Thoughts On 'New' Way To Solve Corner Light Mounting Sans Zip TIes...

[IMSARS69]

Hi Folks...

For a 1995 E36 M3...

Have ubiquitous corner light issues (pretty sure Depo's involved... '; )

Won't go into all the history as it's the usual E36 type of saga, but had ended up with Amber Running/Turn Signal Units that had to be zip tied since of course the headlight body tabs weren't extant, since prolly a couple POs ago...

The *single* HD reusable zip tie mounting I'd rigged up was working fine, notwithstanding they were all cattywampus cuz I couldn't get um to cooperate, and hadn't read the dozens of threads about various zip tie options which mighta straightened um up, but all I really cared about was they worked AND stayed put...

That is until a few weeks ago at VIR I musta lost my train ah thought going into T4 (perhaps ah good looking bikini at the fence distracting me... '; ) cuz I was waaay late on applying the ol binders and went off track right, but no biggie as got it turned and headed toward T5A ONLY I had to take a really rough ride over the gators to get back on the hard stuff shak'n the bejeezus outta the car, which with an E36 is a surefire way ta shed sump'n or other... and sure nuff when exiting the track after the session the grid marshal flags me down to let me know that my Driver Side Corner Light was MIA... and that it'd prolly show up when the Corner Workers did their policing up after the days activities... got to my paddock space and sure nuff a beeg ol open hole where the Corner Light was supposed to be with the sorry arse teeny-tiny OEM wires with the equally sorry arse soldering and shrink wrap job a 'buddy' who supposedly had good experience in such stuff had done for me as a 'favor' (but musta been long ago and he'd forgotten any BP he'd once known...) was pitifully hanging out the hole...

So, with Inspection looming and HPDEs coming up to Instruct at, I need to get it fixed, and decided that the zip tie thingie was jes not the best hack possible (kinda like the 99 outta ah 100 YT Videos of how to fix a trunk latch that won't unlock by grinding off part of the mechanism, which to my mind was NOT where the problem was and needed further study, which after more time than I wanna admit to, I solved properly, but that's a story for another time, if I can get to it '; )...

That said, I've come up with what I *think* is a better solution, but would like some input from y'all before following up on it... in a nutshell, it involves popping two holes in the bottom flange of the opening that the Corner Light sits on, and from underneath screwing two coarse thread self tapping screws into the bottom of the CL housing, hopefully firmly holding it to the subject flange, in place as its intended to, and held in place until needing to be removed... would also likely provide a zip tie as back up using one of the aforementioned methods that won't interfere with its proper positioning... Note that I'm not concerned about any intrusion of moisture since the damn lens is already loose along part of the perimeter, and otherwise generally not worried about it...

See the attached pics for the CL having been marked up w/ a Sharpie to determine where the holes should work...


One from underneath that shows the line of the flange edge on the bottom of the CL housing and two marks for proposed location of screw holes...

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One underneath showing the CL opening sans CL with marks on flange for screw holes...

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One above showing the CL opening sans CL with 'X' marks on the flange for screw holes...

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One of the bottom of the CL housing showing the aforementioned flange line and marks for two proposed screw locations... locations to be on other side of flange line from marks and indexed to the holes in the flange after they've been drilled...

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To Sum Up: Pop two holes in lower opening flange, position and secure CL in place (perhaps with a small pilot hole for each self tapping screw), then from underneath screw self tapping screws into CL housing... voila, done and fixed (hopefully)...


Looking for any caveats y'all might wanna point out to be aware of... I feel that IF done judiciously with the right screws, they will hold and the plastic will be stout nuff to allow for a sufficient grip to sustain other than the nastiest gators in the future... '; )


Am also including a pic of the Passenger Side underneath the CL area which has a sheet metal cube shaped box, that's in the way for good access I haven't been able to ID... having dug all through RealOEM diagrams and such, so if anyone can help out with that please ID it for me...

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TIA...

db

IMSA RS 69
'ol corps rac'r
Rac'n Class of '69
Car #69