VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 License Lamp / Bracket Rivets

Hi All,

When rechroming your trunk handle and license lamp piece, I'm assuming everyone drills out the rivets holding the license plate bracket onto the trunk piece. What type of rivets do you all use to reattach the bracket? The look like little chrome rivets. You can see them on the top here.



Does anyone have a good source for these rivets? Local Fastenal isn't helpful and I don't want to use generic pop rivets.

I also saw Filling Station has Rivet Head Bolts . Maybe that's an option? Anyone use these?

Thanks,
-D

Daryl contact your local plating shop.they will have what you need.When I had my spot light done they sent me some special threaded rivets

I get my rivets from ACE Hardware. The secret is how you install them with a vise, and how you pre-drill them to accomplish the correct fit. Here is a post I did on restoring my window regulators. There are some pictures and text on my riveting process.

Riveting On Window Regulator

Good Luck, Mike

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll check with a plater for starters.

Mike, those are great pictures and a very thorough write-up. Rivets look similar, and I'll check the local ACE. Very helpful, thanks! I have a rear window that's hard to roll up and down so its time to look at a regulator rebuild soon :)

Hey Daryl,
Try this guy Big Flats Rivet Co.
I see him at Hershey every year, he supplies many of the Ford guys, but hey a rivet is a rivet

I really don't think you want the rivet head bolt, shown on left next to correct rivet. After you exhaust all avenues and if you are not satisfied I will just sent you a few of these. If you want them shiny just buff a little before installing. From one Sportmaster owner to another.

John, thank you for this link. It will come in handy for sure! I will need to get rivets to redo some window parts on my '76 truck soon, and who knows what else.

Russell, that's a big difference. Where did you end up sourcing those if you don't mind? I would gladly pay for a pair if you have spares. Very much appreciated! These little detail parts are always fun to track down.

I purchased a replated license lamp bracket and trunk handle and plan to swap it onto my Fleetline over the winter to clean things up. My car isn't perfect, but the paint still shines and I wanted to clean it up a bit. I also bought an NOS rear bumper that I plan to clean up and install once I free up a frozen bumper bolt.

UPDATE: Only local rivets I've been able to find were plain steel or aluminum and the tops don't look correct. I was able to find similar sized cap screws (allen head) that fit the holes perfectly. They were 4-40 thread size, but definitely not the look I want.

Rivets are sold in 1/64 inch increments. Not knowing exactly what length's I would need in all the different places they are used on the car, I ordered four different selections. I bought then from Rivetsonline.com . Pm me your mailing address and I will send you some.

BTW, these are very small and where you are using then, it is somewhat tricky to clinch them. But, I did mine by myself, so it is doable.

PM Sent. Much obliged!

UPDATE: Russell, thank you so much for sending me the correct rivets for my Chevy. They will be a perfect fit! Pictures to come once I get things fixed up.