Dino Saga 070415 _ Side Marker #3

Dino Saga 070415 _ Side Marker #3

Put the marker light u-clamp up against a belt sander and flattened top and bottom edges. Only had to take off about 0.04” in the center. Then experimented with the top of the fender opening. I could push in on the center and get a straight line. Metal on each side just bulged out a little. Decided to see if I could just straighten things out by over bending. Turns out that my fingers were strong enough to permanently move things. Just concentrated on a couple of inches at a time and in 3 tries the line was straight. Didn’t bother the paint at all. Put the bezel in and it looked great, compared to the old one anyway. Put the rubber gasket and lens in, put the clamp on and applied mild Loctite to the studs. Ran the nuts on just finger tight and checked that all was flush. Looked good so replaced fender splash panel and was done. Much more better!

Just for the heck of it I went out to the local bone yard and asked if they had any Fiat 124 Spiders. Turns out they had two that were rusting away far in their back lot. Hiked a little and found the remains. First one had all side markers in place but they were longer than those on the Dino, flush with the body (not recessed) and had double lenses. Second one had lights the right size but again flush with the body. Looked like the same lens as the Dino but bezel was much different. Funny thing, the left front marker was missing. Someone probably had a scrape on their Spider and had pulled it long ago. Looked like the bezels were all the same, front and rear, left and right. Only difference was in color of lenses. Yellow in front, red in back.

Looks like the Dino bezels started out having straight tops and bottoms. The rear ones mount on relatively flat surfaces. The curve of the front fenders is quite significant and just cutting a rectangular hole in the standard body is not enough. The curve has to be flattened in some way. Would have been easy before painting. Was a little scary with new paint but I got away with it. Have to believe that no one at the factory could have predicted that the plastic bezel would cold flow the way it did. Be good to check the marker openings when any body work is being done. Pass my story on to the body shop guys before they very carefully put the curve back into the marker opening. My left front has been straightened a number of times but right has never been touched. The shop has always just matched sides and done very fine work.

The only reason I got into this marker adventure was because I wanted to save some money on the paint job. Removing all of the lights and accessories myself helped a lot. And I questioned each part as I cleaned it up and replaced it. In the past, the shop just replaced the parts they took off without worrying about right or wrong or funny shape. You learn a lot when you do it yourself. I’ll have to admit that Omgjon is overdoing it a little. But he is going to be THE real expert when he is done. Except for the marker lights!

John
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Synchro,

Started talking about markers a few weeks ago. One thing led to another, and a second Saga, and finally this third. Here is where it started:
http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=144065&highlight=dino+side+markers
http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=145766&highlight=dino+saga+Side+Marker

Got feedback about Fiats but looking at pictures said Maybe? Called GT and the rest you can see.

John

 

I believe the slight bow in the u-clamp guarantees that there is always pressure on the centers of the bezel top and bottom edges. I straightened the top and bottom edges of the fender opening and modified the clamp to match. Finger tight on the retaining nuts should stop the bellying of the top and bottom of the bezel. Clamp touches body at the 4 corners. Might even reverse some existing distortion. We will see.

John

Coop, Thanks for the heads up. Interesting that all but one bezel has straight top and bottom. Will see if I can get a front pair. JC