Try to restore that used hardware

Question:

I’m doing a rotisserie ground-up restoration on a 1966 Chevrolet Caprice and I need all of the nuts and bolts, including the cams for the lower control arms, to restore my complete suspension. Can you provide any information as to where I can get the parts that I need?

Answer:

I called all of the major vintage Chevrolet car restoration suppliers and did not find a source for the hardware you are seeking. You don’t say what happened to your car’s original hardware but if you still have it your best course of action probably is to reuse it.

You can restore the hardware in several different ways. An inexpensive but very laborious course of action is to clean the hardware with solvent and strip any rust with a chemical rust remover or media blasting. You can then simulate the original plated surfaces with appropriate color paints. Various companies sell paints meant to simulate common automotive plating, including Eastwood (eastwood.com).

At the other extreme, you cansend all of the hardware out for professional plating. A quick check revealed the presence of at least seven different metal finishing/plating businesses within striking distance of Varysburg, New York.

If you don’t have the original hardware for your Caprice then you obviously can’t restore it. If you are not concerned with original head markings for the bolts and other original appearance characteristics then you can simply use new hardware. It is crucial that you use hardware that is at least as strong as what GM originally used.