regarding mounting the headlight buckets to the vanagon body solidly..
one could also use a 'bedding compound' ..
something pliable to fill in uneven areas..
to help 'stick' the thing in place..
to seal out moisture , etc.

nothing too permanent of course.
The Right Stuff would be about right ...a very thin bead..
helps seat everything, hold it in place, yet comes apart easily when needed.

on a boat ..any cleat or deck fitting is mounted with screws or
through-bolts and *always* a bedding compound of some sort.  It only makes
sense.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2011 8:26 AM
Subject: Re: Mounting SA Grille Inner Lights

>  Some concern has been expressed about vibration loosening up the
> screws and the lights getting out of alignment. This won't happen
> because there are four screws put in for each light. Only two screw
> holes are enlarged, leaving the other two exactly the size of the screw.
> Once those two screws are put in place, the light mount will not move.
> If there is any insecurity about this, then it is easy enough to put in
> another screw or two.
>
> Since I did this, I have realized that I could have simply drilled a
> single  hole - aligned with the factory holes but bigger in diameter -
> centered in both the upper and lower mount bracket, and used this to set
> the light in the right position, using the same concept of the screws
> being tight - but not so tight I could not move the light with some
> pressure from my fingers. Once in place, the grille is removed, the two
> screws tightened, and the existing factory holes in the frame used as a
> guide to drill new holes in the vehicle body. Once mounted, those two
> center screws could be removed. Doing it this way, the factory screw
> holes are not modified, but left intact.
>
> But that whole business of trying to tape the lights in place to get the
> new screw holes right is anathema.
>
> John
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
>
> On 8/22/2011 1:49 AM, Aristotle Sagan wrote:
>> You are not worried vibrations gonna knock them out of  wack eventually?
>>
>> tim in san  jose
>>
>> On Sun, Aug 21, 2011 at 9:24 PM, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net
>> <mailto:inua@charter.net>> wrote:
>>
>>      I have finally gotten around to installing the VW South African
>>     grille
>>     on my van. When attempting to install the lights, I found the the
>>     alignment issue to be a royal PITA!.
>>
>>     On my van, I needed to drill new holes for the inner light mounts,
>>     since
>>     the old ones didn't match. To position the lights, they have to be
>> put
>>     in place, then the grille installed, the lights positioned, then the
>>     lights held in position and the grille removed. Then the new holes
>>     drilled. I've got news! Holding the lights so they don't move while
>>     screwing around with that grille is almost if not outright
>> impossible.
>>     The light would move slightly every time, and then would be wonky
>>     inside
>>     the grille when the grille was again mounted. I had to find a way
>>     around
>>     this.
>>
>>     The solution:
>>     I set the lights in as near the correct position as possible, then
>>     drilled one upper hole and one lower hole diagonally opposite. Next,
>> I
>>     dismounted the light, and drilled the holes in the mount that were
>>     diagonally opposite to match those just drilled in the body. I then
>>     remounted the lights. I installed a screw in each enlarged hole, and
>>     snugged it down just ever so slightly. This put pressure on the
>>     mount so
>>     it would not move, yet not so tight that I could NOT move it. The
>>     enlarged holes allowed me to move the light mount left and right,
>>     up and
>>     down just a little bit. I then mounted the grille, and with modest
>>     finger pressure, positioned the light exactly in the center of the
>>     grille light opening. The enlarged holes allowed me to do this. I
>>     removed the grille, and the lights stayed put. I just tightened the
>>     screws, then  added the other two, and was done.
>>
>>     This method was far easier than anything I saw described
>>     elsewhere, and
>>     the fact that two screws are through slightly larger holes in the
>>     light
>>     mount matters not a whit. One can always throw in an extra screw
>>     here or
>>     there if needed.
>>
>>     Hope this helps someone else trying to mount the SA Grille Inner
>>     Lights.
>>
>>     John
>>
>>     --
>>     John Rodgers
>>     Clayartist and Moldmaker
>>     88'GL VW Bus Driver
>>     Chelsea, AL
>>     Http://www.moldhaus.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Where ever you are, there you be. Unless you're driving my van, in
>> which case, you ain't got there yet.