Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:Pop top bolts
Date:Sun, 10 Mar 1996 11:26:59 -0500

Found a reasonable replacement for the rusted bolts on the pop top. Stainless
1/4" bolts about 3/4" long that came with lock washers and flat washers
packaged as "license plate fasteners". These had the larger than usual heads
that seemed to be called "truss or washer" heads. They were still somewhat
smaller than the originals but close enough and far better than trying to
refinish those.

The luggage carrier section is a different story. There the 6mm nuts are part
of the brackets securing the carrier to the roof ergo I can't get by with a
1/4" approximation as I did on the long section. So I plan to use what I
could find rooting around Pepboys which is a 6mm hex head bolt with stainless
washer. Again not perfect but close enough and far preferable to the present
rust streaking.

Ron Van Ness had the slick idea of using eyebolts for additional tiedowns,
awnings etc. I may work those in as well.

I also drilled out all the strap tiedowns on the inside of the luggage
carrier itself since they were so far gone. If the same size are readily
available I'll just pop rivet those back in.

Weston