Big HUGE Problem... Need Help!
 

While washing my prized posession the other day ('82 SC Coupe) I noticed that the trim screw for the right headlight ring had fallen out. Turns out that the weld nut in the headlight bucket is stripped. What would be the best way to repair it besides chewing gum or red locktite? Thanks.

You should be able to find one of those clip-on screw holes at Home Depot or Trak Auto. It's the same kind that holds the tailight assemblies to the rear fenders. I can't remember right here and now what the inside of that headlight cup looks like. but I think such a clip would cost next to nothing and you could just drill it to the desired diameter.

there is a product similiar to a "pop-rivet" which installs a threaded cylinder into the hole in which you can fasten a screw.

saw one in a www.harborfreight.com catalog.

On my '70 the clip in the bracket was rusted and broke off. I had a piece of scrap aluminum angle, about 3/4" x 3/4" in the workshop so cut a small piece off the and pop riveted it into the headlight bucket and drilled a hole for the screw. One of those rare repairs that took about 10 minutes and cost nothing.

Good luck.

Mine did the same thing. After a futile attempt to tap the hole to accept the OEM screw, I just picked up a slightly larger diameter self-tapping screw. It had held fine for a couple years, even with a few R&Rs.

Thanks, everyone, for the advice.

Paul Brewer

I have this massive, dangerous, problem too, and I'm wondering if it could cause the end of life as we know it. My approach has been to screw the fastener into the stripped tab anyway. The tab is not holidng the fastener, but the fastener also does not seem to come out.

It might be important to keep your speed up while you drive, just in case. Anything above 85 mph should be safe.