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I assume Ford had a special tool for the hollow door tag rivets . has anyone found a good tool or method of installing them that resembles the original look ?
I would say you are going to have to take the interior door panel off and get access to the back side of the rivet. Then buck the back side like a normal one, all the while holding the head flush seated with a flat bar.
If you are not worried with 110% authenticity, then I'd just use a regular rivet and rivet gun.
I strive for 120% originality so the correct rivets are a must. I did find a tag reproduction outfit that says to epoxy the rivets in and don't try to expand them.
What I have heard is that those rivets were punched with anything you can do it. Obviously Ford people should have used a particular one, but a thin round chisel would work I would say..
I strive for 120% originality so the correct rivets are a must. I did find a tag reproduction outfit that says to epoxy the rivets in and don't try to expand them. Not my first choice but I guess it would work.
You would want to use an epoxy with some flexibility when set up, a few door closes and they might pop right off.
You might ask Joe, read thru his thread and you will see he is a 200% originality kinda guy. And hit his mark for sure.
I read you just tap the center in and be done with it. It is a special Rivet per say. It is not one that goes into a rivet gun. You can see where the river will split and leave pieces to grip the edges.
I did the push the center in thing a few years ago on another Ford and while they held they never did tighten up properly. I suppose a combination of epoxy and pushing the center in might do it.
Ford must have had a tool that had a ball expander or something. it makes sense these would be difficult to replicate since they are the VIN tag actually.
The replacement rivets from Marti aren't exactly like original. Ford did use a specific production tool to set the door tag rivets. With the Marti rivets you use a 3/16" punch and tap them gently, just enough to expand them. If you get carried away what will happen is the shank of the rivet expands then starts to contract again making a loose fit.