Hood emblem fun

jedi · 10-10-03, 06:30 PM

In preparing my Vette for the winter, I was removing the old wax and putting on a few new coats. As part of this process I decided to remove the hood emblem. Unfortunately I lost the nuts that were on the back. I am ordering a new emblem so I don't want to glue the old one back on, but I need to find replacement nuts for the old emblem, which I can't seem to find. Can anyone suggest a solution?
Jedi

jmccloud · 10-10-03, 06:54 PM

Jedi,
That kind of fastener is usually a sheet metal nut and most hardware stores would call it a 'speed nut'
Home Depot, Do It Best, etc. should carry them in various sizes.
I haven't actually looked at my hood emblem fasteners but most trim is held on that way (speed nuts).

jedi · 10-10-03, 07:04 PM

Went to home depot and AutoZone today neither had speed nuts. I also went to the local Chevy dealer, and apparently the new emblems (31.95) does not come with the bolts. Any other suggestions?
Jedi

Chas · 10-10-03, 07:06 PM

i bought a new gas lid emblem for my 73 from ecklers....in a chevy original box and all....it included the nuts....maybe try looking at some web sites ....

10-10-03, 07:37 PM

I bought a c5 emblem for my car and just used the adhesive that was already on the back of it. It's strong enough and will hold.

Unless of course the emblems you buy don't have the adhesive on them.

jmccloud · 10-10-03, 08:07 PM

Went out and looked at my '95 hood. Yes, it has speed nuts. And they're likely in that 'blind' structural housing at the front of the hood.
Do you have an 'Ollie's' nearby. Or some other 'Good Cheap Store'? Or even a 5 & dime? They often sell a magnet on the end of a spiral wire, about 3' long. A similar tool has a push button on one end and wire 'grabbers' on the other end (but it's less useful in blind spots).
Both are essential tools for retrieving lost nuts!
Seriously, if you can locate a magnet of almost any type, tie a string to it and push it around in the cavity. The magnet shouldn't be affected by the housing (fiberglass) but should grab your nuts!
The magnet on the end of a spiral wire is best because you can control the probe location better than with a string. But either will eventually get your nuts back.
When you find your nuts, and if you have a Craftsman tool set; there's a tool most people don't know what it is, much less what it's for. Many Craftsman sets come with a small plastic bag of multicolored, hexagonal discs ( about 3/16" thick and various diameters). These are magnets. Place them in the socket before placing the nuts in the socket and they will hold nuts in place while trying to screw them onto a stud in a blind hole. This also prevents loosing your nuts when unscrewing.
I gotta quit here. But this really works and it's all true!
PS If you can't find your nuts, post your address and I'll send you some from my '66 Impala restoration.

jedi · 10-10-03, 08:15 PM

Jmccloud,
We have the same year. I lost them inside the space between the outside and inside hood pices. Basicly they just fell before I could get them out of the holes. I have been driving the car for 2 days since I did this do you think they are still down there? Is the cavity open or a closed space? Any idea?
Jedi

jmccloud · 10-10-03, 08:37 PM

Bet they're still in there. Can you find a magnet? Even a piece of a refrigerator magnet might work.
I used to work in a metal building and we used magnets to hold papers to the wall. It just became natural to have hundreds of them around, many shapes and sizes. The autozone should have the retrieval tool (magnet on a spiral). If you strike out, email me your address and I'll send a few (magnets or nuts or both).
Click my name on this post to access e-mail capability.

PS If you don't have the magnetic inserts for your sockets, a piece of dum-dum works very well. dum-dum is the tar-like goo that was used to fill cracks in '50 and '60 cars. It's stickier than chewing gum. Works for putting nuts on but not for finding them in a hole.

Ken · 10-11-03, 12:08 AM

One thing of which to be aware - use caution when tightening the new one you're going to install; the studs break off rather easily. I learned the hard way when I was tightening my new one and discovered that it's easy to over-tighten them.

I was lucky though and had some good double-sided tape to use when I reinstalled the new one with the broken stud, it hasn't come loose yet and it's been a few years.

firedawg · 10-12-03, 01:06 AM

I recently had my hood emblem replaced, bought the emblum from a GM Dealer, and they said they could no longer get the nuts for it, they told me to try a body shop, I haven't had a chance to try one yet, but it makes sence. They said the adhesive should hold for a while and I auctally shouldn't need the speed nuts, so I'm not too rushed feeling in buying them

Ken · 10-12-03, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by firedawg
... said the adhesive should hold for a while

Oh yeah, it do stick. Mine's been on with only one nut and the stick-um for a few years now, and it shows no signs of loosening yet. Of course, living in sunny southern California means I don't have to wash my Vette as often.

_ken

The Car Whisperer · 10-12-03, 05:34 PM

Look up your local "auto body supplies" shop for the correct fasteners. They usually have all the odd nuts, bolts and clips that hold trim and sheet metal together on cars. You might have to buy a box of them or they may sell you just what you need. You can also find small packages of speed nuts at places like AutoZone, Pep Boys, NAPA etc.. Speed nuts cut their own thread so be careful the first time you thread them on a new emblem, if they are realy hard to get on then you may have a size that is too small, make sure you have the right size.

chaos on wheels · 10-13-03, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jedi
...I have been driving the car for 2 days since I did this do you think they are still down there?...

Mine were "lost" for over a year! I used a magnet on a flexable retreiver and got them back.

jedi · 10-15-03, 08:08 PM

No joy on the magnet trick (that tool was as hard to find as my nuts.

Could this be why my last girlfriend left me?

I think they fell out while I was driving (I have a bit of a lead foot, it is a vette after all

) I also went to 4 of the local autoparts stores for the nuts but no joy there either. What they had did not look like the same nuts, and did not look like something I could use. So jmccloud I will send you an email with my address on it. Thanks for your help guys, you too Sherry (or is it ok to just refer to you as one of the guys

chaos on wheels · 10-16-03, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jedi
No joy on the magnet trick (that tool was as hard to find as my nuts. Could this be why my last girlfriend left me? I think they fell out while I was driving (I have a bit of a lead foot, it is a vette after all ) I also went to 4 of the local autoparts stores for the nuts but no joy there either. What they had did not look like the same nuts, and did not look like something I could use. So jmccloud I will send you an email with my address on it. Thanks for your help guys, you too Sherry (or is it ok to just refer to you as one of the guys

Search P/N: 344030 at Corvette Central. It's in the "fasteners" section in their online catalog.
Year: "84-96"
Description: "Emblem Speednut Set"
Comments: "Nuts for Fuel dr & front Emblem 4 pcs"