The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 47 to 55 rear fender rivets

Sorry to ask about these, I know it's been discussed here in the past. But if someone has a quick answer, were these rivets a special type or size that GM used, or can they be purchased easily at a hardware store or on-line? Need two of them to rework the passenger side rear fender. Just hoping the original type rivet would be available. If anyone has any advice on these, I look forward to hearing from you. Any special assembly tool required. Thanks, Tom

I don't know how readily available they are but a fellow bolter provided me some and I can share the wealth. Shoot me a PM with your information and I will drop them in the mail.

Hopefully, the picture is included when I post this note... these are the rivets that Kevin Hansen said best match the originals.

Hanson Rivet Company? Does Kevin own that place?

I take small carriage head bolts, chuck them in a cordless drill and work them against a bench grinder until they match the shape of original rivet head. I then epoxy prime and have them painted body color with all of the other small parts when its time for final paint.
No cumbersome/awkward riveting, and the rivet headed bolts won't get chipped and rust after you tighten the nuts down.

Actually the ones that Gib70 posted are what I used to reattach the cowl vent. But I still have semi-tubular rivets that will work well for the rear fender brace.

@3800GUY, To set semi-tubular rivets, you'll need a rivet setting punch. Those are available from Amazon as a set of various sizes. Shoot me a PM with your address and I'll send you a few or the rivets. I have two different lengths, depending on the thickness of the metal being riveted. Or WiCruiser has some to share also (he got them from me.)

Or Carl's idea would work well also.

No, Otto, I don't own Hanson Rivet, those guys are Swedes, but Hansen is Danish.

I guess I should be happy to know that I was destined to use the incorrect rivets for the rear fenders... I had a fourth grade teacher who used to give me a hug most days and say to me, "twice for the normal mind, 3 times for you, Patrick". I thought she was sweet on me. It was during the eight grade (same school) that I heard her say the same thing to some fourth grader. It was at that point that I realized that she was not giving me a compliment.

The replacments I offered are in the mail so hopefully they arrive and will work for him.

The heart wants what the heart wants. She was indeed sweet on you. Maybe she liked her young men on the slow side.
Rivets, yes rivets. That's what we were talking about. Rivets.
I found so much joy out of making my fake rivets out of small carriage bolts. Those are the kinds of things that I enjoy about this hobby.
Back before there were a multitude of aftermarket suppliers and the internet where you could find and access them, I was forced to fix a bunch of jacked up old worn out parts. It gave me a great sense of pride to make something work like new that we normally would throw in the scrap pile today. Notice I did not say "Throw away". That is blasphemous in my little world.

Original is always a good way go, but I like the innovative approach described by Carl.

Thank you all for the information/ideas you have shared. Looking forward to receiving the rivets from WICruiser, thanks so much for your offer. Trying to work out all sorts of small dings and dents accumulated over the years. Front lower area where it meets the running board is basically non existent. Do have a patch for it though, just a bunch of work ahead. Flange area where it attaches to the box side also needing lots of attention. Probably wondering why I just wouldn't get a different fender, and I wonder the same thing sometimes. But I just want the satisfaction of fixing it, so that's my plan. Again thanks to all.
Tom

I know what you mean about the satisfaction of fixing things. My passenger side rear fender was rusty on the box attachment and at the front as well as a bug chunk rusted out of the lower rear. I managed to get it back in shape. You can do it too.

Here's some pics with a couple shots of the installed rivets that WICruiser is sending you.

Kevin, thank you for those pictures, that turned out great. I have looked at your photos many times for reference and will do so many more times I'm sure before my truck work concludes. I have seen those rivet setting tools online but have yet to purchase one, I guess I have a reason to now. For what it is worth, it's the passenger side fender we are dealing with here. Unfortunately, the front lower part of my fender is basically gone, it's above the body line by about an inch (about where those markings are in the photo above). The patch I have does not go that high, so I guess I will have to try and build that area from scratch. No clues yet on how to do that other than lots of small pieces welded together. If anyone has advice on that part of it - I'm all ears! Thanks for all the great info.
Tom

Tom, It's going to be difficult to form that line if you don't have the original shape to go by, but it can be done. If your driver's fender is OK there, you can make some templates and transfer them to the passenger side. Not impossible. Those marks you see are references for where the bolt holes attaching the fender to the running board go, and to locate the bottom of the patch. Once you get that done, you'll be an expert with hammer and dolly.

The drivers side fender is in decent shape and that front lower area is all there. Main problem with that fender is the flange for fastening to the box sides. So yes, if I can make a mirror image of that lower front body line area, just have to wait and see how it goes (not quickly by any means). But if we never try, we never will learn anything, so I will go for the challenge. Maybe I'll try and supply a picture or two as this happens.
Tom