Beige interior rivet replacements
 

I am trying to figure out what is socially acceptable for replaceing interior rivets. I would like to go to 5/32 rivets and I was wondering if plain white is acceptable or should I try to paint them to match the interior panels which are off white. I could also go with plain aluminum rivets.

Perry

"socially acceptable" no such thing. The interior of a vintage Airstream is a blank slate to be made in your own image. ☺

What ever floats your boat... uh tows your Airstream:p

FWIW I have custom painted many a rivet in my day. I used to spray paint them before installation, then touch them up afterwards. I guess it will depend on how OCD you are.:lol:

Aaron:cool:

Well I would like them to match but does anyone know of some spray paint that is a good match to the OEM vinly?

Perry

Check Fastenal. They can get a colored rivet.

i drill a bunch of holes in a board, fill them with rivets and do a mass paint job

We have the same wall covering you have and have used the white rivets from VTS. The walls are a mottled white/beige and the white rivets blend in just fine.

Sue

Paint them yourself or buy them painted - they always seem to need a touch up after installing. I paint ahead and have a small cap-full of paint after for touchup, that way the paint matches. Q-tips work great for an applicator.

I am looking for the correct color spray paint.

Perry

The color is called colonial white.

Andy

I just use white pop rivets. They really don't show.

And before everyone piles on, I have had both graphic design and auto body repair training. White one work fine, they'll turn yellower with time anyway.

I am ok with white then.

Perry

[waking up a post]

The Wally Byam Store in the Jackson Center plant has several colours of small interior rivets, from chocolate brown to some sort of beige.

Some say they won't sell to you direct unless you are there at the Service Center, but a few rivets hardly seems worth putting a dealer in the middle.

Airstream does have contracts with dealers that prohibit them from selling many things direct.

It's a way for a dealer to have an outstanding relationship with a factory, that does not compete with their own dealers.

Granted, some factories don't give a darn, but Airstream is not one of them.

Andy

rivet painting
 

an easy way to paint small objects (like rivets) is to stick them in a piece of styrofoam to hold them in the position you want, then use a spray can to coat them. For touch-up after installation a paper match works fine as a small brush and is one of the few things in this world that is still free.

Finding the right color paint is the main issue for me.

Perry

Same here, Perry. I first looked at all of the fingernail polish displays at Walmart. (It's nice, hard enamel.) No dice. Seems that women in the Taos area don't use colonial white. I guess one could order a fairly close match from a site that I ordered touch-up paint for the MG just this morning, but it is a little pricy: 20 bucks for a 1.5 ounce bottle. Here's a link to that site:

http://www.paintscratch.com/touch_up...-E-(1957).html

:)
Lynn

I have not gotten far enough yet to go to the touch up paint at the auto parts store and see what I can find in a rattle can.

Perry

Touch up paints at auto supply stores
 

What about the touch up paint vials at auto supply stores. Once you find the right color, the vials have a little brush in the cap. I've installed white rivets that get scuffed during installation and have to touch them up. I am going to try one soon.