emotional guidance, '72 BB

[Brandon Metzger]

I have a '72 BB. I am in the middle of a body off resoration. My goal is to return the car to its original state as well as I can. This being the goal my real objective is to have a beautiful car that I can drive. The car will be driven much much more than it will be shown. However, I do want to take it to NCRS events and have it score as high as possible.

Dilemma....My car was in very very bad shape. I am most of the way to remedying this. I do not have the original engine but do have a correct casting block and am putting all the accessories, pump, carb, pullies, intake, etc. on the engine. Again, keeping both goals stated above in minde. .....I am putting on new ball joints on the controll arms. Many folks in my area are recommending useing the bolts not the rivits. What is the points deduction for this and should I realy care. I am trying to figure out where to draw the line or even if there is a line to draw....I probably crossed that line a long time ago.

Anyway, I am probably not making much sence...I am having fun with the project, keeping a budget in mind, want the car on the road, but do not want to regret that I didn't do something "correct" or "the right way" when I had the chance (while the car is apart).

Thanks all
Slightly confused, Brandon

[george romano]

Re: emotional guidance, '72 BB

If you simply want it to look correct without having to actually rivet the ball joints to the lower control arms, Bairs makes a bolt kit that has what looks like a rivet head on it, rather than the hex shape. I bought a set at Carlisle.

George

[Harmon C.]

Re: emotional guidance, '72 BB

Brandon
The sheets I have not 72 but close show 4 points originality and four condition for both upper and lower. I doubt a Judge would take all four but they might. I have been trying to buy a 70-72 TI&JG for a year which might tell something. The 73TI&JG says at least -10% for bolted ball joints.
Lyle

[Reba Whittington]

Re: emotional guidance, '72 BB

The 1972 sheets have the same point assignment for ball joints--four and four.

[Greg L.]

Re: emotional guidance, '72 BB

Brandon,

I have just been where you now are with your ball joints and this is how I looked at it...

From a points perspective it's not really worth it to use rivets unless you have an easy way to buck them which for the average hobby restorer is easier said than done. However the uppers are far easier to do than the lowers as the rivets are smaller. Do you really need uppers? Mine were still tight so I re-used them as they were original. I also used current replacement ball joints with the correct extention on the stud.

I was on the fence like you for a while...bolts...rivets...bolts that look like rivets on ONE end. What made me use rivets in the end was that I feel that it looks better if someone happens to look under your car when it is all done AND that this little detail would never get done after the car was assembled as it wouldn't be worth the effort for me to remove the arms just to replace the bolts with rivets.

So I guess what I'm saying here is what are having rivets worth to you personally? The points were always in the back of my mind but the big driving factor for me was that rivets are correct and if I don't do them now when everything is apart, I'll never do them.

Just my 2 cents from someone that's been there.

Greg