Phillips Screws or Rivets???

[Craig W.]

My 59 is currently in the body shop preparing for paint. 90% of the rear trunk body panel near each tailpipe is seamed and secured with rivets. I know this is correct, but on my car there is one area that I have a question about. On either side of the tailpipe are two Phillips screws, NOT rivets. The arrows on the below photo show the location of the screws. This in the ONLY location where the screws are, everywhere else in this area are rivets.

1960 Corvette 010.jpg

My question is are the two Phillips screws on either side of the tail pipe ORIGINAL or SHOULD they be rivets? The body shop says they have an original unmolested 59 in the shop that also has the screws in the locations I mentioned, but it just doesn't seem right and I want to make sure it's correct before they spray paint. It just seems like they should ALL be rivets. Unless the screws have something to do with the tail pipes themselves.

Can anyone offer some insight, or take a look at your 58, 59 or 60 and see what's on theirs. Rivets or screws??

[Thomas H.]

Re: Phillips Screws or Rivets???

My 58 has rivets

Tom

[Craig W.]

Re: Phillips Screws or Rivets???

Thanks Tom.

For those interested I received a pretty definitive answer from a friend. Here's his reply:

I called the 58-60 nationalteam leader, Tim Mickey. He said they were all riveted at first, then thelonger we talked, he went to his showroom to look at several, original,untouched cars. This is really the only place in the world to see these cars. He has seen more 58-60's than anybody in NCRS in his 40 years as National TeamLeader. So, the 58's did have all rivets, but all of the 59's and 60'shad the two phillips screws. Tim crawled under to see since the screws onall of those original cars were put in from the underside, not top down likewas done on yours. These screws go into the tailpipe tunnel. Tailpipetunnels were only used on 59's and 60's, that is why the 58's were allriveted.

[Bill M.]

Re: Phillips Screws or Rivets???

Can anyone offer some insight, or take a look at your 58, 59 or 60 and see what's on theirs. Rivets or screws??

My early '59 has rivets only. It also has fiberglass tunnels for the tailpipe.
Maybe the screws were used when they switched the tailpipe tunnels to steel during the '59 model year?

[Richard M.]

Re: Phillips Screws or Rivets???

I think Bill nailed it. I have 3 '59's here, all pre-vin 5505(March 17), and all 3 used rivets, and all 3 have FG tunnels and aluminum door and hinge pillar reinforcements.

Rich

[Roger W.]

Re: Phillips Screws or Rivets???

My 59 Has Philips screws. I always wondered if this was correct.

[Pat H.]

Re: Phillips Screws or Rivets???

My 59 1084 had rivets , but there was some damage to the left rear and bubba put screws with nut on to hold the rear valance panel together. When the body was removed, I found several other bubba fixes that were not typical of what the factory did. I looks at several 58 & 59 they they all were riveted. That my 2 cents