70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

[Bill L.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Guy's

Here is how I remember the look and config of that fastener. My earlier vote was made to quickly and was incorrect. The screw head was very near flat across with a outer ring but not a uniform circle. At the base of the shaft it had a slight taper but not to the extent of a normal countersink screw.

Here is a photo I found this one on line with a screw that has many similarities as an original but it is closest I could find to show in a photo of my description.

The screw shown its outer ring is to uniform and it is not as flat as the originals but it does have the shallow taper or countersink to it. That is as close as I could come.

Hope someone posts an original 70 and verifies what I have stated or I am wrong again. When installed an original almost seems to disappear.

Sure hope you are right Paul. I had gone out and picked up some that look like your screw thumbnail, based on another discussion. I had installed screws as shown installed in Mike F bezel. Thought it looked really unfinished as Joe said.

Bill

[Alan S.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Hi Paul & Bill,
Paul, a screw somewhat similar to the one you picture is presently being sold by some vendors as the screw to use to secure the end of the piece of front fender trim at the base of the windshield.
Bill, is this similar to the screw you bought? Did yours come from RF?
Regards,
Alan

[Bob I.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Richard Fortier offers these exhaust bezel screws.

[Mike F.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Richard Fortier offers these exhaust bezel screws.

This is the same type of screw that I lost points on last weekend for being incorrect on a 1970.

[Gary B.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Pictures from 1970, s/n 2161. Is also the same on #5774, #8448, #14544 and also on a 1971 #11,219. What I find most common is the "washered" screws are horizontal and the flat head with built in washer, go vertical. I feel this was used well into 71, then they changed over to pan-head screws. The screws used in 70 and 71 were very short, and barely gripped the J-nut.

The 71 I have here, has the "washered" head (first picture) in all eight locations, no flat head screws.

I have pictures of all five of the listed cars, if you want.

Again, my opinion.

Gary Bosselman


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[Bill L.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Hi Paul & Bill,
Paul, a screw somewhat similar to the one you picture is presently being sold by some vendors as the screw to use to secure the end of the piece of front fender trim at the base of the windshield.
Bill, is this similar to the screw you bought? Did yours come from RF?
Regards,
Alan

Hi Alan,

Yes they did come from RF.

Bill

[Bill L.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Pictures from 1970, s/n 2161. Is also the same on #5774, #8448, #14544 and also on a 1971 #11,219. What I find most common is the "washered" screws are horizontal and the flat head with built in washer, go vertical. I feel this was used well into 71, then they changed over to pan-head screws. The screws used in 70 and 71 were very short, and barely gripped the J-nut.

The 71 I have here, has the "washered" head (first picture) in all eight locations, no flat head screws.

I have pictures of all five of the listed cars, if you want.

Again, my opinion.

Gary Bosselman


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Pic #1 looks almost exactly like the screws RF is providing if not exactly.

Bill

[Joe L.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

All------


This almost has to be a case of St. Louis substituting different fasteners for some real or perceived need. According to the AIM's, only 2 screws were used over the 1970-73 period. 1970-72 was supposed to have used screw GM #4816192. I always thought this was an 8-18 screw with a #6 countersunk head and chrome plated. However, I'm not so sure now. I do know that this screw was once available in SERVICE and its primary application was some sort of windshield molding fastener, although I can't find any Corvette application. However, while I don't know the configuration of this screw, I don't think this was a screw with a captured countersunk washer. If so, the AIM description of it should have been "screw assembly"

The 1973 screw (which may have been substituted earlier) was supposed to have been GM #9422957. I know the configuration of this screw. It's a chrome plated, 8-18 screw of 7/8" length with phillips PAN head of 0.31" OD.

It really surprises me that these bezels were not countersunk at the screw holes. I thought they were but, apparently, they were not.

[Alan S.]

[Mike F.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

So with the additional information provided by Gary B. Joe L. and Alan S., what am I suppose to use? I'm tired of losing points over something so correctable as this.

[Terry M.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Mike,
The pictures are of my 1970 that I bought new. Those are the original screws in the original holes. The upper screws that look so out of place with no countersink and captive washer are very short. To cure the issue I mentioned above of the screw falling out I turned the J-nut around so the part the screw threads into is on the bottom of the fiberglass lip. This of course puts the J-nut in a precarious position. If I had to guess those upper screws are 3/8-inch long at most. They might even be less. They are very different than those Alan describes for his 1971. So you will have to decide what you think is correct for your car based on its production date.

I think this is a case of you have no good recourse. Whichever screw you install you are likely to meet some judge who will expect to see the other. At least until a new manual comes out.

The real question is how many points are even all eight of those screws worth. I haven't looked at the score sheet to see what is on the line item with the rear exhaust bezels and fasteners, but I doubt it is a line item by itself. I suspect there are other items on that judging line and the fasteners are likely to amount to only one or two points if they were completely missing. This is an chance at a teachable moment for you to school the judges on how to properly apportion points. So take a look at the line item for this and we can discuss how many points should go to all eight of those fasteners.

[Gary B.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Allen,
Below are pictures of s/n 14,894. I have it on the hoist here in the shop. It's a 24,000 mile car, real original car. Very similar to Terry's 70, s/n 2161 I posted yesterday. The flat head screws do not have the built-in washer on them though.

Mike, I would install the screws you see in the pictures. If you are deducted for them, smile and say you have installed what was originally on the car. Then sit back and enjoy the ride. Over the grand scheme of things, one or two points out of 45oo, will not change your score much. Judges do not know everything. We all learn everytime we judge. Well, at least I do....

Gary


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[Gary B.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Attached are pictures of a fairly early 72, uses the pan-head style of screws. I just do not know when they started using those, I think some time mid to late 71. I'll have to start paying more attention to that when I Judge engine compartments!

As a side note. Mid-year windshield stainless trim, the clips and screws that hold them on. Those screws are very similar to C3 exhaust bezel side screws. EXCEPT, they are VERY short. If you rotate the J-clips around, point them inside, they do work and hold.

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[Mike F.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

I'm usually not this anal when it comes to judging and points. I'm trying for a Regional TF and with my car being a driver (102K miles) I lose quite a few points on condition (which I understand and accept). So when it comes to something mechanical that I can fix (like the bezel screws), I can use all of the points that I can get.

Thanks for all of the help,

[Paul O.]

Re: 70 Exhaust Bezel Screws?

Mike

Are you going to Carlisle if so check with me at K53. A few years back at one of the venders found some screws that worked for my friends early 1971 the package listed those screws for a C2.