Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Is there a good source of new nut and bolts suitable for these old cars, I am dam sure after 56 years or so these nuts and bolts will be in a bad rusty state, and after so much money being spent on car, shame to let rusty nuts and bolts let her down. Surely these old ones can't be made like new!!!!

May 2011 be lucky to us all.

Tractor Supply - they sell nuts and bolts by the pound.

Might be a bit harder in the UK, after all you'll need to source UNF & UNC nuts and bolts for your '54 Convertible. Locate a good specialist fastener supplier to attend to your needs.

oops didn't see the UK part

Gary -

It all depends on whether you want quick-n-easy or original/authentic. Going beyond basic function, some fasteners used on older cars have unique appearance that discriminating judges look for, but may no longer be in production.

If you're bound and determined to purchase locally, I can't offer much help. Though the site has Packard friends around the globe, the vast majority of its members are in the US. However, if you're open to the possibilities afforded by international shopping, online, I can proved a few pointers.

Member Randy Berger frequently cites McMaster-Carr as a source for hardware - see their Fastening & Joining page.

Our webmaster, Big Kev, used a vibratory tumbler from the selection available at Harbor Freight to clean up many original fasteners and other small parts in preparation for re-use. In fact, you might find BigKev's Project Blog enlightening. Other companies, like Eastwood also offer these tumblers, and a whole host of restorations supplies.

Yet, before you even bother to go shopping for any fasteners, you'll want to get very organized as to your needs. Bag and tag all parts as you remove them, together with their fasteners, and take plenty of specific notes about those that you need to replace.

If you take the time to download and learn to use the entire 48-54 parts book, you will find some helpful information on fasteners.

Part numbers for standard hardware usually have a "G" prefix, and the application listing will often include size information. If you're unsure as to the style of the fastener, you may want to check out a Utility section that was only added with publication of the 55-56 parts book. It includes a chart of basic images as a visual reference, but the pages that follow contain even more details for many, though not all, of their standard hardware.

Fasteners that have a part number without a "G" prefix are more likely to be something special and won't be found in mass-market hardware assortments. You'll have to look to Packard specialists for new or good used replacement of those.

Hi Gary and happy new year,
As Mal points out you will have to source unc and unf threads but that is no problem. You can still get them from nut and bolt suppliers in the UK or at auto jumbles (swapmeets). Lots of guys over here tend to swap the steel nuts and bolts for stainless but be careful of the tensile strength in certain areas. When you get your car is it going to be based in the UK, Aruba,or the US. It's a bit difficult to recommend the best for you when we don't exactly know where you are going to do your restoration.
Regards
Terry

Happy new year to you also Terry.
Yes restoration here in UK. Glad they can be obtained in the uk still. Thats a big help. Perhaps also contacting the English America Car Club might help? Or just buy in America before car is shipped, that makes more sence.

Do you own a car?

Gary,

I have found that the quality of the fasteners used by Packard is so high, breaking them does not happen very often. My car is in sad shape and I have only broken one bolt so far, and that was intentional because I didn't want to waste time freeing a rusted nut. Penetrating oil seems to really be the trick. On larger bolts, an impact wrench will also come in handy. The vibration of the tool will break the rust free and the nut or bolt should come out easily.

Once the fastener is apart, I like to use a media blast cabinet to clean the parts. It is a very useful tool and in my opinion, will make life a lot easier. You can clean a lot of smaller parts with it quickly and easily. The tumbler also works, but takes a lot longer and is not as versatile. I do not know how much media blast cabinets cost in the UK, but here, Harbor Freight sells a nice cabinet top model that is not much more than a tumbler would cost, considering everything you can do with it. Of course, you are also going to need a large compressor to run it if you do not have one already.

Thanks Charles, Media Blast Cabinet sounds just the job.
Dallas, Project Car arriving March time, as mentioned in many of my posts.

Will def check out this Media Blast Cabinet. Do you use 80 Grit Glass Bead Blast Media ?

The cheapest Cabinet $119 or so.
http://www.harborfreight.com/garage-shop/blast-cabinets/abrasive-blast-cabinet-42202.html