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Painting VIN plate during restore and rivets

valkster

valkster

Legacy Registered User
City
Greeneville
State
TN
Hi, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all out there! I have a queation about the VIN plate at the windshield. My VIN tag checks out and all is ok with it but the metal plate it is riveted to at the windshield needs to be repainted during the restoration. I noticed the rivets are not normal (hex shaped). I can mask the tag off and paint the plate but I have made a point to remove all other removable parts from the body during the restoration. What have you all done? Can the odd rivets be gotten somewhere? Probably not a big deal to replace with the regular round ones but I'm trying to keep things as close to OEM as possible in most cases. Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,
Mark
 
Eeeek! I just saw some reproduction rivets for this online from a few places for $50 a pair! Ha ha, I have regular rivets that I'd sell to anyone for just $20 a pair. I did not realize the reason for the shape and that it was such a big deal to tamper with them. Unless someone has a better suggestion I will just mask the tag off and leave the rivets alone.
 
I just painted the whole plate/VIN tag together, and did not pop the tag rivets... never occurred to me to do it otherwise :shrug:
 
I switched to a stainless plate and wiper-motor cover. It didn't come with any kind of special rivets, and I don't recall the ones I drilled being special either. :shrug:
 
wrong post twice.. sorry again!

lack.... of... sleeeep....
 
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Take a picture of the ones that are one there now. Go down to the hardware store and buy a box of rivets about the same size. Take a file to the edge and re-create shape of the original heads.

Paint body, re-apply new custom rivets, Stand back and enjoy.





Come on.....

Unless you are truly looking for a numbers matching Concourse vehicle. We are working on 25-30 year old trucks that are lucky to be running. States like Georgia, will not even issue a Title for vehicles this old. Everything down there is sold with a bill of sale, and you have to live with it. If you want it to look original, make an effort at original looking rivets, Otherwise go with a round one that is close and call it good.



Carl
 
I know it may not sound right but I have seen where the vin plate was glued down with the head of the original rivets on it and you could not tell. A friend of mine has done several restorations using this method and you could not tell the difference.
 
Because you have easy access to the back of the rivet on a Jeep you can simple take them out without destroying them.

First remove the VIN plate from the windshield to put it in a vise; not necessary but helpful. Take a new round rivet's shaft out and use it as a punch to knock out the hex rivet's old shaft. Then GENTLY squeeze the back of the hex rivet so it is smaller than the hole. Helps to use the round rivet's shaft to stop from cracking it.

When reinstalling, use the hex rivet head and the round rivet's shaft. Looks factory and you keep your "patina" too.
 
Thanks all. Mssldn, this is what I ended up doing and so far it looks good. The rivets are out but the heads are still intact. I can prep, prime and paint the subplate and reattach the VIN without having masking lines. I know it seemed a bit anal to ask about (I am not building a Concourse vehicle after all). However, where I can without added expense or going against what I want 'Bessie' to look like in the end, I want to keep it as original as possible. Ha, I still have the Carter carb and pulsed air system...and it actually works fine! Thanks again!

Sincerely,
Mark
 
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