Where can I find a rivot run to fit the aluminum and plastic rivots that are used for the quarter panel and rocker panels that were purchased from the Fiero store? The "grips" are 5/32 and are too big for my standard rivot gun.

Thanks

Like this one? http://www.etoolcart.com/browseproducts/Rivet-Gun--Klik-Lok---Plastic-Rivets-MAR48005.HTML

I did not check Rodneys site, he too may have one http://www.rodneydickmsn.com

John

Go to Harborfreight.com. I got a big one there...and it even comes with some rivets.

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Dana Mitchell
Member of the Gateway Fiero Club
95 Impala SS
95 Roadmaster Estate Wagon
87 GT Maroon w/ Silver Auto
86 SE Red w/ Black 3.2L w/ T-440

Ditto on Harbor Freight. I got mine for $17.

quote Originally posted by sanderson: Ditto on Harbor Freight. I got mine for $17.

Here it is.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=41291

Instead of the rivets I've used the expanding plastic "trim retainers" like what is used on wheel well liners. The bodies of the retainers are just the right diameter for the factory holes - no drilling necessary. No special tools required and you can easily remove things when necessary.
Has anyone else use something other than rivets, I'd like to hear.

Napa has them. Plastic Rivet setter, about $25

http://www.napaonline.com/MasterPages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=BK&PartNumber=7702864&Description=Rivet+Gun

I have one of the Harbor Freight guns (link above) as well. Those guns are for bigger metal rivets. Given the diameter of the average plastic rivet I can see where they would fit in that gun. The only problem I would see is that the gun is so large you might have problems in tight spaces. The Napa gun is about the size of a “standard” hand riveter. I have also read something about using plastic rivets in a gun made for metal rivets but never did follow up on that. I guess it works since folks here have used it.

If you need rivets Napa has them as well. I figured all of this out messing with a 4 wheeler that I have. A dealer sold me some rivets for the fenders and lent me the setter (gun). I googled the name on the gun and found it at Napa. While there I asked about rivets, they sold me a box of 25 for next to nothing compared to the quad dealer’s cost. Napa, at least mine, has a series of 3 ring binders where they have all of their rivets and plastic fasteners laminated on cards for comparison. It was noting to find identical (or near identical) to stock Fiero rivets and the self expanding fasteners used in the inner fenders.

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Brent

'89 Turbo TA
Real Ram Air.
Accept NO substitute!!

'84 Indy Fiero
'88 Fiero GT
'68 Bird (Project!)
'87 Bird (Project #2!)
'99 F350 PowerStroke Diesel

'05 Arctic Cat 400 4X4i
'01 Arctic Cat 400 4X4

quote Originally posted by Raydar: Here it is. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=41291

I got one today. $17.99 - 20%.(I had a coupon--HF has a store here.) Damn Harbor Freight. I also bought a rivit gun that sets nut serts. Another $13 and a tool that will take up residency in the bottom drawer of the tool chest. But it will come in handy.

[This message has been edited by Brian Lamberts (edited 05-16-2006).]

Harbor Freight: I recently removed all body panels from 88GT for painting and reassembled using an HF rivet gun for said plastic rivets....a bit of southern engineering to make it work but work it did. I got the OEM rivets from GM Parts Direct as well as all other various
odd OEM fasteners. You'ld never know the car had been disassembled by a hack "parts changer" Now the car is candy apple red.....all edges....no odd masking lines....no original paint to be seen! BTW, these various fasteners can be identified on the GM microfilm along w/ part numbers for ordering.

I've got a rivnut/nutsert kit from HF, going to use it to install rocker panels. I hate those stupid plastic rivets. I like to be able to remove and install body panels in less than a day...

The rocker panels should be removeable in 5 minutes now, vs hours with a drill before.

quote Originally posted by Patrick86GT: Harbor Freight: I recently removed all body panels from 88GT for painting and reassembled using an HF rivet gun for said plastic rivets....a bit of southern engineering to make it work but work it did. I got the OEM rivets from GM Parts Direct as well as all other various odd OEM fasteners. You'ld never know the car had been disassembled by a hack "parts changer" Now the car is candy apple red.....all edges....no odd masking lines....no original paint to be seen! BTW, these various fasteners can be identified on the GM microfilm along w/ part numbers for ordering.

I am not a big fan of GMPARTSDIRECT. I think they offer low prices and then rape you on shipping. (They charge $10 for sending one dew wipe and another $6 for including the second one--this just sucks!) (Currently really not a fan of DHL who folded the box containing my dew wipes in half!)

