Rivet questions - hood and other

[Bearwolf]

First off, I plan on adding some hood rivets to my FIA before paint to try to replicate the look of the competition cars. Does anyone know what size the rivets should be that would go around the front of the hood?

Secondly, is there anything I have to consider for paint prep with these rivets? If I just use a standard aluminum/steel or a steel/steel rivet I'm assuming as long as I use primer on them they should take a good coat of paint without having to worry to much about it chipping off, correct?

Lastly, this may be a dumb question, but ERA call for an aluminum body steel mandrel rivet to secure the aluminum panels. I plan on leaving the the panels bare aluminum. Do I have to worry about the steel mandrels of the rivets rusting if I leave them and the panels bare?

[xb-60]

Originally Posted by Bearwolf

....ERA call for an aluminum body steel mandrel rivet to secure the aluminum panels. I plan on leaving the the panels bare aluminum. Do I have to worry about the steel mandrels of the rivets rusting if I leave them and the panels bare?

When you say "the panels" are you refering to the bodies of the rivets?

Cheers,
Glen

[Bearwolf]

Originally Posted by xb-60

When you say "the panels" are you refering to the bodies of the rivets?
Glen

By "the panels" I mean the aluminum panels that make up the wheel wells and the interior. Mainly the aluminum panels for the wheel wells / inner fender because I was thinking about leaving then bare aluminum. If I don't paint them then the aluminum rivet bodies also don't get painted and the mandrel will be exposed steel where it snaps off. I'm probably just over thinking something that shouldn't have much thought put into it seeing the mandrel wouldn't be too visible and has already done its job of reshaping the rivet body at that point.

[eschaider]

You might want to consider the aluminum / aluminum alternative for two reasons. The first is the rust question you already are concerned about and the second is the clamping force the rivet exerts on the clamped panels.

From your post I presume your rivets will be for cosmetic purposes rather than functional purposes. Steel shanks will exert the maximum clamping force and could possibly produce visible changes in the appearance of the aluminum immediately adjacent to the rivet.

If you are putting them into a glass hood then the steel shank rivets again are potentially damaging to the glass immediately adjacent to the rivet.


Ed

[DanEC]

My car sits in the garage a lot but after about 8 years I haven't noticed any rust issues with the rivets anywhere and I typically used aluminum rivets with steel shank. The aluminum/aluminum rivets for fiberglass panels is probably a good approach but the aluminum panels ERA supplies are pretty stout and unaffected by riveting them to the steel structure.

The only painted rivets on my car are at the rocker where it rivets to the outrigger tubing. After riveting they got a bit of sanding in the body preparation phase but then were just primed and painted over. None of the paint has chipped off of them so far. I would probably prime everything at least one before installing the rivets and sand smooth and then install the rivets and do a final priming of the body over the top of them.

[FredG]

If aluminum touches steel you will over time develop galvanic corrosion because they are dis-similar metals. This will not happen with stainless steel.

Fred

[ALF]

Check this old thread
Hood Rivets