Headlight repair for a 1963 Corvette

[Raymond R.]

The left headlight no longer goes up and down on my 63 corvette. The right headlight works fine. If I stick my hand under the hood, everything is loose on the left headlight. The right one is solid, it does not shake like the left one. I think the repair is more than I can handle. Does anyone know a reliable person or place in north or central New Jersey that I can bring the car to for the repair? Thanks for any advice!

[Don H.]

Re: Headlight repair for a 1963 Corvette

try this first,
stick your hand back under the nose to the end of the left headlight motor assembly away from the headlight bucket, and find the 1" diameter "wheel". If you need to stick a mirror under there with a light and look for it. With a finger turn the wheel whichever way it will turn and you will find that your bucket will unbind. The wheel is your manual opening device. Since the buckets operate independently of each other, oftentimes one side will close first before the other, and as you continue to hold the rocker switch you jam the quicker motor tightly closed before the slower one closes. Then if the motors are old and perhaps weak you find that they won't open back up without you first relieving the pressure from the mechanism by turning the wheel. When your left bucket will shake a little like the right one, try your rocker switch again. I bet you will find both buckets operate again. Then you can think about removing both motors and opening up the gearboxes in each, flipping the gears, and re-greasing up. Lots of threads in archives on how to do that.

[Raymond R.]

Re: Headlight repair for a 1963 Corvette

Thanks. I will give it a try.

[Frank D.]

Re: Headlight repair for a 1963 Corvette

Here is a "how to" article on rebuilding the motors - really not that big a deal at all. Worst part is getting them out. You can do it without removing the hood if you push the hood up past the prop rod stop to its fullest height and secure it somehow.

Get new gears though as the 180* 'flip' doesn't always work...

[Raymond R.]

Re: Headlight repair for a 1963 Corvette

I am reluctant to do this, because I tend to make things worse when I try to fix them. I just need the guts to get started and take my time. I figure I will wait until I have a few days off work and follow the article. Thanks for your help.