Front Clip Bolt Kits

303Radar

303Radar

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
I'm at a point to start bolting the front clip back on and I'm looking at bolt kits. I want to make sure I buy a good set the first time.
However, I'm either doing a bad search or Ecklers is the only source. So far, I can only find these:
http://www.lategreatchevy.com/full-size-chevy-body-and-fender-bolts-1958-1964.html
And while I know not to trust product pictures when the pic looks correct, I have a harder time trusting the pics when they don't look complete.
At least the picture for the bolt kit for the front bumper looks remotely correct:
http://www.lategreatchevy.com/full-size-chevy-bumper-mounting-kit-front-good-quality-1959.html

Does anyone have any experience with these or other vendors for bolt kits?
 
tripower

tripower

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Supporting Member 2
I bought a couple sets off epay recently. They have the correct head markings with the anchor and the E.
 
Jim Sullivan

Jim Sullivan

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Eckler's always seems more expensive than everyone else, might be just me though. Just looked at the Car Shop catalog, they have some different bolt sets listed. Here is there web site www.truckandcarshop.com you might want to check to see what they have and compare prices. I have ordered several items from the Car Shop in the past, never had a problem and they will deliver to Carlisle which saves me shipping.
 
pvs409

pvs409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 11
The plated bolts are what I use (I like them much better than painted bolts) but that's not the entire front end set. For one thing you are missing the inner fender clips with the fixed nuts.
Cars Inc in Michigan part # 12383 (251 pieces) for 1959 Chevy.
http://carsinc.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=12383
The kit will be correct from them.
Paul
 
303Radar

303Radar

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
Jim Sullivan said:
Eckler's always seems more expensive than everyone else, might be just me though. Just looked at the Car Shop catalog, they have some different bolt sets listed. Here is there web site www.truckandcarshop.com you might want to check to see what they have and compare prices. I have ordered several items from the Car Shop in the past, never had a problem and they will deliver to Carlisle which saves me shipping.
Click to expand...
I've seen that they are more expensive, but I wasn't having much luck searching elsewhere.
Thanks for the info about the Car Shop catalog, I'll for sure check them out.
 
ragtp66

ragtp66

Well Known Member
It is very hit or miss as to what you will find. The car shop kit for a 58 uses painted rather then plated bolts. Some things seem OK but others are far off. I have tried to re use as many original bolts as possible. Some things I had re cad plated others I had black phosphated but I think I would choose black zinc if I did it over again. One question that has always perplexed me is that it seems like every "original bolt" never has any signs of a socket slipping or the finish marred or anything and I would love to know how GM did it on the lines? I have bought some things from the tri five guys like Danchuk's and some stuff from Paragon Corvette as well as the usual suppliers. I had bought and returned 4 sets of rear e brake cables until I found the Correct style that 58's originally used. Car Shop, Eckler's and even Auto City Classics were not right finally found the correct ones from Schafer's all the others used a black plastic sleeve instead of the correct wire style. It gets very aggravating because you call and ask and the person on the phone of course assures you its right and then you have to pay to ship the wrong part back.


chris
 
1961 Bubble Boy

1961 Bubble Boy

Well Known Member
"One question that has always perplexed me is that it seems like every "original bolt" never has any signs of a socket slipping or the finish marred or anything and I would love to know how GM did it on the lines?"

First, the fasteners quality was carefully controlled and monitored = good parts. Second the assembly was well controlled with special fixtured tools and good access through elevated lines, pits, subassembly fixtures etc.
With cars being built at 40-60 an hour, there is little tolerance for problems and the process is set up to minimize this.
Think about this: Lets say each car sold for $2000 then in just an hour you did $120,000 in sales. At 1,000,0000 sales that is $2,000,000,000. It was worth it to set the whole thing up to hum.
Taking the car apart is a whole different issue. Even in the plant we had repair bays and it was a whole lot slower and more difficult. The good part was when you screwed up and a piece got damaged, you could walk out to the line and get a new one to replace it.
 
pvs409

pvs409

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Supporting Member 11
No I would use the 62 kit from Cars #11633 160 pieces($69) I used one set once on a 62 Impala 409 frame off restoration (the set of bolts was painted black).

I now use the original bolts on the entire car and have them zinc plated - some can't be used because they get too pitted.
I do buy new inner fender cage nuts(J nuts) since the originals usually break during removal from the inner fenders and are in poor condition.

I use the plated hex bolts very similar to the originals, noted above from Ecklers if I run short of original front end bolts. http://www.lategreatchevy.com/full-size-chevy-body-and-fender-bolts-1958-1964.html

I have disassembled enough 62 front ends and have a friend that has lots of original 61 & 62 bolts including original bumper bolts to have full sets zinc plated. I would guess that my 62's have 99 % original bolts when they are reassembled.

Paul
 
ragtp66

ragtp66

Well Known Member
Go to Danchucks they are probably as close as you will find for 57 they have both the hex head and Phillips bolts
 
pvs409

pvs409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 11
Door bolts are not a part of a front end kit, that I have ever seen.

If you drilled out your door nuts (two types) on the door jamb and the doors themselves. Were you able to save the original threads on the nuts in the door jamb and the ones in the doors ?
The door jamb nuts are the worst to try to reuse if they were ruined, they are adjustable and fixed on the back side of the jamb as are the door nuts in the doors. The door nuts are on plate (2 of them) that is welded to the inside of each door.
If you drilled out door nuts for both locations and they are larger than the original bolt sizes you are not going to find a kit to use or original hex bolts that will fit. If the factory adjustable plates on the door jamb or doors, are ruined you cannot adjust the doors correctly -in my opinion.

I have plenty of original door jamb bolts (8 hex head with fixed washers per door) and door bolts (6 per door with star washers). I recall 61-64 had similar bolts (what year is yours ?).
Paul
 
303Radar

303Radar

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
pvs409 said:
Door bolts are not a part of a front end kit, that I have ever seen.

If you drilled out your door nuts (two types) on the door jamb and the doors themselves. Were you able to save the original threads on the nuts in the door jamb and the ones in the doors ?
The door jamb nuts are the worst to try to reuse if they were ruined, they are adjustable and fixed on the back side of the jamb as are the door nuts in the doors. The door nuts are on plate (2 of them) that is welded to the inside of each door.
If you drilled out door nuts for both locations and they are larger than the original bolt sizes you are not going to find a kit to use or original hex bolts that will fit. If the factory adjustable plates on the door jamb or doors, are ruined you cannot adjust the doors correctly -in my opinion.

I have plenty of original door jamb bolts (8 hex head with fixed washers per door) and door bolts (6 per door with star washers). I recall 61-64 had similar bolts (what year is yours ?).
Paul
Click to expand...
Paul,

The ones I had to drill out were the ones which attach the hinge to the jamb. I think mine were Philips or torx head. I'll take a look this weekend at the ones I didn't have to drill out.
I'll let you know (possibly post a picture) of what I have.

Thanks!
Ragan
 
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