Have reflectors that have rust spots on the silver plating. What do people normally do (eg. chrome) or rather than silver electrolysis has any one tried the silver spray on plating?
Thanks
Norbert
Jetzt mache ich meinen Karmann und Käfer zusammen.
My Son had his early beetle headlight reflectors chromed...
excellent looking...
tough too...
cheaper to replace with new sealed beam H4 or semi sealed H4
headlamps...
semi sealed Hellas have flat glass lens...
sealed beam hella h4 are curved lenses...
Lee
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---
I have had quite a few reflectors and bumpers re chromed over the years and it has been very successful. Coffs Chrome or Hamilton Chrome in Islington both do excellent work.
Thanks Guy's,
Looks like chroming is the way to go.
Norbert
Jetzt mache ich meinen Karmann und Käfer zusammen.
🤪 ok then.
you know hella still manufacture reflectors with the proper Aluminum deposition.
71 notchback,
Past owner of, 70 NB, 73 SB and 72 FB TLE
I am about to buy some of these. Only catch is you need to have a contact within Europe to fwd them to you as they say they will not ship to Australia.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160472065489&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:ITchrome is wrong, gives off a 'black' light. should be silver plated or the modern aluminium coating.
vw heritage in the UK sell genuine hella reflectors and Lenses.
Lenses are German made and the reflectors are make in the UK hella factory.
I did my snooping before I contacted James as vw heratage. I crosschecked all the PNs on hella's site and located which factories they are made in.
Was like 40 or 24 GBP to send 2 lenses and 2 reflectors. I forgot which prices it was 😀
I also have 2 NOS reflectors leftover in my cupboard 😏 95-98% good
71 notchback,
Past owner of, 70 NB, 73 SB and 72 FB TLE
Vlad,
The reflectors that you have will they fit or are they the same as a 1961 KG? if so, are you willing to sell them?
Norbert
Jetzt mache ich meinen Karmann und Käfer zusammen.
The KG lenses and reflectors are smaller diameter than the beetle/ type 3 units, so DO NOT fit.
VW Heritage lists all the other parts for Type 1 KG European/ Australian headlight assemblies EXCEPT the reflectors. I don't believe these are being made new.
The RHD lenses are listed at 85 pounds each.
They have sealed beam units listed, but these mount differently. They also have complete LHD assemblies for 179 pounds each, not sure if these are European type and can have the lenses changed for RHD.
If you think it is hard/ expensive getting type 1 ghia parts, try finding parts for the Type 3 KG
Hi VW-Variant,
Sometimes they come up on the german ebay. If you type Scheinwerfer and keep looking they will eventually come up.
Norbert
Jetzt mache ich meinen Karmann und Käfer zusammen.
As redkg said you will have shitty lights if you just get the reflectors ordinary chrome dipped.
It looks as though Euro and Aus spec Ghias ran the Hella clip together style headlights like bug, baywindow and type 3 just with different rims and the adjusters in different location.
Suppliers all seem to market the newer semi-sealed lights that fit bug/type3 and baywindow as fitting KGs though.
Depends how original you want to be.
You can get the original Hella clip together style lights in RHD lenses here in Aus but they aint cheap at $170 each and are only in bug/type3/kombi style by the looks
Unless you aiming for totally stock OEM i wouldn't bother with the old clip together style, they are a shitty design and VW swapped to semi-sealed on all the euro/aus spec cars in 74 for a reason.
Hi Joel,
You're right, and I know its a bit anal, but would to stay as stock as possible understanding that they are a b!@#h to adjust and not particularly bright. Have bought driving lights for that reason.
If I change my mind, there is another option which is reasonably standard and will fit and are not to expensive in the US and accommodate the H4 lights that I was looking at.
Jetzt mache ich meinen Karmann und Käfer zusammen.
That's the setup I run in mine now, you can get all that here in Aus.
Joel,
Great, would prefer to buy them here. Who stocks them?
Jetzt mache ich meinen Karmann und Käfer zusammen.
Joel,
Great, would prefer to buy them here. Who stocks them?
Jetzt mache ich meinen Karmann und Käfer zusammen.
Thanks Joel.
Jetzt mache ich meinen Karmann und Käfer zusammen.
When you read the description on these reflectors they are also genuine Hella.
hi, i am also looking to fix my ghia lights. the set up last spoken of, from autobahn/ebay, is wot joel put on his car? if so is it a kg or a beetle. one earlier post said kg and bug are diff. please let us know if u use this setup, how it goes on u kg. thanks greg
Greg, it's in a bug
If you're starting from scratch and want to use ones like that you need those mounting buckets which fix them in the guards and adjust the aim then just pick the type you like.
A Ghia would look best with the curved glass headlights as they match the originals quite well.
thanks joel, do u know if the original headlight surrounds fit the same. the chrome trim that is
I haven't had anything to do with KG headlights but if they are anything like bug ones which they certainly look same design once something is mounted in there the rims can be bolted back on to cover it up yes.
