How to remove headlamp?

[1969Mk3Spitfire]

I have dim headlamps on one side only so fairly sure that it will be a dodgy earth connection.  My Haynes WSM unhelpfully says "use the special tool provided"

Can anyone please oblige me and tell me how to remove the bezel and lamp assembly?

Car is Mk3 Spitfire.

Many thanks.

[Josef]

The outer bezel should just be a push fit. So using something suitably unlikely to damage the paint you can lever it off from the lowest point you can access on the edge of the wing. Then the headlamp retainer is held to the bowl by three screws, undo those and it’ll probably just fall out so make sure to hold the headlamp unit!

[Colin Lindsay]

I'd get hold of a plastic trim tool, so not to damage paint; then unhook the chrome rim at the bottom (you may see a small rivet head where the spring clip is installed so that'll tell you where to pull) and pull outwards until you're able to move it upwards, too, then it'll unhook at the top and can be lifted off.

[1969Mk3Spitfire]

Thanks @Josef and @Colin Lindsay. Job done. It must have been one of the most satisfying jobs I’ve done on the car. Cleaned the connection, fixed the issue and no added to the “jobs to do” list as a result of my intervention.

The wsm should have mentioned that wearing a pair of yellow marigolds is required in order to exert the necessary force on to the bezel when refitting 😁

[Josef]

I wish I’d thought to ask you for some photos of the clips while you had it off. I replaced the rusted stubs of some on my bowls with new ones that I’m pretty sure are different to what was originally fitted. Mostly out of nosiness, I have shiny headlamp rims on the car and they don’t appear to be rushing to throw themselves off so they can stay put!

[1969Mk3Spitfire]

15 hours ago, Josef said:

I wish I’d thought to ask you for some photos of the clips while you had it off. I replaced the rusted stubs of some on my bowls with new ones that I’m pretty sure are different to what was originally fitted. Mostly out of nosiness, I have shiny headlamp rims on the car and they don’t appear to be rushing to throw themselves off so they can stay put!

Still not really sure of the “correct” procedure and I can’t imagine what the “special” tool looks like or indeed works to release the spring clip. Access looks challenging.

Based upon your two inputs above, I simply used a plastic lever, from my body trim removal tools pack, and started at the 3 o’clock position to lever off the bezel. It “popped” remarkably readily. The spring is located at about 5 o’clock.

To refit, I located the bezel from 12 o’clock first, then pushed down, left hand anti-clockwise and right hand clockwise. I’d cleaned and polished the bezel while it was off so it was a bit slippery and I didn’t have the strength to push it home without help from the marigolds. It then “popped” home.