Gas door emblem; Need Help

[Kurt B.]

I am reassembling my 68 coupe and the MCRS Judging Manual states that the gas door crossed flag emblem should be held in place with spin rivets for cars assembled through May of 1968. My build date is May 12, 1968. What are spin rivets,where does one get them, how are they applied? It appears the emblem I have is meant for spin rivets as the "acorn" nuts that I purchased from one of the vendors slide on and off freely as the studs on the back of the emblem are only approximately 1/8 to 3/16 inches long.
The judging manual states screws are not to be used until the 69 model.
Any suggestions or advice appreciated. The emblem cost $54 and is not usable as is.
Kurt # 26406

[Jim B.]

Re: Gas door emblem; Need Help

Kurt

I am an original owner of a 68 convert built in July of 1968 and my gas door has spin rivets. They are in good condition so I don't want to remove them to repaint the door. This will be a problem. In addition, any of the replacements I have seen are not the same as my original spin rivet type. It looks like the factory had studs on the emblem which went through the mounting holes and then they used a machine of some sort to break and twist-spin the studs causing them to expand at the hole and break off. I have no idea how this would ever be replicated, but to be sure only a very few folks would ever be able to tell.

Jim Boudreaux
#38390

[Joe L.]

Re: Gas door emblem; Need Help

Kurt----

The 1968 gas door emblem was designed to be used with the "peened" retention; it is different than the 1969 emblem in that regard as the 69-73 emblem has threaded studs. The 1968 emblem is reproduced and, if your emblem retaining studs have no evidence of threads, then that's what you have.

Originally, a special tool was used to "peen" the ends of the studs; there was no "rivet", per se, and the ends were not "spun". I don't know how one could obtain the special tool used for peening these.

[Geoff C.]

Kurt, Kurt, Kurt

Kurt:

I never heard of spin rivets; must be an NCRS term.

The 68 gas door emblem is a Zinc die cast piece with rivets that are part of the actual emblem itself and not a separate entity. When the door is cast, the rivets are produced as integral spikes out the back side at the same time, sort of like a sprue used in an injection mold. They don’t come apart or separate from the emblem. The emblem and rivets are a one piece assembly.

Take the door & emblem assembly, put it in your vice and gradually tighten them progressively first one than the other. Use a cushion on the exposed side: dense rubber, wood, etc to prevent marring the face. Or if you have an arbor press use that.

Geoffrey Coenen

PS Thanks for the confidence and support. And please accept my apologies for returning that bottle of fine Brandy you sent a few years back. My bad manners. I get mellower with age, just like Brandy.