Aftermarket – Oh… Nuts…. and Fastners for ’70 Stang

While I’m currently working on the project plan for all the modifications, I still get the urge to spend a beautiful winter’s day doing some wrenching.  Oh…here in southern Arizona you wait for winter days like today, Sunny and near 70 degrees…oh yes..perfect day for being outside and working on your projects. ( Don’t hate me ’cause I’m warm!!!)

Modifications pending, there are still little things that can be done.  A few weeks ago I noticed a loose fender bolt.  Now normally these bolts are screwed in to clip/slide on nuts (some times called “short nuts” but I just couldn’t put that in the title) that are slid over the edge of one of pieces you need to hold together.

Slip-on or Short Nut

So if a bolt becomes loose it is often the cause of vibration, and if left unattended you can actually loose the slip-on nut. Unless…..it doesn’t have one and a traditional nut has been used.

A while back I ordered a couple of bags of bolts and short nuts for my Mustang and today I decided to spend a few minute and replace the loose one and check the others.

What I found was a bit odd.  Three of the bolts on right fender (do I have to say right “front” fender? I hear that all the time, but I grew up knowing that fenders were in the front and quarter-panels  were in the rear.) did not have the short nuts, but rather the tradition bolts.  I checked the left “front” (just in case) fender and found them to all have slip-on nuts.

I can understand that some where in the 41 year life span (Oh…incidentally..I’m technically the 3rd owner, with the to previous owners beginning a mother, daughter combo)  of my ’70 coupe that someone took it a part, lost the slip-on nuts and yes it was just a driver car so that’s possible.  However, on closer inspection I noticed that the normal slots that would allow the assembler to slide the short nut on were not there for the three bolt holes at the front of the fender (or at the front of the front fender….ok sorry, enough of that).

Square Slot that allows for the installation (Left of the bolt)

Bolt Holes without the slot.

So I wondering how much after-market parts are actually on the my Mustang.  When I had the car repainted, we did discover that the right door was replaced (paint underneath was blue) so why not the fender?   The options I have are to, remove the entire fender and if the holes are not blocked by aftermarket fender then I’ll have to consider using the traditional bolt and nut or I’d have to cut the slots.

Now that’s not the only aftermarket issues I discovered.  Those two bags of bolts and short nuts…..yeah..they aren’t the right size.  Although the are sold as “fitting 1968-1970 Mustangs” the original are 1/2 ”  nuts and these are  7/16″.  Well yeah..they’ll fit…heck there are all kinds down the street at ACE Hardware that will fit too!!!

I’ll follow-up on this later on.

Thanks for reading.

Tim