Rear light assembly

[helicopterdcr]

There's a gap between the stop light lens and the overider on the back end of my car.  I haven't touched it since getting the car and have only just noticed it. Is there something missing, or is it badly put together? It's the same on both sides. All advice welcome.

Cheers, Dave

[bxbodger]

The over-riders are held by long bolts passed from inside the boot through tubes- a slight bash on the back would put them slightly out of line. The panel behind the over-rider may also be a bit bent.A bit of judicious bending and thumping of the mounting panel tubes is called for!!

You could try slackening the bottom of the two bolts a bit first, which will allow the over-rider to swing up a bit to fill the gap.

Then, of course, the bumper bar may not quite line up with the over-rider, meaning some valence panel adjusment may be needed...........  ::)

An hour or so's fiddling should fix it.

[helicopterdcr]

Thanks bx... It's going to take me a bit over an hour to do this. I did some experimental loosening of the lower bolt (which seems to have a captive nut at the other end - or not?) and the overider didn't loosen up - nor when I loosened off the top one. I'm reluctant to undo things completely and end up with an overider flapping around and me being unable to put it back! I might leave it as a sleeping dog as it were...Cheers, Dave

[1971vitesse]

Hi Dave

You are right, if these things havent been off in a while then the chances are the captive nuts on the overrider will be seized and you will end up knackering the overriders, or you can fit new captive nuts and brackets.  I would soak them over night with WD40 or something and try and be gentle with them.

how do the overriders fit over the rear valance?  Are they snug or are there gaps there also?

Cheers
David

[helicopterdcr]

Hi David, the overiders fit the valance (by that I mean the rear bumper and underneath that) nice and snugly. I think I'll probably leave well alone and fashion some rubber to fit in the gap...not original, but workmanlike like. Otherwise I think I'll be into trying to move the bottom of the car upwards to solve a really minor issue!  Cheers, Dave

[heraldcoupe]

Probably down to a rear valance replacement which isn't quite aligned. I fitted up a car for a "professional" restorer where the rear overider had to be modified with an angle grinder to make it fit. Said restorer is no longer in business......
Cheers,
Bill.

[100+]

All part of the charm of when cars were screwed together by humans, I reckon.

Last week I put on a pair of Overriders from Bill, and very pleased I am too.  Like yours, the fit isn't totally 100% perfect, but perfectly acceptable I believe.

If you're fiddling around with them, my top tip would be to slap some anti-rust wax on the insides; at least you'll have peace of mind, even if there is the odd gap here and there.

[helicopterdcr]

Excuse my ignorance (nice overiders btw), but are the 2-flag adornments original, or just for specific year(s)? Transfer or metal badge? How can I tell if my car is a Mk 1 or 2 convertible? Cheers, Dave

[heraldcoupe]

The crossed flag badges are cast in a red metal (a bronze of some kind) and are enamelled. They are original to all Herald Convertibles until approximately 1969, so the last 13/60s don't have them. They were also fitted to all Herald Coupes from the beginning of 1960. The Vitesses had longer side trims which covered the area where the badges sat on the Heralds.
Replica badges are made but they are bright gilt finishes, they look very cheap and nasty compared to the bronze originals. Maybe OK on a blinged up pimpmobile....
Mk1 or Mk2? I'm guessing this is a Vitesse then? Mk1s have a swing axle rear suspension, Mk2s have rotoflex  - look underneath for big ruber doughnuts on the driveshafts of the Mk2. Lots of other clues between types, but any of them could be changed to make the car look later/earlier. All Vitesse 2-litre Convertibles will have a commission number beginning HC and anding CV (or CV O if overdrive was fitted from new). Mk1 numbers will be up to 12079, Mk2 numbers start at 50001.
Cheers,
Bill.

[100+]

Good spot chap.  These were not fitted to Vitesses (I think?). Instead, there is a short piece of trim, which continuues from the filler neck towards the fin.

There's a massive thread on the subject of what the flags signify....I hope the moderators don't mind if I post this link to a different club's thread:

http://www.tssc.org.uk/messageboard.asp?board=herald&section=20030509111659595038314&topic=2006081419072316715404

They are a brass backed enamel badge, and the theme is nautical, but read all about that in the link above.

Now, the sharper of you will have noticed that my 'Vitesse' started life as a 13/60!  It was converted before we got the car 20 years ago, so please purists, don't shoot me!

The Mk1/Mk2 question is easy.  All to do with the bonnet grill, among other things, like mk2 badges on the front wings.  A Mk1 Vitesse has a 'mesh' style grill, wheras a Mk2 has a horizontal aluminium 3 bar affair.  Mine's a Mk2 grill.

I've just seen that Bill has done the deed, and beaten me to it (I type slowly!), but I'll leave my post in anyway. Cheers, Russ