What are the chrome bolts in the rear bumper called, and does anyone know where I can find a couple? I have this going on with my car:

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j271/dreamweaver10/D-Dub%20Day%20June%2030%20-%202008/D-DubGetTogether2007110.jpg


It's the special RPO for SS cars equipped to tow Jethro's Fishin' boat back in the day and, even thought it's a very rare option, I think it's time to go. So I was going to take it out and "plug" the holes with the same bolts that are already in the bumper. Currently I have 2 of these bolts on the bumper, but I believe there is supposed to be 4.

On the "face" of the bumper, towards the ends of the bumper, there are 2 chrome bolts. The head is rounded, approx 1/2" in diameter, and the bolt appears to be approx 1/2" long, captured by a nut on the back.

A little more towards the middle, on the return edge of the bumper (the part that faces downward approx at a 30 degree angle) there is one rectangular hole on each side with what appears to be markings of the same bolthead pattern on the chrome.

So, I am looking to plug the 2 holes that will be left by removing the RPO jethRO, and 2 more... if in fact that is what is supposed to go in the remaining 2 holes. Thanks in advance for any help.

You can get those from any of the Camaro restoration shops like Classic, Ricks, Year One. they all have them. If you can't find any, let me know, I'm sure I have a couple spares.

Thnaks for the reply... what are they called.... "Chrome Bumper" bolts?

I just went and looked at my bumper and the 2 mounting points that you have the trailer hitch to are also to mount the rear license plate light to. Those just use normal hex head bolts, so you don't need the chrome ones after all.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g136/Caman355/MVC-001F-28.jpg

Yea...what Dennis said.....but if it was the chrome "Bumper" bolts you wanted they would be called "Carriage Bolts"...and they can be had at most hardware stores

http://myword.info/images/ca_bolt_1b.jpg


Dan

Ok - Well, I went out and tried to take the hitch off... I had a wrestling match with the nuts on the hitch where it screws into the valance, and the nuts won. One snapped off and the other 2 screwed in to the valance plus the 2 screwed into the bumper just spin. So, now I have to take the bumper off the car just to have access to put a wrench on the nut on the back side so I can take the dang hitch off. When I went out there it was 102 degrees in the shade, which means it was probably 115 on my south-facing driveway. So I'll wait 'til the sun goes down to see if I can get the bumper off.

I did find something interesting though: "Hidden" in the cavity of the bumper was an old, rusted, twisted up coat hanger. It was fashioned to be (I believe) an "I locked my keys in the car again" door-knob-puller-upper (is that the technical name?) :) So far, in the little uncovering I have done I have found this and a 40 year old pack of zig zags... wonder what else is stowed away?

I just went and looked at my bumper and the 2 mounting points that you have the trailer hitch to are also to mount the rear license plate light to. Those just use normal hex head bolts, so you don't need the chrome ones after all.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g136/Caman355/MVC-001F-28.jpg
That is where the rivets used to be.

That is where the rivets used to be.

Correct - on an original bumper, the center bracket was riveted to the bumper bar with two large flat-head steel rivets, not bolted.

The bright bolts were called "beauty bolts", and are zinc-plated carriage bolts with a crimped-on polished stainless steel cap.

:beers:

Yep, I have another original bumper with those rivits you talk about. I can see why they don't get replaced with original equipment.

Yep, I have another original bumper with those rivits you talk about. I can see why they don't get replaced with original equipment.

Madmax could you post a picture of what the original looks like?

Thanks

Visit a bolt & Hardware store and get carriage bolts in Stainless, 316SS. Never rust, get nuts too! Use antiseize for later in life.

I purchased mine from Orchard Supply then buffed them out to a nice shine. Cost was less than a buck.

I made rivets by grinding down the heads on a couple of bolts, I used original rivets I had removed as a pattern, and used metric bolts as the shank was a little smaller for the size of head I needed to start with. I could have used SAE bolts, and drilled the holes out a little, but I chose not to alter the size of the holes.

I think someone is producing the fake rivets now. Do a search, it was discussed on this forum a few months ago.

Madmax could you post a picture of what the original looks like?

Thanks

Here ya go..

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g136/Caman355/MVC-006F-6.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g136/Caman355/MVC-005F-8.jpg

Got my carriage bolts from Totally Stainless.

Nice pieces.

Thnaks for the reply... what are they called.... "Chrome Bumper" bolts?

I thought you had asked me that last sunday and I replied, "Carriage Bolts-orchard Supply, Home DE-pot would have them chrome or stainless....." I may have been talking to someone else.....I am forgetful.:yes:

The reproduction bumper bolts are different than the ones you can buy at Auto Zone and the like. The auto parts store variety have bigger heads than the original/repop ones. (may be the other way around....I'm getting old.)

Thanks Guys---Learn something new everyday. The Jigsaw puzzle continues.

