the sealed beam conversion that someone did on my Airstream makes me completely unsure of what parts I need to put the headlamp assembly back to original. One would think that the parts manual would show details, but alas, it does not.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Joe, have a look at these.

The reflector I had only suited the sealed beam, so I had to find replacement reflectors.

The chrome rim was also only suited for the sealed beam.

The original is a very thin piece which slips onto the end of bucket opening.

Check your glass as it may be different.

You need 3 angle ones and 3 brackets which takes the spring inside a spring.

Hope this helps, let me know if you need more photo's.

Peter

20210209_092359.jpg

20210209_085810.jpg

20210209_085843.jpg

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  • 9 months later...
On 2/8/2021 at 5:44 PM, wangwilko said:

Hi Joe, have a look at these.

The reflector I had only suited the sealed beam, so I had to find replacement reflectors.

The chrome rim was also only suited for the sealed beam.

The original is a very thin piece which slips onto the end of bucket opening.

Check your glass as it may be different.

You need 3 angle ones and 3 brackets which takes the spring inside a spring.

Hope this helps, let me know if you need more photo's.

Peter

20210209_092359.jpg

20210209_085810.jpg

20210209_085843.jpg

I have had several C7 and C8 headlights completely apart and I believe the above is NOT part of either...

 

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks Wangwilko.  I definitely have a Chrysler Airstream C8, and my headlight assemblies match an NOS headlight from a 1936 Chrysler Airstream so I am pretty confident that the setup I have is correct.  Maybe the factory used different setups based on availability?

 

Joe

On 12/4/2021 at 3:11 AM, wangwilko said:

I think joe is doing a Desoto Airstream S1 and not a Chrysler.

My Desoto Airstream Delux has these and they work fine.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've been thinking long and hard about the Chrysler headlights. Definitely a bad design. A very long time ago I ask an guy how to remove the lens. He showed me on his car, you push up on top top of the lens and pull out on the bottom.  Well after several years of studying these lights and looking at the info here, along with dismantling several of my lights, it's obvious that is was not correct.

On the flip side, it looks like a very good modification.  First the locking screw almost never works. If removed there is a possibility of the lens falling out .   By removing the travel limiting parts for the top of the lens it is obviously possible to push the lens up and remove it, leaving the lock screw in place. Gravity is now working in your favor.    This explains why I found several of those travel limiting parts bent over flat or broken off.

I hate to mod.things like this but they definitely don't work well the way they are.

 

Eric

Edited by VW4X4
GRammer.... Not my best subject (see edit history)
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