This has turned into a very interesting thread! I have collected some photos in an effort to create some sort of a "headlamp timeline":


Ram II with stirrup mounts and bucket headlamps on the three-piece final drive housing:
Attachment 130784


Sexton I with stirrup mounts and bucket headlamps on the three-piece final drive housing. Note the style of the guards.
Attachment 130785


Sexton II with stirrup mounts and bucket headlamps on the one-piece final drive housing. This one has the style of guards as on your Shop No. 1164.
Attachment 130786


Sexton II with US socket headlamps mounted high up on the glacis plate:
Attachment 130787


As Adrian pointed out, the Butler/ Lucas headlamps with their mounting was a post-war British modification. As they do not look totally out of place and are part of this Sexton's history, you may well decide to keep them.

Early and late Sexton headlights
 

From the Dec. 1943 parts book (stirrup style lights) and the Dec. 1944 parts book (US-style armoured vehicle pedestal lights). regards, Brian

I'm just in the shop for a couple minutes (leaving with a decorated up vehicle for the Santa parade in the nearby city) so I thought I could add a couple photos of the base of our Sexton headlamp mounts. There clearly was something else going on there before the present brackets were installed. Also a shot of the threaded nut from the wiring loom.

This thread has tempted me to restore the headlamps and brackets that are on this sexton to the original pattern.

Didn’t a number of the surviving Sextons today pass through Portugal post-war, and is it possible modifications were done to the headlamp mounts there that have tossed a little mud in the water when we look at them now?

David

Here’s the current headlamp brackets on our Sexton, which came from Portugal. You can clearly see where the original Stirrup mount was. I think the plan now is to remove the postwar brackets and reinstate the wartime configuration.

Anybody have any tips on welding onto the hull? Does it need to be pre-heated to avoid a brittle weld?

P.S. Correct headlamps now found thanks to BCA.

Attachment 130794

Attachment 130795

Welding onto cast armour is not a problem. Mig or low hydrogen rods both work fine.

Hanno.

This thread seems to have morphed from a simple parts request for the Sexton to a rather interesting discussion on the evolution of Sexton headlamp installations over the vehicles entire service life.

Perhaps this thread needs a new home now.

David

A little preheat is the right way to go, but there are different grades of cast. The true test will be after it is welded on...let it cool then give it the shake test, or even hit the weld with a hammer. Better to find out now than with a headlamp mounted and miles down the road.

I will certainly agree with Adrian that Mig is the way to go.

This is cast steel of course, not cast iron. That requires a totally different technique and weld material.