The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Rear Fender Brace ?

The braces were held on by rivets than bondo over them for smooth on exposed side. The holes are 7/32" inch ?
Did you guys buy smooth top rivets (see pics)? If so where? Or use regular pop rivets?

[IMG]http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL1061/3611363/24441783/407870023.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL1061/3611363/24441783/407870024.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL1061/3611363/24441783/407870025.jpg[/IMG]

Mine have been bondo'd over too. I plan on re-drilling the holes (from the underside) and using 3/16 carriage bolts. The heads look like rivet heads.

Joe

BTW looks like Transport Blue under that Bondo

Hah. May look blue, but is actually a lighter green than the surface paint.

Rivets are exposed from factory. I plan on puddle welding holes closed in bracket. Then I will puddle weld bracket to fender through holes in fender. Grind smooth, a little plastic filler and done.

That seems a good way to attach and clean up the bracket.

I'm kind of partial to the rivets showing, even if they aren't exactly practical.

Original was with the rivet heads showing. Disadvantage to
permanently attaching the brace to the fender is when you
are handling the fender during body work, such as stripping,
straightening, sanding, painting the brace just gets in the
way.
Replacement 'rivet head stove bolts are available from here:
http://www.parts123.com/0000014a/GM...evrolet_rivet_head_bolt_set-gm-1121k.htm

Denny G.

Thanks Denny! I had looked at their catalog, but missed them.
I think I'll go with that style. Just welding in a small patch and cleaning the fender has my attention now. But thanks, again.

Denny,

Were those rivet heads painted or left natural?

Thanks,

We've hashed this out in years past, that is the
assembly sequence. Since the beds were painted with
the fenders in place at the factory Tim, I'm 'bout
99.9% sure they would have been painted. Makes no
sense to assemble the bed/fender assembly with out the
center brace being riveted and bolted in place. At
least I've never seen one that didn't have them
painted unless it was an attempted restoration of
some sort.
If your restoring one and you choose to wait till the fender is
painted before putting the brace in, then it's a simple matter
to take a dab of touch-up paint to the rivet head.

I realize that there are some guys that choose to level off all
of the spot welds, seams, low spots, waves and such in an effort
to make their Stovebolt look like a 2014 Silverado and that's
just fine with me. There are those that insist on
installing welting between the bed and fender also,
even though millions of Stovebolts were delivered
without it and seemed to survive for some odd reason,
for well over a half century. But.... if you're goal
is a "restoration" then I'd leave the rear fender
center brace rivet heads showing and just paint them.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Thanks, Denny

I paint them, too. I remember the former discussion on this. Seems a good idea to also have this info in this thread, too.

IF you decide to put a coat of filler over the rivet, you should weld the rivet head to the fender first. If you don't you run the risk of movement causing the filler to really ruin your day.

Best to just leave the rivet showing, but its personal choice.

Deve, Just ordered the rivets today and plan on just painting them as per advice received. The cracking of the filler was exactly what happened among other rust issues. But at least my patch welding is done and I am well on the way to primer. Might even post a pic or two when done. It's bragging, but we all like pics here.