[68ragtop]

How many of you guys have purchased any of these restoration bolt kits that are now available? I see they are available for the front clips, body & interior as a package now from Ames. Are these any good? I noticed inline tube sells many fasteners in smaller kits as well.

Just curious. I had many of the fasteners & clips from my car re-plated, but they are in clear cad, not the correct black phosphorus look. Probably going to buy all new ones, but don't want them to be low quality replacements.

[Bruce Meyer]

There are minor differences between the stock bolts and some of the replacement bolts. For instance the bolts that bolt the fender to the inner fender around the wheel opening don't have the proper built in washer so they can pull through if your not careful. Same as the lower fender bolts. Mostly little stuff but noticeable.

[dataway]

I think the Inline hardware is decent quality ...but don't buy the BS they talk about stuff being absolutely correct markings etc. ... I don't think I've ever seen one of their bolts, or anyone's for that matter that was OEM correct. You can certainly assemble your vehicle with their hardware, it's the same stuff sold by everyone, but many of the head styles are wrong, lengths wrong, finish wrong ...but they will function fine.

I've got quite a bit of stuff from Inline ... not all of it bad. But they make a lot of noise about correctness that is just plain BS. They also use the phrase "NOS" constantly in their ebay sales with the obvious intent to make people think their reproduction parts are NOS ... I hate doing business with people like that.

Anyway... I go to a lot of trouble to use original hardware. Lots of guys on this board have whole collections of the stuff, all labeled and stored .. just needs to be cleaned and refinished. But sometime it just isn't worth it and I get the reproductions.

But no, the kits for sale are not junk fasteners, in almost all cases they are going to be the same grade/quality as OEM stuff ... just not the same design.

[68ragtop]

If you guys have used some repop fasteners that your satisfied with, please post about those, as well as the one to avoid altogether. Thats would be a huge help!

When I started my restoration (embarrassingly over 10 years ago) I just threw all the fasteners in a bucket & had them plated with other things in clear cadmium. Incorrect obviously. I threw out the ones that were really pitted & kept many others. Many of them I don't know what they are for anymore. Maybe I could post a picture and start a game of "name that screw"

But, at this point, even the ones that are usable I would need to figure out what to do with them to make them the correct appearing finish.

I see the fender screws with large washers listed by inline. Its says "correct", but look like machine threads. Pretty sure mine where more of a course "wood screw" style threads?

[dataway]

Here's what I ended up doing ... I started out very anal about having all the hardware ready ahead of time ... then I realized half the time I was misplacing, losing or just forgetting that I already had the hardware because I prepared it so far in advance.

Wait until you are really ready to complete a certain part of the restoration ... then look for the proper hardware. Step one, see if you have anything in your possession you know is correct, second .... try to find a picture of the original hardware ... then check your own stock again to find one .... if not, then see if anyone on this forum has the correct OEM hardware .... if so, then refinish bolt as necessary .... if not, then look into reproduction hardware.

I use I think ... manganese phosphate to get a black oxide type coating. Simple process really ... bead blast .... cook in hot water. Results vary.

I've gotten it from this guy
http://www.palmettoenterprises.net/P...-Welcome-.html

But I know there are other sources, probably cheaper.

I do my own zinc electroplating when necessary.

In general .... I worry about originality when I know the hardware is going to be seen a lot, or it is hardware that is commonly looked at by judges. I also just get a kick out of using the original stuff.

It's surprising no one has ever though to start a Pontiac Hardware Database .... with pics, description and dimension of known original hardware.

Since there are just thousands of fasteners and clips to consider.... it would be a LOT easier if you were to tell people exactly which fasteners you are concerned about and have people post pics of what they think is correct originals.

I have saved a few examples so far .... like pictured below, showing some comparisons of OEM verses reproduction .... or OEM I have refinished.

[428goat]

For keeping the original blacken bolts I clean with break cleaner to get off any grease and oil then I glass bead them and get all the rust off, then put them in the blacking stuff sold by Eastwood, rinse them in plain water, (dry with air real fast or they will start to rust) and soak them in Gibbs Oil. They have been on the car for years and still black and no rust.