But also never missing a chance to put in a good word for one of our own, Rodney Dickman carries the rivets too. Good prices, fair shipping policy, and excellent service. http://www.rodneydickman.com/retail_new.html

Another source is Ardel Dist. Not the best prices, but they have a very comprehensive inventory, and they are good about shipping. (at least they were 4 years ago.)

quote Originally posted by Brian Lamberts: I got one today. $17.99 - 20%.(I had a coupon--HF has a store here.) Damn Harbor Freight. I also bought a rivit gun that sets nut serts. Another $13 and a tool that will take up residency in the bottom drawer of the tool chest. But it will come in handy.

I used it today. It is the most difficult pop riveter I've used. Real difficult to get the shanks (the part of the rivet that 'pops') to eject from the tool. It does work, tho, and 1/4 in pop rivets have their uses.

I also used the nut sert riveter last night to replace a stripped fastener on a wing. Drilled the old fastener out and removed it (which left a hole about 3/4" in the wing.) Filled the wing with superglue and fiberglass strands from some cloth. After it all set up (about three hours) I drilled the proper size hole for the nut sert, and set it with the riveter. WOW! it worked so well. It's in there tight and flush.

This threaded rivet thing is a cool tool. Anywhere you can drill a hole, you can put a threaded fastener. Gonna think about this. What do I want to attach next?

[This message has been edited by Brian Lamberts (edited 05-17-2006).]

Hey, I like that idea! And I need to re-attach my rocker panels, fenders, and quarterpanels too.

quote Originally posted by ryan.hess: I've got a rivnut/nutsert kit from HF, going to use it to install rocker panels. I hate those stupid plastic rivets. I like to be able to remove and install body panels in less than a day... The rocker panels should be removeable in 5 minutes now, vs hours with a drill before.

I am doing the same with mine now. Way better than the rivets. I couldn't get my big-a$$ HF rivet setter to work. The spring is too friggen strong to get the rivet into the nosepiece.

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1986 SE 350 V8

These plastic retainers you guys are using, are they the same as regular pop rivets, just plastic? I used the aluminum ones.

I went to Harbor Freight today and bought the nut rivet gun with some extra rivets. Now my rocker panels (and the bottom edges of the fenders and quarterpanels) are attached with #10 machine bolts.

A word of warning: If you're not careful, the rivet gun can strip out the threads. There's a fine line between properly seating the rivet and stripping it. I accidentally crossed that line a few times.

#10 huh? 1/4" won't work then? Did it require washers?

I drilled the holes out to 3/8" and use the 1/4-20 rivets. The #10's do tend to strip easily.

McMaster Carr has a wide variety of aluminum and steel rivet nuts. I'm thinking about trying steel ones next time around.

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1986 SE 350 V8

quote Originally posted by tesmith66: I am doing the same with mine now. Way better than the rivets. I couldn't get my big-a$$ HF rivet setter to work. The spring is too friggen strong to get the rivet into the nosepiece.

I got it to work, it required some playing with it, and I did squirt some motorcycle chain lube into the nose piece. Try this, the moveable handle needs to be all the way down for the grip to release enough to get the shank into the nose. The pull position (when the rivet pops) finds both handles parallel, you want the opposite--where they're 90 degrees from each other. You may need to tap the rivet's shank into the tool with a hammer. I couldn't get it to release the shank once it popped--ended up tapping it up flush and then tapping the next rivet shank in to force it up and out. It can be done, tho. I set 14 rivets (the biggest ones in the kit) yesterday. Not the easiest pop riveter I've got. (Got one of those air riveters. Not big enough for Fiero use, but nice for smaller sheet metal projects.)

To Ryan: No washers necessary. I used the #10 size, because they fit the original rivet holes almost perfectly. I didn't feel like drilling out the holes for the 1/4-20 ones. Although in retrospect, that probably would've been better in the long run.

Oh, duhhh... yeah I had to use washers for the machine screws. Most of them can use regular washers. But a few of the holes in the body panels (fenders and quarterpanels) are too big, and will need fender washers. Yeah, fender washers on the fenders... LOL.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 05-19-2006).]

Ardel has a nice one along with most of the Fiero fasteners. Little pricey at $52.40 though. http://www.ardeldistributors.com/

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Notchbacks RULE

"Let a man drive a Fiero and he'll own one.
Teach a man to fix a Fiero and he'll own eight."