Dissembling of the Headlights on a 1937 Buick Special

[37 Buick Special]

This is probably a really simple question but can anyone direct me to where I can find the information on replacing a headlight bulb. I don't see anything in the owners manual and there doesn't seem to be anything externally obvious on the light to remove the lens. Couldn't find anything on the pre war Buick forum either. 

Thank you for any help you can offer.

Dave

[pont35cpe]

Should be a screw near the bottom of the headlight door(bezel). Back the screw out and bezel can then be removed.

[37 Buick Special]

Thank you Pont35cpe,

I saw the two recessed screw heads under the bucket but thought they were both for adjustment; one up and down and the other left to right. But I see only one is for adjustment. I wonder if there are any vendors that resilver the reflectors?

Thanks again!

Dave

[pont35cpe]

That has been discussed on the forum before, someone will speak up.

[Bloo]

I do believe there is left and right as well as up and down? If I remember correctly, the buckets do not move on a 37, so the lens and reflector have to, I believe with screws. I know where one of these cars is to look at, but I can't get at it right now. I couldn't get anything useful from the shop manual either. @MCHinson, are you reading this thread?

 

Typically we expect a headlight rim on a Multibeam headlight (which this is) to have a screw going SIDEWAYS at the bottom of the rim, which is split, and a little flat spot at the bottom of the lens to clear the sideways screw. I'm wracking my brain, but can't remember if the 37 Buick is like this or not.

 

For resilvering, you may have 2 options. One involves sending the reflector to a plater for high polish nickel, and then sending them to UVIRA in Oregon for a deposited aluminum finish coated with glass, like a telescope mirror. I'm not sure you can get this done anymore, maybe. It is not subject to tarnish, so it is lower maintenance. The other option is original silver, and there are several companies who can do that. I had mine done at Frank Mance Plating in Pittsburgh, PA after seeing pictures of @Terry Wiegand's reflectors. I was very happy with the results.

 

 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Bloo (see edit history)

[37 Buick Special]

Thank you Bloo. One screw is a flathead and other rounded. The flathead is perpendicular to the car and the rounded one in line. Maybe the rounded is for up and down and the flat holds the bezel. Could the side to side adjustment be inside the bucket?

Thank you for the silver plating tip, I suspect I will go that route.

Here are couple of images. 

Thanks again Bloo.

D.

[Bloo]

Yes, that last one is the one you want. Loosen it up a whole bunch of turns, and try to pop the ring off of the housing. It's just hooked over the edge of the housing. You might have to spread the gap somehow at the bottom if it is stubborn. Use both hands and make sure the lens doesn't go flying. As built, there are wire clips attaching the lens to the ring. They might be missing or no longer solid. If you need clips, bobsautomobilia.com might have them. There's probably a cork gasket between the lens and the reflector. It could be stuck. The lens is supposed to come with the ring, but it could try to stay.

 

It's just hooked in a notch like the one around the outside of this Pontiac:

 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2022 by Bloo (see edit history)

[MCHinson]

Loosen the screw inside the bottom of the headlight ring, while carefully holding the lens and headlight ring. The lens should be held in the ring with a few small spring clips, but if they have rusted away, the lens could fall out when you remove the ring. The bottom of the ring should pull off after you loosen the screw, and then you can lift the assembly up to clear the tab in headlight ring that goes into a hole in the top of the headlight bucket. There are screws accessible from inside the engine compartment at the rear of the headlight pod to adjust left and right, but I have never had to adjust those. The screw accessible through the hole in the bottom of the front of the headlight pod just behind the headlight ring is for the up and down adjustment of the reflector. I had Frank Mance Plating do my headlight reflectors in Silver and they work well. 

 

On my 1938 Century Restoration Story as well as my story about my 1937 Roadmaster Convertible Phaeton, I have some more text and photos covering the headlight/headlight lens/headlight reflectors. I can post some additional photos or find a link to those if needed. 

[Grimy]

Generous, even profligate, use of wide masking tape helps prevent lens breakage--including taping the lens and bezel to the headlamp body with just a little slack to allow the lens and bezel to move out of place just a little.  I *try* to have an assistant keep a hand on the lens anyway when breaking the lens and bezel assembly free of the headlight body.

[37 Buick Special]

Bloo, MCHinson and Grimy,

Thank you all for your postings. All good information and very valuable to me. Similar to my 39 Ford but some definite differences and you'alls advice could save me a very unfortunate incident.  MCHinson, would love to have a link to your restoration and the headlights. Grimy, thanks for the tape suggestion, that I will do with padding below and an extra pair of hands.

Thank you gentlemen, you have been extremely helpful.

Dave

[MCHinson]

8 hours ago, 37 Buick Special said:

MCHinson, would love to have a link to your restoration and the headlights.

Here you go. These two topics cover a bit more than just headlights but hopefully they will help you with your headlights and also additional 1937/1938 Buick information.

 

I would also suggest you check out the 36-38 Buick Club and consider joining. http://www.3638buickclub.org/

If you send me your email address via a private message on this forum or through the contact the webmaster link on the 36-38 Buick Club website, I will be happy to email you a .pdf sample copy of the club newsletter. 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2022 by MCHinson (see edit history)

[EmTee]

Please don't use duct tape! 

 

[MCHinson]

4 minutes ago, EmTee said:

Please don't use duct tape! 

 

But duct tape did work well to save the headlight lenses in the rain on the trip from MA to NC. 

[Gary W]

Here's my post on headlight rebuild:

 

 

 

 

My notes

 

 

 

[37 Buick Special]

MCHinson and Gary,

Thank you, I was a member some time ago. I will figure out how to send you my email.

 

Thanks Gary (if I didn't thank you already) for sending me your notes.

 

Lenses came  off quite easily. Getting the reflectors out looks a bit more challenging. On we go!

[MCHinson]

Removing the reflectors are not too difficult. If you press in slightly on the reflectors, you will see two small clips, one on each side of each reflector, inserted into the hardware that hold the reflectors. You can grab the clips with a pair of needle nose pliers and remove the two clips (if they don't fall out when you push in the reflectors). As soon as your remove those two clips, you can pull the reflector out of the headlight pod. 

[37 Buick Special]

MCHinson,

Thank you very much, great information. A valuable asset this forum. That worked out just fine however now there are 3 pins holding the plug to the reflector. They have small springs behind the reflector and there doesn't seem a way to disconnect them. The heads are pointed and they have a thread-like appearance to the shafts Something is holding the bottom of the shafts to the bulb socket as the spring is applying pressure. Odd setup. Nothing like 1937 technology. See photos. Any direction very much appreciated. 

Dave 

[Gary W]

You have it.  Just push the single pin towards the middle of the reflector hole, then the other two will come right out.

 

Just for reference. 

 

This is how the sockets look when removed from the reflectors.  (I soldered the ground wire tab onto the bottom)

 

 

Those pins are held by spring pressure only.  push that lower, lone pin towards the center, and the socket will come out.

 

[37 Buick Special]

Excellent Gary!! Thank you once again. I noted the one pin seemed moveable in its location but didn't want to force it for fear of damaging it. Much appreciated.

Dave