Bumper bolt nuts

[Tim S.]

Who makes or sells the correct 5/8" nuts for the 67 bumper attaching bolts?
Thank You
Tim

[Joseph S.]

Re: Bumper bolt nuts

Those bolts are available from any large nut and bolt supplier. Don't get pulled in by the guys claiming they are rare. We used to have a supplier out here in MA called ALbeco who carried them. I would try a national supplier like Infasco or Au Ve Co. See if that helps.

Someone more knowlegable in nuts and bolts could probably be more help.

What does everyone think the point deduct would be for the nuts being wrong? I bet there would be many different opinions. My opinion would probably differ from most of the board contributors.

Joe

[John D.]

Re: Bumper bolt nuts

Joe, I don't think they are as easy to find as you say. At least my industrial tool catalogs don't have them. I have tried: McMaster Carr, Travers, MSC, and my local hardware stores. NONE had the 5/8" OD nut. All were 11/16". Industrial standards on the 7/16-14 nut is now 11/16"OD

Grant you they aren't worth the major bucks some guys are asking for them on the auction sites but they are difficult to buy in bulk. Maybe you found a place with old stock though. Thanx, JD

Now I am just passing on gossips or heresay but one of our chapter members stated that he thought that his 67 had the 11/16" nuts. I barely know 63's though so I have no clue.

[William G.]

Re: Bumper bolt nuts

Instockfasteners.com lists plain steel hex nuts 7/16-14 x 5/8 hex for $121/2200 pcs or less than $.06 ea. I assume they would need to be zinc plated. And 2200 pcs is their minimum quantity. Let's hope some of the Corvette suppliers see this and start supplying the correct nuts in their bumper kits.

[Larry M.]

Re: Bumper bolt nuts

Who makes or sells the correct 5/8" nuts for the 67 bumper attaching bolts?
Thank You
Tim

Contact Gary Beaupre at http://garybeaupre.home.comcast.net

Larry

[Joseph S.]

Re: Bumper bolt nuts

I found a 5/8 hex 7/16 nut last night in my old nuts and bolts bin. It was left over from my old days building handicap accessable vehicles. I contacted my supplier salesman who I have been using for the last 25 years and asked him to try to remember where we may have sourced them. My memory is fried for that stuff. Too many NCRS and sports notes in my brain now.
Hopfully I get a clue and we can get a deal on these.

I wonder why no one wanted to join in on what they thought the point deduction would be for having the wrong size hex on the nuts!!!

I think that would be a great discussion board topic. Discussing point deductions on different items that are not reproduced properly or are not easily accessable as perfect replacements.

[Gary B.]

Incorrect bumper bolt nuts; 1-point deduct

Joe,

On 63-67 cars, the bumpers are judged under the Exterior section. For the front bumper (Item 13 on the judging sheet) in the "Braces and Bolts" category there are 4 points for originality. For the rear bumper (Item 18) in the "Braces and Bolts" category there are 3 points for originality. So, a total of 7 points for originality for all the braces and bolts, which presumably includes nuts and washers as well. Let's say that braces get half of those 7 points and bolts, nuts, and washers, get the other half, so there are only 3.5 points to work with for the latter. I know of judges that do take a deduct for the presence of the incorrect standard size nuts that come in all the repro bumper kits and I suspect they take a total of 1 point, probably taking the point in the originality box for the front bumpers, since that item comes first on the judging sheet. Presuming both front and rear nuts are incorrect I assume they would not take another deduct in item 18, but would write a note next to item 18 that a total 1-point deduct was made for incorrect nuts in item 13. At least that's how I would do it.

Gary

[Joel F.]

Re: Bumper bolt nuts

Joe/Gary,

Thanks for this aspect of the discussion. I tend to agree with Gary and think that is a fair and reasonable deduction. I have Judged and OJ'd with judges who have deducted 1 pt or in some cases no pts.

[Gary B.]

Incorrect bumper bolt nuts; some take a deduct some don't

Joel,

I've also seen judges that don't take a deduct for the incorrect nuts. Either because they don't know the nuts are incorrect or they think 1 point is too big of a deduct. I find that judges at Chapter meets are more likely not to deduct and judges at Regionals and Nationals are more likely to take a deduct.

Also, some judges will take a "partial" deduct, noted by a tick mark on the judging sheet and when they get two or four tick marks, they take off one point. That's the way they handle the cumulative effect of deducts that aren't worth 1 point on their own.

Gary

[Joel F.]

Re: Bumper bolt nuts

Thanks Gary. That is exactly consistent with my (limited) experience.

[John D.]

Re: Incorrect bumper bolt nuts; some take a deduct some don't

Gary, I agree that the judges are not up on the 5/8" nuts and don't deduct for it. I asked a few judges at a regional and that's the answer I got. Maybe a nice short article in "The Restorer" might educate them. Also judging schools of course.
By the time you buy the 2200 nuts, get them replated, buy the washers, and replate those and them have to bag everything it is strictly a service item. I am glad though you are doing it though. I thought of it but I better stick to my forte. JD

[Joseph S.]

Re: Bumper bolt nuts

Here is my opinion on the subject. Remeber that is is just an opinion. I tend to offend people easily on this board an that is why you seldom see me post.

I agree totaly with wanting to have everything exactly as it was when GM built our Corvettes. I just can't justify the inflated amounts paid for that part that should be a 0 deduct. I think it is great that the knowlege is shared that the items, bolts, nuts, grooves in sill plates are shared so we can get them right.

Let's break down the bumper nuts only! 3 points total for rear braces and hardware. 8 braces, 22 bolts, 14 flat washers, 18 lock washers and 18 nuts. I may have missed a few items because of my bad memory. So the hardware items are 72 pieces. I would think that most guys are thinking 1 point for the hardware. Nuts are 25% of the 1 point, Configuration of the nuts is 25% of the .25point assigned to the nuts. How can we take a point for only having nuts with the heads too large. To me 0 deduct is a "by the book" deduction from all our NCRS instructions.

I think it may be our own misguided judging practices raising the prices of our own restoration projects.

Sorry for the long response, it is tough to relay in fewer words. I hope I didn't offend anyone!

Joe

[Gary B.]

Bumper bolt nuts

Joe,

I can't argue with your logic. It's hard to justify a deduct based on a detailed breakdown of the available points. However, the reality of the situation is that some judges do take a 1 point deduct for the incorrect nuts.

So, it's just another one of this times when one is faced with the question of whether: you want to take the chance a judge won't take a deduct; make it right regardless; take the deduct and live with it; all weighed against the cost.

The baffling question is, why don't the darned catalog companies just use the right nuts to begin with. Repro'ing the right nut isn't brain surgery.

Gary

[Joseph S.]

Re: Bumper bolt nuts

Good point Gary, That sounds like a whole new discussion. Why can't the repro people get it 100%. There is always 1 little detail different and it is usually easily detectible.

[Michael H.]

Re: Bumper bolt nuts

Slightly off topic but, remember that the four nuts on the front bumper lower center location are NOT the special 5/8" hex. They're the conventional 11/16" which is common for a 7/16" bolt.