I have a relatively straight forward and probably simple question. I am restoring the spare tire hardwate on my 69 convertible. Is the bolt that extends down that the lock attaches to black or silver? I have seen replacement parts for sale both ways and want to get it right the first time. Thanks!
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Re: 69 Spare Tire Bolt color
Dwayne-----
The lock bolt for 69 Corvettes as well as most, if not all other years, was zinc or cadmium plated.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: 69 Spare Tire Bolt color
Joe, I interpret "lock bolt" as being the special bolt about 7" long that holds up the rear of the spare tub, and receives the keyed spare lock on the end. If that bolt was zinc plated in 69, it changed before late 70...the lock bolt and hanger bolts on my 70 were all dark gray phosphate.Comment
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Re: 69 Spare Tire Bolt color
Early '70 (March build) is cad (silver).Comment
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Re: 69 Spare Tire Bolt color
Chuck------
That greatly surprises me. The same GM #3933819 bolt was used in PRODUCTION for 1968 through 1974 (it also became the SERVICE bolt for 63-67). The specifications for the 3933819 bolt call for it to be cadmium or zinc plated, as do the specifications for all of the earlier bolts which it superceded for SERVICE.
Everyone of these bolts that I have looked at was cadmium or zinc plated. Every NOS original that I have (some very old in paper-type GM packaging) are cadmium or zinc plated (I have not subjected a sample of the plating on any of these to atomic absorbtion spectroscopic analysis to determine whether the plating is actually cadmium or zinc, so I can't tell you which).
The follow-on bolts, GM #345476 (used for 1975-77) and GM #471903 (used for 1978-82), were cadmium or zinc plated.
So, I don't know what the situation is with yours. It must be an "aberation" of some sort. Perhaps, an "off-spec" run was manufactured and accepted for some reason. I don't think that it's "typical of factory production".In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 69 Spare Tire Bolt color
I agree with Joe on the plating.Dick WhittingtonComment
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Anyone With Early 71 Input...
Wow!!!...This is a stunner. I can't EVER remember that bolt being zinc on my car, and I think I would have remembered that...silver zinc...it must stand out like a big, er...phallus.
When I cataloged my parts, I used three different shades of phosphate for description...the fact that I used "dark gray phosphate" rather than the far more common black phosphate seems to confirm that I really looked at it, and that was the real finish.
Well, if YOU say it should be zinc, Joe, I'm sure if mine was phosphate, it was an anomaly. In one of the many starts/stops on this project, I suppose I could have gotten the finish bead-blasted off only to have guess at finish based on the hanger bolts. Now I have to decide...Anomaly??...Restorer Error?? Go for the judging points?...Or, put it back like I think it was?Comment
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