69 taillight attatchment

[kelly theaker]

concerning the fasteners used on the taillights , trying to keep correct , please describe the build up of style of nut and they say in the manual a special washer is used several times , is this washer a ground style washer or
and when describing the nuts are they a captured washer that can rotate,or just and ordinary 1/4 course

also on the headlight assembly the four corners that attatch the complete ass, to the header , there is one corner that has a notch or opening on the alluminum that seems to require a large washer on it , on ly the outboard corner has this opening, what is the correct headmark for the attatching hardware an "e" with a point ? and does the one corner require a large washer or was it just a captured washer bolt like the others, i have e headmarks with an e that are pointed body bolt and others that are just squred off?

[Harmon C.]

Re: 69 taillight attatchment

Kelly The corner with the slot was put their for easy instalation of the headlight frame. Put one bolt in that location and rotate to install. If the slot is oversize due to oxidation you may need a washer and if a judge gets a look at that bolt and finds a problem and a place to take the deduction he probably will miss the easy stuff while trying to see that bolt as it won't be easy to see. Not sure on a 69 but tail lights have fender washers and nuts that are thicker than what you get today at the hardware. Lyle

[Chuck S.]

Re: 69 taillight attatchment

Kelly, on my 70, the stack-up of washers and nut on the tail lights is pretty clearly defined in UPC12, Sheet C6 of the AIM. The special washer you refer to is Item 4 on that sheet. My notes show this to be a zinc plated flat washer, 1/2" OD X 9/32" ID, which I believe is a garden-variety 1/4" flat washer. The nuts are ordinary zinc plated hex nuts for 1/4-20 thread.

Regarding the headlight support screws, I can't find those in my records; I apparently neglected to record that data. This means that I will not be able to tell you the headstamps used on my car in 70, but I'm not sure that would be very valuable anyway.

Going back to the AIM, UPC12, Sheet A3, the headlight support mounting bolts are shown as being ALL THE SAME (Item 8, PN 3846201). I believe that, as designed, these are "squared off" rather than pointed self-threading screws. Some of these small body screws are squared ended, yet still have a slight taper at the thread end.

On the positive side, I would say that "E" headstamps were common on my 70, and probably also on your 69. Since "E" headstamps are not likely to be found just anywhere, I would say that the fasteners, regardless of configuration, are ALL probably original.

This begs the question, "Why are they different?". I suggest that if the weldnut on the body were inadvertantly stripped during headlight installation, they weren't going to wring their hands and shut down the assembly line. If it happened often, they probably had a ready-made solution: install a pointed self-tapping screw, and send it on down the line. (Actually the thread would be in the headlight support which is aluminum...even more easily stripped.)

Will you receive deducts if you put it back like you found it? You probably will, if it is "seen" (low likelihood in my opinion) and recognized as atypical.

[kelly theaker]

Re: 69 taillight attatchment

thanks when it said special, thought i better check

[kelly theaker]

Re: 69 taillight attatchment

your correct on the oxidation but it has begun to pit heavy and i believe not to the point of enlargement of the existing . but it is rather large compared to the captured washer head size, was yours not the same ?

[Harmon C.]

Re: 69 taillight attatchment

Kelly Yes the hole was larger. As for the tail lights the washers must have changed by 73. Lyle