I hope this is the correct place for this type of post, if not, I apologise up front!.
The "tops" of the ash-trays in both rear doors had lost their chrome plated finish, and in a fit of over enthusiasm I drilled out the special rivets and had the top plates re-chromed.
However, I've been unable to find some suitable rivets to put everything back together.
So, (A) is anyone able to direct me to a source of these special "stepped" rivets, or. (B) does anyone have a pair of ash-trays they would sell me?

Thanks in advance, Richard

 

Post a pics of the rivet if poss, my dad is a retired design engineer, and if it has a special name he often knows what it is and where to get them.

Often if you know its a "doofer" rivet you can easily find what you need, I was trying to find a captive nut for the headlights, and just could not find it, when I found the proper name it was easy to find.

 

Hi Jon,

Thank you for your prompt reply; sorry I'm a bit late replying to you.
I think I'm looking for a "stepped rivet", and I've tried to illustrate what I'm after.
Fig 1 is an enlarged cross section of the ash-tray, and the concept is the stepped rivet secures the "leg " of the ash-tray lid to the side wall of the ash-tray, but permits the lid to rotate around the fixed rivet.
Fig 2 is an enlarged picture of the stepped rivet.
I've also attached a picture of the sat-tray assembly (it is secured within the rear arm-rest) and a picture of the re-chromed ash tray lid.
I've looked on E-bay, but can't see any suitable "stepped" rivets, and a pop-rivet would be tricky, because the inside of the ash-tray is only 55mm wide, and I would struggle to get the head of my pop-riveter in there.
I imagine the originals were supported on a suitable tool, and then "blurred over" from the outside.
I'm beginning to think I need to buy some replacement ash-trays from a scrapped car!

 

Don't rush out and buy any yet, I am formulating a plan. I will ask my Dad if these are a standard type of rivet/fitting, but I fear they would have been a special manufacture.

Second hand ones on Ebay are £45 and the chrome isn't great so you will be going backwards, and SNG are £50 each.

However, I am formulating an alternative plan, leave it with me for a moment.

Do you have the rivets you cut off still ?

The last plan, is I can make you some easily enough.

 

Richard, they are not any type of standard rivet as I suspected.

However I have a plan, my Dad came up with a genius idea, if you get some flange head M3 rivet nuts, and some M3 countersunk machine screws 10mm long, insert the rivet nuts through the lid, then put the lid into the case and put the machine screws through the case from the outside and into the rivet nuts, the rivet nuts do not need compressing, they are just acting as a bearing for the lid. The only thing you may have to do is sand off the splines on the outside of the rivet nut, the M3 rivet nuts are slightly larger than the existing rivet by about 10 Thou, so may need to be eased off slightly to slide through the lid.

Rivet Nut part No RFOS-03030-F from www.rivetnut.co.uk

I can do a sketch for you if my description is too vague, any problems or questions let me know.

Jon

 

Jon,

Thank you for the family involvement! I understand exactly what you/your Dad are suggesting, and it is indeed a very clever and practical solution. However, I went a meeting of one of my car Clubs on Sunday afternoon, and one of the more practical members there has offered to turn down four little stepped "rivets" from aluminium bar, so I think I have a solution available.
Thank you for the link to a "riv-nut" supplier, I'll file that away in my notes, as a I'm sure it will come in handy at some later stage.
All I need now is for my bad back to ease off, and I'll be back on the "S" type.
Thank you once again for all your help.
Regards, Richard

 

No problem Richard, glad you have a resource that will help, that was an alternative as I said I would have made some for you, but at least others have an option if they wish to follow the same route and don't have access to a lathe.

Rivet nuts are great for so many things, I used rub nuts to mount the fuel lines so the screws would not damage the paint re corrosion, for the cover on the brake servo etc.

Paracetamol and Ibuprofen together works wonders, no pain no gain they say. Where's your backbone ? --- Ah that'll be the bit that's giving you all the grief ! Hope your soon back at it.

Jon

 

I have a pair of those ashtrays' removable inserts, the part that you remove to clean the cig asshes and butts. The chrome is in excellent condition in both.

I know I have a pair of the pivoting lid outside section, I will let you know if I find them.