Re-chromed bumper, bolts won’t fit

PostPost by: NYK » Sun Aug 01, 2021 10:35 am

I’ve just had my Plus 2 rear bumper and window frames re-chromed and find that the bolts will not fit the holes in the bumper. They are new bumper bolts from Sue Miller which I purchased after the bumper went off for chroming so have never been fitted to this bumper. Clearly the old bolts did fit (long since thrown away), do I assume that the plating process has reduced the size of the holes in the bumper, the bolts must surely have been a very close fit if that is the case. Anyone else had this problem? It’s a sodding nuisance because the only thing I can think of is to file a slight flat on the side of the bolt, we are only talking 0.1 to 0.2 mm and then have the bolts re-chromed, that’s a real problem as there was a 14 week wait to get the chroming done. It’s obviously not viable to open up the hole in the bumper as removing the protective chrome layer will allow rusting to start even if one tried to put some paint on the filed surface. All in all really annoying, I suppose I should be used to these little setbacks having had many in the 4 year restoration.
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PostPost by: alan.barker » Sun Aug 01, 2021 12:32 pm

What year is your plus 2 because the screws changed
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PostPost by: NYK » Sun Aug 01, 2021 1:02 pm

It’s a 72 but with a very early shell so don’t actually know if the bumper is early or late. Do you happen to know what diameter bolts were used?
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PostPost by: alan.barker » Sun Aug 01, 2021 1:21 pm

Early plus two were half round domed head and later flater domed head so you can use flat domed head stainless. All crosshead slots.
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PostPost by: NYK » Sun Aug 01, 2021 1:36 pm

alan.barker wrote:Early plus two were half round domed head and later flater domed head so you can use flat domed head stainless. All crosshead slots.
Alan

So these are what I have, from your description this must be an early bolt. Are you saying the later bolt is a narrower diameter?
4765E046-4837-4E12-A178-E98195B95BE8.jpeg and
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PostPost by: alan.barker » Sun Aug 01, 2021 2:47 pm

Same dia but flater dome
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PostPost by: Steve Brooks » Mon Aug 02, 2021 8:14 am

Hello, chaps, the bolt in the photo from NYK I believe is for the front.Rear bumper bolts are as Alan states cross headed very similar ( if not the same) as dashboard bolts.Steve
Last edited by Steve Brooks on Mon Aug 02, 2021 8:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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PostPost by: Steve Brooks » Mon Aug 02, 2021 8:29 am

As in this photo
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PostPost by: h20hamelan » Mon Aug 02, 2021 5:28 pm

I just went though this on my +2
In the end, I shaved 1/16 of either side of the throat of all the bolts
Nice to finally have a complete 100% original (cv, alternator, electric fuel pump) nice running 68 +2
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PostPost by: NYK » Mon Aug 02, 2021 8:06 pm

h20hamelan wrote:I just went though this on my +2
In the end, I shaved 1/16 of either side of the throat of all the bolts
Nice to finally have a complete 100% original (cv, alternator, electric fuel pump) nice running 68 +2

Yes, I thought I might do this. Have also seen some ¼ unf chrome domed bolts on eBay so might look at them as well
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