77orange

I am fabricating a custom rear window storage shelf on a 1977 and want to rivet the rear brackets to the wall between the cockpit and gas tank. How much clearance is between them? Enough room to drill a hole and insert say a 1 inch rivet? Thanks, Jim.

John 65

I did this conversion on my 77 five years ago.

If you are mounting your hinges in the factory location of the
chrome bumper vettes, an inch should be no problem at all.

7T1vette

There are about 3 inches of space between that rear wall and the fuel tank. Put a 'stop' on any drill so that it drills only as far thru that wall as required. Don't take chances with that risk.

Alan 71

Hi 77,
Since the fiberglass bulkhead is less than 1/4" thick I'm not sure why you're considering a 1" long rivet.
If I'm understanding you correctly you're planning on inserting and setting the rivet from the interior side of the bulkhead. If so, you will need a fastener that expands once it gets through the fiberglass, or if using a typical pop-rivet, you'll need to put a flat washer on the gas tank side of the bulkhead to capture the rivet as you expand it.
If there's nothing to capture the rivet on the tank side of the bulkhead the shank of the rivet will simply smash the hole you've made for it in the fiberglass and the rivet will pull out.
?
Regards,
Alan

On the cars with rear window storage trays there are plates on the tank side of the bulkhead that the tray hinges mount to.

Not a 'bracket', but part of a 'hinge'. The large flat rivet head you see is one of 2 that hold the plate on the other side of the bulkhead in place.

DUB

KEEP IN MIND....that even though the rivets will work for some time. IF you do not use metal washers or a metal plate to allow the rivet to grab onto...and ONLY rely on the fiberglass. DEPENDING on the type of rivet you are using and its grip range....the rivet...in time can possibly work itself loose.

There is a trick to being able to easily install a metal plate and screws and THEN install a rivet or two to hold the plate you installed. It is not that hard to do also. You can more than likely do this yourself with no one helping you. I have to install backing plates like this and I can do them by myself.

DUB

77orange

Very good. I will have to crawl under and see I can get a plate up in there - is this area accessible from below? I should have looked last time I had it in the air.

As for rivet length, I just used 1 inch as an example to help determine how much clearance there is. Not sure what I will use in the end and if I can get up in from the bottom then I will likely use something else.

Thanks for all the feedback and especially the pics. Jim

Alan 71

Hi 77,
Yes, there's 'some' access from below.
What length rivet you use will depend on the total thickness of what you end up using… bracket+ fiberglass+ plate or washer+ some length to begin to deform when you 'pop' it.
Regards,
Alan

DUB

No need to have to crawl under the car and try to get the plate to go where you want it. You still might need to get under the car to look at where you are drilling the holes for the rivets or screws.

If you care to know the method I use....PM me and I can get you my shop number and you can call me due to it will save me a bunch of time typing it out. But the phone call will only take few minutes.

DUB