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shiny body bolts

Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 12:44 pm
by tone
So I am wondering if TC's came from the factory with shiny plated nuts and bolts or painted the body/ chassis colours?

My car had them already painted but I have do some work to the chassis areas and was wondering if its a bit of showmanship to replace some perfectly good fittings with new plated items or let them alone?

Thoughts

Re: shiny body bolts

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 1:52 am
by bloodysalmon
the general consensus I understand was that no shiny bolts/nuts were used as that would have been an unnecessary cost waste. Often heads were painted (sprayed)over to finish off imperfections. I suspect there wasn't even one chromed nut or bolt other than studs here and there. Visually if you have nice stainless steel bolts and nuts that can be seen, perhaps that's acceptable and sympathetically enhances the appearance, especially the exposed front suspension ... ignoring concours cars that is.

Re: shiny body bolts

Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:53 am
by Tom Wilson
Based on factory photos and my knowledge, the only exterior chromed assembly nuts and bolts are are the acorn nuts for the fuel tank straps and the acorn nuts holding the fuel tank end panels on. This doesn't include the windscreen hardware (all chrome).

Splash apron bolt heads and washers and the headlamp bracket bolts (large one attaching headlamp bracket to the radiator bracket) were normally hand painted body color.

From there you are on your own . . .

Tom Wilson