I am wondering what the experience is with members on the forum who have done really original restorations with an emphasis on originality and a keen eye on things like fasteners. Specifically I am wondering what if any experience members have had in finding reliable sources of OEM bolts in BSW, UNF and BSF thread profiles. I am trying to find OEM looking hex head bolts in all sizes and threads that have that same little round depression (circle or dimple) in the hex head, just like original bolts from makers such as Richards, Sparks and others. These seem impossible to find. Does anyone anywhere still make these bolts (mostly grade 5) with that little dimple in the head?

What has members experience been with folks such as LR Fasteners, Imperial Nuts and Bolts and other suppliers of "kits" for nut and bolt restorations.

Would I be better off trying to reuse my original fasteners, that is the ones that are salvageable and can be de-greased, de-rusted and re-plated. I have extensive experience with zinc plating, dichromate passivating and such so I could do this for salvageable fasteners, but I will always be in the position of trying to find the odd bolt here and there with that little dimple in the head. I see that many other British marques of the day (Triump, MG, Healy, Jaguar, etc.) used those funny hex head bolts with the little round depression in the heads.

I would appreciate any and all feedback from members in the forum.

Thanks and regards

 

I think you will want to clean and reuse any of the fasteners that you can.

 

I’ve haven’t looked at the pattern on the bolt head before but I’ve looked for the sheradized (sp?) finish and not found anything in the bolts.