VIN tag pop rivet question

[Tom L.]

I have moderate rust with some holes on the windshield frame and flaking rust at the base of the B pillars of my 70 convertible. The body is off and I plan to take the cage out and have it dipped prior to repair. The facility that will dip it tells me that the vin tag will be damaged and must come off, which should probably be done anyway as there is rust under it.
Before I drill the old ones out, does anyone know where I can find the original pop rivets with the six sided heads?

[Greg T.]

Re: VIN tag pop rivet question

You can find them advertised in Hemmings Motor News. They also show up on E Bay. Seems like I remember them wanting about $60 a pair. Be careful drilling them out so the rivet does not spin. It will scratch the VIN plate.

[Anthony F.]

Re: VIN tag pop rivet question

A little bit of advice that used to work at the plant. It worked in the 60's and 70's so it should work now.

If you use a scratch awl and drive the stem portion down slightly most of the time the pop rivet will expand enough to wiggle it out with the plate not being damaged. There where some times that the rivet could not be reused but replacing the stem of the used rivet with the stem of a regular rivet will allow you to reset the used rivet like original.

Also I might add that you can do this with the windshield in the car if you are careful. You have to put a bend in the rivet stem prior to popping it so that the pop rivet gun will not hit the windshield.

[Wayne P.]

Re: VIN tag pop rivet question

I must lead a sheltered life. I've never seen a pop rivet gun that would go into the windshield corner. What does it look like?
Thanks,
Wayne

[Justin Abbott]

Re: VIN tag pop rivet question

Keep in mind that someone that knows what they are looking at will be able to tell the difference in those rivets that you get our of Hemmings and on Ebay.
An original set of rivets could set you back close to $500 or more if you find them. The original rivets were molded into the six sided rivet where the ones on ebay are cut. If you look at the originals they have a radius on them towards the edge and they are smooth, if you look at the ones that people are selling they are flat, sharp to an edge or burr where you can see the cut. Paragon used to sell these and I believe they made them, but have since stop selling them. If I were you I would try at all costs to remove and reuse the rivets. It is obvious by this post that your windshield is not in the car or it will not be. Try and drive pot the pin like someone suggested and remove them that way. I would not even look past the idea of cutting(carefully) the back of the post to get to the underside of the rivet and help it out. You can always weld the backs in and grind the welds off.
Good Luck

[Anthony F.]

Re: VIN tag pop rivet question

Strange things happen when there is a need to modify a procedure or habit. I am not pulling your leg on this one.

We used a hand squeeze pop riveter for repair work. The key was to bend the rivet stem so that you approached the flat windshield post from an angle. You put the rivet into the squeeze then bent the head at an angle.

I learned this after having to repair a couple of incorrect VIN tags after the windshield and part of the dash pads where installed. You can imagine the time and cost involved if you had to remove the windshield just to change a tag.

If you would really like to see a picture of the type of hand held riveter we used I can probably take a picture of mine for you. Just send me an e-mail request and I will respond.

[Scott C Pfuehler]

Re: VIN tag pop rivet question

Tom, we just took a VIN tag off of our race car by going to the opposite side of the square pillar it is afixed to and drilling a hole lining up with the vin tag rivit, then milling off the portion of the rivit that is inside the post. Did both rivits that way and it worked fine. We will weld up the holes we drilled after we put the vin tag and its orginal rivits back on.

[Tom L.]

Re: VIN tag pop rivet question

Scott, how did you mill the back of the rivet? Is the back of the rivet still there? Thanks, Tom.

[Scott C Pfuehler]

Re: VIN tag pop rivet question

Tom, we used a small air grinder with a 1/8" shank carbide burr. Most of the rivit is removed but enough is left so that when we removed the vin tag and rivit very gently it will be long enough to go back into the holes in the windshield frame. The rivit will not now secure itself or the vin tag to the windshiled frame but will locate it correctly and with a little black silicone under the rivit and vin tag it will hold securly. Scott

[Mark #28455]

BE CAREFUL

In some states, if the police discover your car's VIN tag or rivets have been tampered with , the car will be impounded until you and the police can "prove" it has not been stolen! I'm not too worried if this happens to you as it's your own doing, but I feel really sorry for someone who may later buy your car and end up with a huge problem on their hands.

Mark