1969 front bumper brace seals & staples

[John C.]

[Dick W.]

Re: 1969 front bumper brace seals & staples

It depended on the worker and his motivation as to how many and where the staples were located. I would just duplicate what was there. Neatness was not a factor on items like that

[Chuck S.]

Re: 1969 front bumper brace seals & staples

Not only what Dickie says, but those staples are not like any you can find. To duplicate the appearance of the staples, you will have to buy the wire stock from a Corvette parts vendor, and bend it to appear like the original staples. Your AIM has an illustration in the front showing the assembly line workers how to bend the staple ends over.

Unless you have one heck of a pneumatic staple gun, you aren't going to penetrate the front bulkhead fiberglass without drilling holes...round holes with clearance will be a tip-off that they were drilled. It's good advice to put it back like it was, even if it's ugly.

[Mark #28455]

I was considering buying the stapler

I found a foot operated industrial stapler that would replicate the factory design, but didn't think there would be enough demand to justify the cost of the purchase.

Mark

[Grant W.]

Re: I was considering buying the stapler

At work we have one of those manual foot staplers. Its about 5 feet tall and its about 25 years old. It is currently set up to staple our boxes for shipping produce in the waxed boxes. But now we have prefabbed boxes that do not require staples. The metal is the flat type of staple. But if anyone knows what kind of and size of the roll staple to use for the fenders I can try and put the roll on the machine and give it a try. If it works I can offer this restoration process to fellow members. Any ideas out there??? THe machine weighs about 200 lbs and I thought of taking it home but I'll see if I can buy it cheap from my boss.

Thanks, Grant

OOOPPPPSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What am I thinking. Too much eggnog and watching Transformers. You'd have to pickup the car and place the inner fenders in position for the stapler.
I guess the only way for it to work is if the inner fender is off the car....but DUH!!!! who in the right mind would take off the inner fender in the first place.
I'd better watch out for New Years and not do any restoration on my car.

[Mark #28455]

Re: I was considering buying the stapler

The stapler I found used sticks of staples - similar in configuration to a common "Swingline" stapler, 1/2" across the crown, with legs from 1/4" to 1/2" and wire diameters from about .030" to .045". Yes, the inner fenders have to be off the car, but then again, there are those who are buying jig assembled front ends with the "correct" press molded glass and could easily have the inner fenders stapled prior to assembly.

Mark