'63 Grill Bracket Rivet Direction??

[Douglas C.]

17401559904908348473738423922898.jpgCorrect direction for grill bracket rivets?? Rivet Head to the bracket or should the rivet head be to the wheel well side? How was it done for '63?

[Douglas C.]

For reference, here's a few pics from a '64 front end, which shows the bracket rivet heads in the wheel well.
IMG_20250221_110247285~2.jpgIMG_20250221_110221201_BURST000_COVER~3.jpg

[James W.]

Douglas,

The AIM and your pictures are how they were installed on my mid-January built 1964, VIN 925X, a St. Louis built body.

James

[Douglas C.]

Well the issue here is that the AIM shows the rivet head on the bracket side (View A) and the rivet peened in the wheel well. I realize it makes more sense to have the rivet head against the fiberglass so it seems the factory deviated from the AIM in this case? Just curious if '63's were done this way?

[Joseph S.]

Well the issue here is that the AIM shows the rivet head on the bracket side (View A) and the rivet peened in the wheel well. I realize it makes more sense to have the rivet head against the fiberglass so it seems the factory deviated from the AIM in this case? Just curious if '63's were done this way?

Doug, They were all done the same. 63-67. The large flat head against the fiberglass and the peened over side against the steel bracket. It is that way all over the car. Look at any other bracket that is riveted to your Corvette. They will all be the same. Don't use the AIM as gospel, only as a guide.

Joe

[Douglas C.]

Joe,

Thank you for the response. That was what I suspected.
When putting my '63 together, I followed the AIM, but fortunately I'm not so far down the assembly process that its no big deal to drill out my rivets and re-install them correctly from the backside.

Thanks,
--Doug