[6869GTO]

Nice job of repurposing some parts you had available!! Looks awesome!!
In that diagram you posted, #40 is a piece I'd bet most restored hideaway cars are missing. It's a plastic cap that fits over the upper door cover screws so 2 per side. Most likely a safety cap for headlight replace or adjustment so tech doesn't get cut on pointed tip of screw.
Again nice job Greg!!

[dataway]

I think I'd rather have the stops in place and then adjust the over-center to pull them up nice and snug against the stops. Might have to add some to mine, they stay in the right place now, but with very little tenacity. Hehe those parts looks so "right" that I thought that's what they were made for, good eye.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by 6869GTO

In that diagram you posted, #40 is a piece I'd bet most restored hideaway cars are missing. It's a plastic cap that fits over the upper door cover screws so 2 per side.

Yeah, l see what you are referring to. Never would have noticed that and can definitely see a purpose for them because yes, those screws are sharp!

[gtobird]

Since all of you Hideaway gurus are here anyway, I thought I'd add a question. I've been collecting parts to do my hideaway conversion. I bought the 68 repop door covers from the Parts Place and they appear to be very nice. I did a trial fit of the covers to the doors and used some 8-18 black headed trim screws that I thought were correct, but the heads barely cover the rather large holes in the covers. So, this leads me to wonder; is that the way they were from the factory? Do I just have the wrong 8-18 screws and the factory version had larger heads, or were the original screws #10? Could it be the holes are larger in the repop door covers?

Thanks
Old Joe

BTW, big thanks to John (Dataway) as he supplied me with some of his leftover hideway parts for FREE!

[Greg Reid]

I'm using the "door savers" offed in the Ames catalogue which come with their own screws . I'd say they were #10 size.
If you're not familiar with them they are a pretty good idea to keep the screw heads from cracking your doors. They are made of metal painted flat black and fit the perimeter of the plastic door.
I just noticed that they also have in the catalog those screw guards that 6869GTO mentioned earlier.

[gtobird]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

I'm using the "door savers" offed in the Ames catalogue which come with their own screws . I'd say they were #10 size.
If you're not familiar with them they are a pretty good idea to keep the screw heads from cracking your doors. They are made of metal painted flat black and fit the perimeter of the plastic door.
I just noticed that they also have in the catalog those screw guards that 6869GTO mentioned earlier.

I've seen lots of dialog on the door savers and they seem like a good idea. I'd prefer not to use them if I don't have to, but I'm now wondering if the small heads of the #8 screws are what cause the cracking. Of course, any original parts are now over 50 years old, so the fact they survived at all is pretty good.

[dataway]

I thought the same thing when I installed the screws .. they are small.

I notice the 69 Assembly Manual lists the cover screws and nuts as a "revision" part number. .. Wonder if they changed them due to cracking.

In a situation like that I tend to use what I think is factory and just keep in mind not to make the same mistake (in this case overtightening) made back in the day that caused the problem.

[gtobird]

Originally Posted by dataway

I thought the same thing when I installed the screws .. they are small.

I notice the 69 Assembly Manual lists the cover screws and nuts as a "revision" part number. .. Wonder if they changed them due to cracking.

In a situation like that I tend to use what I think is factory and just keep in mind not to make the same mistake (in this case overtightening) made back in the day that caused the problem.

I have another "off the wall" idea that I'm going test. The holes in the headlight covers are large enough that I think I could insert a short length of thin walled vinyl tubing in the cover hole and then put the screw through the tubing. That would keep the screw centered with the hole in the headlight cover and help create an even distribution of pressure around the holes in the cover. Lightly torqued, I think it would be effective. Even more crafty, if I could find the right diameter thin walled rubber tubing (similar to vacuum line), I could possible make the tubing just slightly longer (maybe 1/16") than the thickness of the cover. When torquing down the screws, it would sandwich the tubing and squish it to hold the covers tight without damaging the covers (In theory)........ I'm not overthinking this am I? LOL

[Greg Reid]

A black nylon or rubber washer might be nice under that screw even if you went with a screw that has a larger head.

[dataway]

McMaster Carr has a large selection of rubber/nylon washers with ID and OD specs.