Trunk Hinge Fasteners…Paint or No Paint

[VaCat33]

I finally have some correct fasteners to replace the bolts installed during the original restoration years ago. My question is whether or not these fasteners were painted body color?

I have heard two opinions…

1. The stud/nut was painted and the screw head was not
2. Neither fastener was painted.

In looking at the supposed original Tiger that was on BaT last week, you can see traces of paint on the stud/nut but none on the screw head. Red car in photos attached.

Another original owner tells me neither was painted on his car. White car in photos.

Thanks

 

[Austin Healer]

My understanding is that they both were painted. The screw is a truss head (slotted) 1/4-28 tpi... In the existing pictures of the painting process you can clearly see that the trunk was mounted on the car....

 

[VaCat33]

Sean

Roger on that photo of the painting process. That said, The fasteners would need to be screwed into the chrome hinges and I cannot believe they would have the chrome hinges on the car prior to painting. Not a definitive statement…just my humble opinion.

Jim

 

[65beam]

Sean

Roger on that photo of the painting process. That said, The fasteners would need to be screwed into the chrome hinges and I cannot believe they would have the chrome hinges on the car prior to painting. Not a definitive statement…just my humble opinion.

Jim

Jim,
Rootes may have used a set of dummy hinges to secure the trunk lid in place on the body during applying paint. Doug had a set of cut down hinges with spacers to raise the hinge off the body skin which allowed paint to cover the area under the hinge. He did this process on two of our cars. He painted the bolts / screws by securing in a piece of cardboard so the heads could be body color.

 

[Austin Healer]

Sean

Roger on that photo of the painting process. That said, The fasteners would need to be screwed into the chrome hinges and I cannot believe they would have the chrome hinges on the car prior to painting. Not a definitive statement…just my humble opinion.

Jim

If you look at some of the photos in various books you'll see an Alpine entering a spray booth with all of the panels mounted, including the trunk lid. How they were mounted isn't clear due to poor resolution.

 

[woody6]

I agree that painting the trunk lid with the hinges in place seem unlikely. A spacer to help paint under the hinge could be the answer, or maybe the fasteners were attaching the trunk lid to something other than the hinge at the time the paint was applied. Here is a pic from my dad's unrestored and never disassembled MK1 car. There is still red paint on the nut and stud. It's not visible on the screw, but it could have flaked off over the last 58 years.

 

[VaCat33]

Very interesting info. I went back to that photo of Alpines entering the paint booth and took a close look with a magnifying glass. I cannot say absolutely for sure, but it does appear that some sort of hinge is present on the car just entering the booth. Whether real or dummy does not really matter, only that they appear to be in place. From which one might conclude, so we’re the fasteners.

Barring any additional evidence, I am going with…BOTH FASTENERS PAINTED.

Thanks

 

[VaCat33]

Just to close things out…

I also posted the question on the TEAE FB page and one respondent sent in a photo of a car he said had all original paint. You can clearly see body color on the stud/nut AND the screw head.

Thanks again.

 

[IvaTiger]

Jim,
Rootes may have used a set of dummy hinges to secure the trunk lid in place on the body during applying paint. Doug had a set of cut down hinges with spacers to raise the hinge off the body skin which allowed paint to cover the area under the hinge. He did this process on two of our cars. He painted the bolts / screws by securing in a piece of cardboard so the theads could be body color.

This photo shows what looks like oval shaped spacers were used. Definite signs of paint on the end of the stud and also on the nut along signs of some on the screw

 

[sandy]

I have no paint on mine even after the car was repainted, but not really sure. Oddly I was just about to order a few stainless from McMaster as the truss headed ones are sorta rough. Anyone off hand know the length? I could pull one but I think you have to pull the hood to get at it.

Sandy

 

[IvaTiger]

I have no paint on mine even after the car was repainted, but not really sure. Oddly I was just about to order a few stainless from McMaster as the truss headed ones are sorta rough. Anyone off hand know the length? I could pull one but I think you have to pull the hood to get at it.

Sandy

Why would you have to pull the hood ?

 

[sandy]

Meant the boot lid if not clear. But I think you can't easily get to the screw unless maybe if you pull the spring hinges off to allow it to come up where you can get to the screws.

Sandy

 

[sandy]

Found this on the Tigers United site -

HINGE, TRUNK LID FRONT

2

1/4-28

3/8

MS

PAN,SL

 

[sandy]

Picked up a box of Stainless fasteners for the boot lid. In pulling the old stock out (at least I think it is) out it seemed only a few threads were really into the hinge due to the length. McMaster didn't have any shorter ones in stainless so had to chop to fit. I made them a bit longer which the hinge seemed to have plenty of threaded space for it. Much nicer looking then the old crusty one!

PN from McMaster - 91785A558 the are 5/8" so trim as needed. They may have a shorter length in plain steel, but I have not looked.