Headlights are a very odd thing to steal if your plan is to immediately sell them. I would have thought that sort of thing only happened if someone needed them for their own car.
I agree, and after having met the seller/bought the lights, I'm pretty sure he was just selling them because he'd bought a nicer newer set for his Fiesta
How much are money are we talking about?
Only (only!) about £60 - not much in the grand scheme of things and a good price for 2 x headlights in great condition (AND they also turned out to have all three bulbs in each one working!) but still £60 more than I would have paid if some *****
******* hadn't nicked my headlights!
How do you take headlights out without opening the bonnet?
It looks like they HAD in fact forced the bonnet open... the front grille was also missing (with Ford badge et al!) and so I assume they'd done that trick where you bend a coat hanger, push it through the tiny hole where the 'secondary' bonnet release goes into the engine compartment (i.e. the handle you pull at the front after you've pulled the lever in the passenger foot well...). I'm actually relieved they did that rather than smashing my window and pulling the release in there, but they obviously didn't want to make much noise (it was literally parked outside my flat...).
Anyway, I've bought those lights and fitted them, but now my issue is that whatever they did to force the bonnet open has damaged the bonnet release mechanism so even tho I could open it to fit the new headlights, after I shut it (to go to Halfords to buy screws to secure the new lights) I couldn't get the bonnet open again...! I actually spent about 2hrs on hands and knees trying to unlock the clasp with all manner of tools; I even re-removed the replacement headlights so I could stick my head into the engine compartment and get a good look at the mechanism but it's too tight to get any decent tools in there and even with my bear hands I couldn't make the little 'clasp' thing budge enough to release the 'hoop' holding the bonnet closed.... I think they may well have bent it out of alignment....!
so I think a trip to the mechanic is next
But at least I can now legally drive it there with my newly installed (not 'secured' with screws but held in by the bonnet that won't open...!) headlights!
If anyone has any tips on how to open a Fiesta bonnet where the locking clasp has seized, let me know!!