L Shaw:beers:

WOW - Who'd 'ave thunk a little question about an obscure missing bolt could stir up such interest. Maybe my wife is right... maybe I have lost it :)

Well I think I have the answer to my question, but this whole nut and bolt thing is intriguing to me now. When we put my car back together I found some hardware left over. Guess I better take some pics and let you guys fight it out to see who wins the prize for putting the puzzle back together. Be back in a jif.............

If I remember correctly, there are two different types of repo bumper bolts available. One is chrome, the other is the "correct" capped bolt.

Both are slightly smaller in head diameter than originals. I know this because the last one I built used an excellent original bumper, and the marks that the original bumper bolts left on the chrome were larger than the new repo bolts.

Mystery Hardware:

OK - Here's what I have left over. The overview is somebody started taking the front end of my car apart a while back and last weekend I had a "Camaro Intervention" ... for those who might not have heard about it, here's the thread... http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=111678.

We --- and I use the term "WE" lightly... I was mostly the gopher, wrench-holder, and beer chaser... finished putting the car back together Sunday night, and the following is what remained. As far as I know, all of these came off the front end of the car... the only remaining pieces to be put back on are the 2 sets of bumper brackets, the bumper, and the headlight buckets:



http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j271/dreamweaver10/D-Dub%20Day%20June%2030%20-%202008/LeftoverBolts1.jpg


From left to right, starting at the toip left:


Bolts with castle nuts... approx 1 7/8"
Stubby little thingies with a hole drilled thru from one side to the other - Approx 7/8"
Like the stubby thingies, but a little loger - Approx 1 1/8"
The spring in row #2 is the same as the ones we used in the headlights... as memory serves me, when I found the car torn apart there was another one just like it, but it was broken. We used one in each of the headlights, but I have a feeling that there is suppoised to be 2 in each
Like the spring, that weird looking clip had a sister when I found it, but it too had been broken. I don't remember whether or not if we used any of these when we put it back together???
Last are these long, skinny bolts. They are (I think?) the exact same size as the ones in the headlights, but I couldn't figure out a place where they go. How many of these are there in each headlight? Is there another place where the same bolts can be found on the front end?

Where do all these pieces go?

Here's a closeup of the bolts with the castle nuts:

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j271/dreamweaver10/D-Dub%20Day%20June%2030%20-%202008/LeftoverBolts2.jpg

Welcome to my world :) ---- don't complain.... I have a wife who has to live with this every day:D

The fine thread phillips head screws are for the headlight buckets (2 per headlight), as is the spring.

Those pins look like RS parts, especially with the plastic bushing still in place on one of them.

The castle nuts are not the type that go on the front suspension, which have a cotter pin through them. They look more like the type of nut that is used on the rear leaf shackles. But the bolts there are too short for that application.

I thought the castle nut bolts were for the bumper brackets.....the spring was a left over, the pins I believe are for an RS like Dave said.

The clip on the right in the second row is for a attaching the shift rods to the tranny or to the shift handle on a manual transmission.

I'm talking about a Hurst shifter, by the way, not a Muncie. I'm pretty sure Muncie shifters uses bolts not clips.

I thought the castle nut bolts were for the bumper brackets.....the spring was a left over, the pins I believe are for an RS like Dave said.

Bumper brackets bolts are black phosphated standard hex head bolts for the front. Recessed head for the rear.

Cool - well at least part of the mystery is solved:

It was discovered that the driver's fender is not the original fender but is, in fact, an RS fender. That would explain the pins being left over.... I guess.

The headlight bucket screws makes sense, since that is one of the last pieces left to do.

The castle nuts and bolts - still a mystery as to why they are here.

How many of those springs are there supposed to be in each headlight? Right now there is one spring in each, one is busted up and thrown away, and there is one left over. I am assuming each headlight has 2 springs in it, but we couldn't figure out where the sceond spring goes. Got any pics?

The clip is bothering me. If he was taking the front end apart, why would he have taken the clip out? One thing I do notice when I drive it is that, when I get up to about 1500-2000 RPM, the accelerator sticks and it will stay stuck until I hammer the accelerator 2 or 3 times to get it to kick back down. Could this be because of the clip, or because there is no kickdown bolt installed on the throttle cable, or something else?

Steve, you remember John having the carb off and using my knife to carve out some of the carb gasket? Im pretty sure thats why it is sticking. should go away over time(use). The pins seem like something from a manual tranny, there is only one spring in each headlight, the 4 screws for the headlight adjustment are extra, the castle nut bolts I just read arent for the bumper. So I have no idea what they are for.

Hey - don't forget about the old "broken motor mount" on the drivers side. Most common reason I know of for mechanical linkage to bind in a 1st gen...

Dennis, linkage would catch with the motor not running. John had carved out the insulator gasket on the passenger side where the butterfly rod rubbed on it. May not have took out enough. I am sure youve seen the problem before.

Cool .........
The castle nuts and bolts - still a mystery as to why they are here........

How many of those springs are there supposed to be in each headlight?

The body shop just used what ever bolts they had on hand.

1 spring per bucket.

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