Ribbit! Ribbit! Said the frog

[JHertzman@xxxxxxx]

A brief note on the " Rivets promote rust, ergo Alfettas are junk, and/or I
replaced all of mine with sheet-metal screws" thread.

One, there are pop rivets on 101 and 115 cars- not as many, but quite a few.
Two, rivets (properly applied) do not break the paint film, which (in my
experience) sheet-metal screws invariably do, leading (again, in my
experience) to eventual corrosion problems. Three, I would rather drill-out a
pop-rivet than a rusted sheet-metal screw. Four, one replaces the pop-rivet
with one of the same size, rather than progressively escalating as one strip
the screw threads. Five, screws are necessary in some places for service
removal - ah, the hell with it.

The real problem with the 'threads' approach comes with the subjective
evaluation of serious concours cars. Like, at Pebble Beach, when comparing two
cars which were built with painted wire wheels, are chromed spokes better than
stainless ones, apart from hydrogen embrittlement? Serious questions. The GTA
with all its originally-riveted alloy panels secured with titanium M1.6 x 0.35
pitch socket-head cap-screws and elastic stop-nuts- would it trump a Bugatti
Atlantic with all the originally-riveted externally flanged magnesium panels
secured by safety-wired stainless steel hex bolts? 

Enough- no, too much. Sorry, never again.

(name withheld)

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