Restoring Nuts and Bolts.

[m3x1c0]

Hey all. So when I put my newer bumper on I took my time and repainted the bumper support, wire wheeled all the bolts/ nuts and coated with eastwood rust encapsulator. This was 4ish months ago and the lowest bolts are all broken out in rust and parts of the support is too. I have an aluminum support im putting in soon that I'll likely get coated but still dont have any idea how to finish bolts that will last. Seems as though just tightening them down strips all the coating.
Anyone have any tips?

 

[DavidM]

Stainless steel bolts/nuts out of the question?

 

[m3x1c0]

Hmm. no not at all I'd imagine that would get pricy

 

[John Larkin]

I've had decent luck with dipping them in Ospho. You can buy it at Ace Hardware. It's phosphoric acid. Takes several days to dry completely without any gumminess. It's like water so a little goes a long way. A quart would last for years.

 

[m3x1c0]

I've had decent luck with dipping them in Ospho. You can buy it at Ace Hardware. It's phosphoric acid. Takes several days to dry completely without any gumminess. It's like water so a little goes a long way. A quart would last for years.

I've got some that I used on another car. Great for *slowly* treating the metal but do you coat it afterwards or leave them alone?

 

[John Larkin]

You can paint over it. It's a rust neutralizer. I wire brush them and then give them a dip. It will leave a whitish residue that you can brush off once it fully cures. Then paint.

It would be cool to get one of those kits where you home zinc plate things but I never took the time or felt I had that much of a need.

 

[m3x1c0]

You can paint over it. It's a rust neutralizer. I wire brush them and then give them a dip. It will leave a whitish residue that you can brush off once it fully cures. Then paint.

It would be cool to get one of those kits where you home zinc plate things but I never took the time or felt I had that much of a need.

I saw the Zinc kits. I'd like to try it just dont know if it will hold up. I did the neutralizer and wire wheel but not much ospho (only left for a few hours not days like they really need.) This did not even hold up to the tools let alone weather. My car is a driver and sees rain occasionally.

 

[TLIMITED]

Wire brushing nuts,dipping nuts in chemicals,sounds painful.I hope my nuts never rust.LOL

 

[bison]

Plating with zinc forms a good protective barrier or bluing (black oxide) will reduce oxidation after processed. Black oxide is actually a controlled iron oxide process. Black phosphate would last longer than black oxide but would be more expensive.


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[GinoRin]

In the past I've used a wire wheel / scotch brite pad to clean the hardware and then dip in lacquer thinnner with a toothbrush. When they're dry put a nice coat of rust oleum satin black and call it a day. Works great! I did this with all my inner fender hardware and sent the inners out for powdercoating... Now I can't find my diagram to put all the j-clips and misc. hardware back together with the outer finder and wheelwells... anyone happen to have that diagram laying around?

 

[Bruce Urie]

Hmm. no not at all I'd imagine that would get pricy

Stainless steel is what I use when replacing hardware......disassembly in the future is always an easy process....never have to worry about rust........but......since when owning a Turbo Regal isn't pricey?

If yours isn't a show car, replacing nuts and bolts with equivalent stainless steel pieces will benefit YOU greatly..........it's how I feel about my GN.......it'll never be a show car, just a nice FAST car. Since I'll never EVER get rid of it, I can do what common sense dictates, hence. stainless hardware. No rust, no fuss. Always easy to get apart later when I screw something up. After I'm dead, it's my dear wife's worry. I'll be in the great Turbo Buick garage in the sky, trying to solve the inevitable rear main seal leak.

(wire brushing nuts and bolts always removes the cadmium plating or other chemical coating on them, then they start to rust later on....ask me how I know)


Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[m3x1c0]

Stainless steel is what I use when replacing hardware......disassembly in the future is always an easy process....never have to worry about rust........but......since when owning a Turbo Regal isn't pricey?

If yours isn't a show car, replacing nuts and bolts with equivalent stainless steel pieces will benefit YOU greatly..........it's how I feel about my GN.......it'll never be a show car, just a nice FAST car. Since I'll never EVER get rid of it, I can do what common sense dictates, hence. stainless hardware. No rust, no fuss. Always easy to get apart later when I screw something up. After I'm dead, it's my dear wife's worry. I'll be in the great Turbo Buick garage in the sky, trying to solve the inevitable rear main seal leak.

(wire brushing nuts and bolts always removes the cadmium plating or other chemical coating on them, then they start to rust later on....ask me how I know)


Bruce '87 Grand National

Yes I think with some work and a paint job I could have a show car but then I'd never want to drive it. I love being able to take it all over the place and no I don't plan on ever selling it. But having it look as close to stock is one of my goals. (nothing cooler then an 11 second GN that looks stock imo) So even with stainless I'd be looking at a way of mimicking the original plating.

 

[DavidM]

Yes I think with some work and a paint job I could have a show car but then I'd never want to drive it. I love being able to take it all over the place and no I don't plan on ever selling it. But having it look as close to stock is one of my goals. (nothing cooler then an 11 second GN that looks stock imo) So even with stainless I'd be looking at a way of mimicking the original plating.

No one is going to knock you for stainless steel nuts/bolts and for sure no one is going to get on their fat stomachs to look at your bumper nuts/bolts!

 

[TexasT]

No one is going to knock you for stainless steel nuts/bolts and for sure no one is going to get on their fat stomachs to look at your bumper nuts/bolts!

And even if they did, only a select few would know the difference between your stainless and someone else's stock pieces.

 

[skidlid]

Only bad with stainless is sometimes once they have been tightened down they do not come back off easy. The threads seem to become damaged. In the past I have painted some new utility bodies for commercial vehicles and when taking apart these brand new bodies to change the color of the paint they do not always come apart well.

 

[jim0207]

Have you tried self etching primer before your paint?

 

[deezdad]

Only bad with stainless is sometimes once they have been tightened down they do not come back off easy. The threads seem to become damaged. In the past I have painted some new utility bodies for commercial vehicles and when taking apart these brand new bodies to change the color of the paint they do not always come apart well.

You got that right! Learned this first hand doing electrical work, you have to go slowwwww so you dont make any heat/friction.

 

[1952ray]

If you do not want to use SS, then send them out for black zinc, .0002. Or clear zinc, whatever turns you on.

 

[turbotroy]

If using stainless steel fasteners, ALWAYS use a never seize compound. That goes for ALL fasteners, but especially stainless.

 

[jim0207]

I just got back from Fastenal , spent less then $20.00 on black bolts. Enough to replace all the bolts under the hood.