Bought (8) copper Cotter Pins from Duane heckman. 12 yrs ago . for my Restoration. wondering why I only got (8). should I have got 10 just wondering? for tie rods & steering knuckles.
Where was your car built, what Plant, and do you have the installation sheet? I usually threw in extras. Duane
Yes. Duane I do have install sheet. tie rod & center link smacked pins w/ oversized socket. steering knuckle only had enough to do the top of knuckle on both sides of car. Duane where do I not put copper pins?
I don't think Freemont cars had copper pins at all. I think it was a Flint thing. My car is a Freemont car and I don't see any. I could be wrong.
Your probably right. I wasn't sure . But when your restoring a 100,000 mile car don't think they would still be on there
I don't think you are complaining at all, just looking for some info and rightfully so. 70-72 cars Buick A-bodies that were built in Fremont (or other GMAD plants) would have come with copper cotten pins on the center link sub-assembly only. This would have been where the idler arm, pitman arm, and inner tie rods attach to the center link. All cotter pins at these locations were pressed on by a machine and shipped as a sub assembly to the production plants. Fremont cars (GMAD) used regular steel cotter pins for the outer tie rods and for both the upper & lower ball joints. Cotter pins here were installed by hand while the cars were being assembled. On the sheet I should have circled "steel" for the outer tie rods & Ball joints and "Copper" for the other locations. If not then I apologize. I used to supply both the copper & steel cotter pins for the GMAD plant kits I sold, but towards the end I ran out of the steel ones and only supplied the copper ones. At the time I probably told you to buy the steel ones when you needed them as they are readily available. That is probably why you did not have any in the kit. I show the "hand installed" pins as having both ends bent around into a "U" shape. On the original cars I have seen they were all done this way, however some cars have them installed differently, so you can use your judgement. 68-69 cars 68 cars used steel cotter pins at ALL locations, but were installed the same as the 70-72 cars. I never really tracked how the 69 cars were done, maybe some others can chime in on this. Nick Serwo would probably know. Also, to be completely correct the 70 cars used solid copper cotter pins, while the 71-72 cars used copper plated ones. I supplied only the copper plated ones due to the expense of getting solid ones made. They looked correct for all 3 years, and that was the important thing. So..................hopefully that should give you all the info you need, and being that your car was from Fremont, I put extra ones in just in case you messed a few up. Hope this helps. Duane PS. You asked if they can deduct points off when they judge your car, well the answer is yes. If you take your car to a show where the judges know what is supposed to be there, they will most likely catch this. It is one of the things we always look for when judging at the BPG, GSCA, and most often at the BCA National events. I don't know if the AACA has caught on about this or not.
I guess I was wrong and there's your answer. That's good info for me Duane...thanks! Now I have to check my drag link, I knew they weren't on the ball joints or outer tie rods, I didn't think there were any at all. Duane...any pins left? Save me a few.......
Frank, I have not had any left for years. I used to get them done by the thousands from a guy that replated bumpers, but the EPA forced him out years ago. I can still make/plate them by hand but it takes a little time and patience. (I have had to do this for some of my own cars.) Maybe I can make a few more sets. I will think about it. Duane PS. When we verified how they were done at the various factories I made sure to check the date code on the centerlinks to the vehicles body date code. That way I knew they were original to that car.
While I do appreciate the lengths that people will go to to be authentic, but I guess I'm not in that category. I'd probably go for stainless pins so they wouldn't rust, but trying to hunt down copper? No way. I'm going to drive the damn thing anyway. And I would if it were an SJ Duesenberg or a Roller Silver Ghost built prior to WW1.
I agree with all the above, however I feel a little different from most. My thoughts are there is room in our hobby for everything, from full out race cars to completely restored examples, and everything in between. Here is another thing to think about. If there are no pristine restored examples around then how will the next generation ever know what they were like? ............................................and another thing, I know people that have restored their cars to a Concours level and after doing the car show circuits and getting their awards, are now driving the wheels off them. Again, there is room for everything. Duane
Room for everything and anything. If someone wants to be super anal so be it. Definitely not my cup of tea. Bob H.
Drag racing is not my cup of tea either, but if someone wants to spend tons of money on an engine and drive train to go faster.............then knock yourself out. People build cars for different reasons, you do it your way and we do it ours. If we don't take offense to what racers/street rodders do then why should they take offense to what we do? ..................and by the way I have built restored cars, drivers, and even a highly modified car, so there should be no beef here. Duane
I absolutely agree with you Duane, I thought my first sentence covered that. I am just not one of them. If I can't drive it, I don't want it.