[68ragtop]

Thats probably my biggest fear..... Rusting. My cars never go out in the elements, but are in high humidity sometimes throughout the summer. I'll never sell the GTO, so I want it to last. Not that most fasteners & retainers couldn't be swapped out in the future if needed.

[dataway]

Originally Posted by 428goat

For keeping the original blacken bolts I clean with break cleaner to get off any grease and oil then I glass bead them and get all the rust off, then put them in the blacking stuff sold by Eastwood, rinse them in plain water, (dry with air real fast or they will start to rust) and soak them in Gibbs Oil. They have been on the car for years and still black and no rust.

Exactly the process I use ... do you have to heat them in the solution that Eastwood sells?

A couple of years ago I started running a dehumidifier in the shop/garage during the humid months ... made a big difference in all my equipment staying more rust free.

[428goat]

No I do not heat the bolts or the solution. That might be an idea that I might try on the next batch. That Gibbs is great stuff.

[dataway]

Not sure what the Eastwood formula is ...but the manganese sulphate (phospate?) solution you have to heat to about 190 degrees and let the part sit in there and fizz for about 15 minutes.
I've heard that about the Gibbs ... gotta get some.

[charles bledsoe]

Thanks for the plug on Gibbs Oil. I googled Gibbs Oil and read up on it. What a great product!! I plan on getting some.
CB.

[north]

One thing I find very hard to locate is washers, all the fastener type places seem to sell just insta-rust bare steel or shiny zinc coating.

[dataway]

Do you check McMaster-Carr? Industrial supply ... the sell a very large variety of hardware, and in multiple finishes ... very often they have black oxide coated hardware.

[ilo]

To keep my hardware from rusting I use clear nail polish.. enamel.. seems to work well. It does give it slight gloss.. maybe 60%
Comes with its own brush and no clean up... just put the brush back in..

[FunctionalShaker]

Try A.M.K. they have many original style bolts and sell kits as well -- although I'm not sure how accurate the kits are.
http://www.amkproducts.com/Catalog_PDF.htm

[gtobird]

Originally Posted by FunctionalShaker

Try A.M.K. they have many original style bolts and sell kits as well -- although I'm not sure how accurate the kits are.
http://www.amkproducts.com/Catalog_PDF.htm

I recently ordered some items from AMK. As far as I'm concerned, they are the best value around. They are the supplier to many of the popular sources many of us buy from. So, when you get them from AMK, you are usually paying less.

As far as accuracy of their products, they are as accurate as any of the sources I have purchased from in the past. That said, the accuracy will vary depending on the individual item. I'm very satisifed overall.

OJ

[Bentwheelbob]

I agree that AMK is the best source. Markings on the Inline Tube Anchor bolts are not correct. The problem is that the selection from AMK for Pontiacs is a little spotty.

I have used both the Palmetto solution and Black Parkerizing Concentrate. IMO, the Parkerizing Concentrate worked better. You can find it on EBAY. The Eastwood solution is just a black dye. It is not a chemical coating that offers protection. I'll have to look into the Gibbs Oil. SOunds interesting and parts after Parkerizing need liberally coated in oil. I actually soak mine in oil for 30 minutes or so.

[Uncle Judge]

Nice looking finishes there Bob! I will look into those products myself.

As far as AMK is concerned, Max contacted me last year regarding exhaust manifold bolts. He had me check all of my NOS exhaust manifolds for exact heights with a dial caliper. He had been researching all of the Pontiac exhaust manifold bolts for some time. He is very thorough and has since come out with extensive and accurate reproductions of most Pontiac bolt kits. He has been doing Chevrolet, Mopar, and Ford hardware for years. I know that Scott Tieman, as well as many of the top flight restorers, have used his products for years.

[dataway]

Gonna buy some of that .... definitely looks better than the Pametto stuff I have used ... which works good but is VERY sensitive to the finish on the bolt prior to treating.

[68ragtop]

Can fasteners that have been clear cad plated be coated over to black oxide? I went through all my original hardware & at the time, I had them all cad plated. Now looking closer many of them are just too pitted to use, not horrible, but enough where they are sub par. Some look nice, just the wrong finish. As this 68 restoration goes on, I keep upping the level I want the car to be.